Driveway Nightmare
I am rehabbing home that has a circular driveway that has partial concrete and partial rock. It is a nightmare not to mention there are weeds growing on it. I got estimates on blacktopping it $2,550 and concreting all of it $5K - it is about 2100s.f. The cheapest route would be getting some weed killer and then putting more rock down down but that would be cheesey 
. Is it really that hard and costly to pour concrete? I thought about getting the material and then paying a couple of guys from a local construction site who does driveways to assist. Any ideas?
Keep in mind the three main things that sell a house are curb appeal, kitchen and bathroom. If someone drives up and sees a crappy driveway, they're odds are gonna just drive away. IF they manage to get past that, they're going to want a reduction in price to fix the driveway, if it's all screwed up. And, yeah, it's VERY easy to screw up concrete if you don't know what you're doing, or hell, if you DO know what you're doing, it's easy to screw concrete up.
Hi Fmmp: I do quite a bit of concrete...Both my grandfather and my father made their living at it. Your bid you received for the concrete is very fair. The cost for the concrete alone is about half of that, plus you will need re-bar, which is very high priced right now. And, when you figure in the rental of a power screed, forms, float, etc. and hire of helpers, you will put your self right at $5K. In addition, you may need to haul in fill as well.
Now, did this bid include the removal of the existing concrete portion of the driveway? It may not be necessary, but it is an additional consideration.
Concrete will almost always outlast blacktop.
So other than the weeds growing in the cracks what's wrong with the existing drive?
I'm not sure I understand what a partially concrete partially rock drive looks like. Can you clarify?
Give me about 10 min. I will post a pic.
The patch in the middle has since been landscaped and I am going to to put a pond there so the driveway goes around the patch.
http://www.fmmp.com/driveway1.htm
Are the other driveways in the area just gravel or are they paved?
I'd probably go with the asphalt
They are gravel but the 2 best homes on the block are directly across the street from my rehab and they are blacktopped but you can't really see them because their driveways lead behind their homes. I guess I will have to "find" $2500 before December!
When it rains it pours. I also have a LOC with Home Depot and was going to have them install carpet but one of the rooms in the home have 9x9 vinyl tile which Home Depot says probably has asbestos in it so they declined to install. Now I have to pay actually cash out of my pocket to get a local company to lay carpet, that cash was going to be used for the driveway so I am back to square 1.
I did think about giving the seller an add'l credit but I will already contribute $2K for closing and $1,500 for a new c/a (seller credits). I think the most lenders allow is 6% so it may work. I will sell the home for close to $90K.
From your pics, I looks to me that the weeds have grown in the drive from a lack of use of the drive way. I would spray weed killer, and haul in a couple of loads of gravel (if that is what is there) or granite (if that is what is there). This will give it a fresh look and will better define where the drive way ends and the lawn begins. Of course, you will need a skid steer to spread it.
Quote:
On 2004-09-23 09:54, commercialking wrote:
I'm not sure I understand what a partially concrete partially rock drive looks like. Can you clarify?
Mark,
I can tell you live in the city
Robert
[addsig]
jspaeth what is a skid steer?
The pics really help. You are right about this needing something. I would tend to also agree with CONCRETE's suggestions. Avoid new asphalt or concrete, reduce size of driveway, use weed killer and new layer of crushed materialover minimal driveway, and you might even do away with the pond. I frankly hate ponds - they are yet another landscaping chore. When they are dirty, they are VERY ugly. Better to have lush low-maintenance landscaping.
username: Concrete, why didn't I look you up before! LOL! Thanks for the info that definitely could work and it be cost efficient. Concerning the pics I have taken over 80 and will probably post all before/after when I pick up my closing check :-D !
Hi FMMP: A skid steer - AKA skid loader, Bobcat, etc...a machine to help spread and pack the material. As Concrete stated, though, if you had a good dump truck driver, they might do a good job of getting it distributed where you like it.
Jspaeth I got it! Thanks!
Well now that I have seen the pictures and have the information that gravel driveways appear to be acceptable to the neighborhood I think I'd leave the gravel drive. You can spray it with a herbicide and you might not even need to add gravel. I agree that additional landscaping material would be a good thing.
Robertt-- it was the partially concrete that was fooling me. I haven't always lived in the city.
You can also rent skidsteers. They are great fun to drive. So much fun I bought my own on E-bay.