How difficult is it to pave a driveway?

[2EFNFAST]

Driveway is starting to break apart. Either going to have to start patching it with that black tar stuff (which looks like absolute ass), or I can pave it. It's about 1/8mile or so.

I've been thinking of renting a paver and doing it myself. I remember seeing a post on viperalley a while back where the guy did this and it only cost him like $500 to do his whole driveway (i believe it was over 1/4long).

I keep toying with the idea, but have no idea what would be involved....

[Q-TIP]

It is not easy. We had our driveway repaved about two years ago and to do it properly took a shitload of work. It is not easy to keep consistent thickness and you can't really just pave over the existing asphalt as it is otherwise it will break up within a couple of years and you are doing it all over again.

Our driveway is about the same length as yours but we have a large 1 acre asphalt pad for parking etc.

[gretz]

an 1/8 mile is a long DIY if you've never done it.

grab a pick axe and start hacking lol.

If you are doing it properly, take all the origonal out (pick-axe) - should come out in decent chunks

Get some good 3/4 crush, rake to level and pack
Get that black sticky shit from hell and "drizzle" it on the packed gravel - more around the edges of the patch (prevents lifting)

Whoever delivers the asphalt - try to get them to do a driving dump, a pile is good if you have a canvas to cover it.

Get a good wide alum rake - makes life easy (ier) and try to get it leveled as fast as possible to avoid cooling (the cooler the surface, the more water on the packer-drum is needed/likes to stick + lift)

Have a pail of Diesel there to clean your tools with as well (before and after each use)

Also - i can help if need be