Asphalt Driveways and Car Repairs

If you have ever worked on your car outside of the garage on an asphalt driveway, then you know from experience that there will be the inevitable gasoline, oil, transmission fluid and other liquid spills that will occur and create an unsightly mess and stain.

But there’s more to it than that. Those chemicals—no matter how quickly you clean them up—will already have absorbed into the soft petroleum-based asphalt and began permanent staining and breakdown of the asphalt that will soften the surface and lead to cracks, potholes…and more than a few words from your significant other.

In addition, that breakdown of your driveway surface is also a safety issue. Not only will it be difficult to wheel a heavy tool cabinet or air compressor or other equipment onto the driveway to your car, but what if you need an engine hoist or jack stands to support heavy downward forces on a surface that is prone to crumbling?! You get the picture.

A Safety Solution for DIY Mechanics

Yes, you could hire out the work to an unlicensed asphalt driveway repair/replacement service (that just happened to be in your neighborhood claiming to have leftover product from another job). Or, you could go to the local Home Depot and spot fix damaged asphalt. But in both cases, I’ve seen less-than-stellar results, which necessitates hiring a licensed reputable asphalt service.

While a reputable service is expensive, it is much cheaper than some of the injuries that can occur working on an unsafe surface.

That said, here’s an informative 15-minute video by the Chris Fix YouTube channel that shows you how it’s done properly and what you can expect in costs.

Spoiler Alert

Because you will be wondering while watching all the work that goes into properly replacing an asphalt driveway whether it might make more sense to just go ahead and have concrete poured, here’s a spoiler alert: The cost of asphalt job shown was $5.45 per square foot. A concrete pour would have easily cost twice as much. Get the best final results by working with a small load concrete by Southcoast Shortload.

How to Replace your Entire Driveway (Complete Tear Out and Repave)

And finally…

For additional articles related to working on cars and being safe, here is an informative review titled “Best Floor Jack Comparison Tests Reveal Which Harbor Freight Jack to Buy and Which to Probably Avoid.”