Speaking of asphalt vs concrete...

[mbryson]

As some of you know (and maybe some of you don't?) we will be building a new house in the next months (year?). Our current house is under contract and should close on or before July 10. We've got all the move and a rental figured out but have a few details I need to work through about the house/lot.




Since the asphalt thread, I've been debating asphalt vs concrete. Here's a scale model of my house placed to scale (I think--Cache Valley edumacation so there could be some errors) on a preliminary cul de sac drawing. Orange drawn space was originally planned to be packed gravel. I don't want to take care of that much yard, gives me a great place to park my trailer etc. I ended up chatting with the code enforcement folks in Bountiful and learned a few things.
a) my gate (at the front of the garage) needs to be a privacy gate. OK, we can work with that. Not what I wanted but that'll be fine.
b) I have to park my trailer on concrete or asphalt or other impervious surface. My current trailer is a 28' gooseneck so that's a decent sized piece of concrete. My plan was to put it WAY in the back corner. To be up to code, I will have to put it just behind the gate and keep it on an impervious surface. Hrrrrmmmm.... not much of a fan but ok (that's roughly represented by the green lines)
c)

I have 18' of space on the side of the house. Pretty happy with that as my current backing space is 9' 10". This will feel WIDE. I'll have to loop through the cul de sac and head back north to get the trailer ready to back but I think it'll be fine.

Here's my question: The survey mark near where the orange line meets the cul de sac is 4377'. The mark where my driveway meets the cul de sac is 4375'. I assume I'll need some kind of retaining wall for the 12-18" difference. This then gradually slopes to about 4374.5" (approx) by the time you hit the gate line then slopes down as you go to the back of the house at 4373.5 on the south side to 4372.5(ish) on the north side. To my uneducated eye, this seems like almost an ideal slope for drainage? I can direct the water after the house or whatever.

Smart folks that know about slope and drainage and impervious surfaces and such, what is your opinion of that slab? Seems like a pretty straightforward pour to me? Any snags you can see? (my GC is thinking I'll need a 2-3' retaining wall there? I can see a small wall at the odd little triangle by the N89* lettering. I don't even know if the retaining wall would be required but I'm open to that or to pulling one back all the way to the property line there.)

Opinions are appreciated on slope, surfaces to use and maybe even retaining wall ideas (I'm thinking those stupid bricks at Lowes or HomeDepot would work fine. Not in love with those but they'd work. I'll likely try to find something different looking but we'll see.) THANKS!!!






BTW if you're asking, the garage is about 1350'. I still have the option if I become wealthy to build a garage at the back of the lot but this built in one will work for now and at least 4-5 years into the future. SIGNIFICANTLY bigger than anything I've ever had before. I'm pretty happy with it and we'll see how it works out. I like having the option to build a separate building but don't know if/when that'll happen?

ALSO: I need a cool neighbor to buy the lot east of me. It's .41 acres. Hit me up if you're interested and I can get you a price.

Just remembered I have this sketched up on the Orbit sprinkler website. I don't think the house is quite to scale in this drawing though.

 

[I Lean]

The house I grew up in has an asphalt driveway--I would go concrete if you can. It moved around when cars were parked in one spot for long periods of time (and I'd assume your trailer would make similar depressions), oil leaking on it made "soft spots" where it kinda disintegrated, and it was a huge pain to shovel snow since it wasn't as smooth as a concrete drive would have been. It also wore out the shovels comparatively fast. Not to mention jackstands sunk into the surface quickly also.

 

[SLC97SR5]

Go with concrete if you can. We have a horseshoe driveway at the Cabin and the first year we were there we totally ruined it by plowing it with a full size truck. The propane delivery guy is also not allowed on it because it will make it slough off the edge.
The best thing we've done there is replace a main parking section with concrete. After we had the 2+ parking area done with concrete we had all of the remaining asphalt removed and redone with fresh asphalt. I has been seal coated once and you still have to be really careful driving on it...no turning the wheels while stationary, no punching the gas to get up the grade. Even the SXS's will gouge it on a hot day.
If we were to do it again we'd do all concrete or crushed stone. The asphalt definitely looks pretty when freshly hosed off.

 

[glockman]

Go with concrete if you can. We have a horseshoe driveway at the Cabin and the first year we were there we totally ruined it by plowing it with a full size truck. The propane delivery guy is also not allowed on it because it will make it slough off the edge.
The best thing we've done there is replace a main parking section with concrete. After we had the 2+ parking area done with concrete we had all of the remaining asphalt removed and redone with fresh asphalt. I has been seal coated once and you still have to be really careful driving on it...no turning the wheels while stationary, no punching the gas to get up the grade. Even the SXS's will gouge it on a hot day.
If we were to do it again we'd do all concrete or crushed stone. The asphalt definitely looks pretty when freshly hosed off.

Your ashpalt or subgrade material was not put in correctly. I worked for Udot testing asphalt for 2 years. The compaction rate makes a huge difference as does the size of aggregate used. If you use too small of aggregate and not enough compaction you will get soft asphalt that displays what your describing. Most highways are 1/2" ,minus where most subdivisions were 1/4 minus if I remember correctly, it may be 3/4 and 1/2.

That said, All urban interstate in Utah was going to be concrete when I left UDOT about 2001. Cost at the time was 9x what asphalt was but it paid off in lifespan. So I'd go concrete if you can.

 

[Shawn]

As I mentioned in the other thread, I would never use asphalt again for a driveway. Many reasons besides looking like a road. Also, keep in mind, the City will make you contain run off onto your property. So, if the driveway goes from your house to the property line, it must be sloped away from the neighbors property. (maybe you know this)

 

[mbryson]

As I mentioned in the other thread, I would never use asphalt again for a driveway. Many reasons besides looking like a road. Also, keep in mind, the City will make you contain run off onto your property. So, if the driveway goes from your house to the property line, it must be sloped away from the neighbors property. (maybe you know this)

It should collect into my backyard and filter through some grass? Hoping that's good enough but so far with Bountiful, they seem to have some interesting codes and regulations

 

[Shawn]

Ya, living and building in Holladay was...... interesting with all of the little tidbits they wanted us to do, like the fire hydrant I had to buy and install accost the street.....

 

[johngottfredson]

I would do asphalt with no hesitation if concrete isn't in the budget. I have a massive amount of asphalt at my house. It was poured in July of 2001 and has been perfect everywhere except one edge where the prep was garbage and they just threw some leftover asphalt down, and dump trucks driving over it deformed it. We board horses and have huge trucks and trailers going over it every day. Again, zero issues. But I've removed some of it to expand some planting areas and there is about 12-18" of roadbase and gravel beneath, as the whole driveway was gravel for 30 yrs prior to asphalt. So it was, let's say, well compacted. If you prep it right it'll be great. But concrete is obviously awesome if you can swing it.

 

[Spork]

My parents old house still has asphalt down from when I was a kid in good condition, again all about the prep. My Grandpa's place he had some fly-by-night operation show up talked him into asphalt and basically just threw it down over his old gravel driveway. I think it might have lasted about 10 years.

 

[johngottfredson]

Ok....let's talk about the drainage. None of this discussion can be had until we know the finished floor elevation of the house. No way is the builder letting the driveway drain all the water into the garage. So find out what finished grade of home is going to be. Because that will determine everything else. The plan you have doesn't show final grade of the cul-de-sac either, unless I'm mis reading it....as in, ain't gonna be no 2' change in elevation within 20' as shown on your plan. These elevation points show existing grade only, pre-development, so without knowing final cul-de-sac grade or home elevation, no discussion of drainage can be properly had.

Rule of thumb on impervious surface drainage: .5-1% slope will drain while appearing perfectly flat. I would do 16'-17' side parking sloping toward property line/rear of home and leave 1-2 feet for gravel for the water to go to so you're not draining onto neighbor's property. And pipe your downspouts so all the roof water doesn't land there.

 

[N-Smooth]

FWIW if you think concrete is impervious to being sucky, come check out my RV pad. previous owner got a buddy deal and got some concrete that was in the truck all day. it's all cracked to hell and the surface has been flaking for years. now the cost of removing and replacing it is ridiculous, especially if I don't stay here for years to come...

 

[Bart]

After having both, I would go with concrete also, but then again I didn't prep for the asphalt so I'm sure that was the problem. Congrats on the new house. Looks like nice one and I'm jealous of the space you have.

 

[rholbrook]

Go with concrete if you can. We have a horseshoe driveway at the Cabin and the first year we were there we totally ruined it by plowing it with a full size truck. The propane delivery guy is also not allowed on it because it will make it slough off the edge.
The best thing we've done there is replace a main parking section with concrete. After we had the 2+ parking area done with concrete we had all of the remaining asphalt removed and redone with fresh asphalt. I has been seal coated once and you still have to be really careful driving on it...no turning the wheels while stationary, no punching the gas to get up the grade. Even the SXS's will gouge it on a hot day.
If we were to do it again we'd do all concrete or crushed stone. The asphalt definitely looks pretty when freshly hosed off.

Timber Lakes? That sure looks familiar

 

[mbryson]

Well, there were trees here. Now a mess.



Tomorrow should yield less mess. We’ll see if the deer decide to move on?

 

[Jesser04]

Lawn art? What ever it is looks dangerous.

 

[Bart]

Looks like good progress.

 

[mbryson]

Ok....let's talk about the drainage. None of this discussion can be had until we know the finished floor elevation of the house. No way is the builder letting the driveway drain all the water into the garage. So find out what finished grade of home is going to be. Because that will determine everything else. The plan you have doesn't show final grade of the cul-de-sac either, unless I'm mis reading it....as in, ain't gonna be no 2' change in elevation within 20' as shown on your plan. These elevation points show existing grade only, pre-development, so without knowing final cul-de-sac grade or home elevation, no discussion of drainage can be properly had.

Rule of thumb on impervious surface drainage: .5-1% slope will drain while appearing perfectly flat. I would do 16'-17' side parking sloping toward property line/rear of home and leave 1-2 feet for gravel for the water to go to so you're not draining onto neighbor's property. And pipe your downspouts so all the roof water doesn't land there.

I need to find our plot plan