Who does driveways?

I need my driveway either resurfaced or completely redone.  It still has the original concrete driveway under it, which I guess has given the asphalt a long life (25+ years, I'm told expect 15 years for asphalt).

So who does driveways?  One guy told me that they use SMA (stone-matrix asphalt) for parking lots and it's a quality job.  That guy now appears to have disappeared off the face of the earth.  Anybody else either doesn't return calls or stops returning calls when I mention SMA.  The conversations I've had have come down to "We use asphalt."  

I was intrigued by your question and found this document mentioning SMA. 

https://www.njapa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/NJAPA-Design-Guide-2013-64E-Rev-11-4-13.pdf

I’d contact them and see if the association can refer you to a contractor who uses this material for driveways. 

My guess is that it is considered overkill in a residential driveway application.

When we needed our driveway redone (an ugly job including a crater due to fallen trees), we used Michael Giordano, who came highly recommended, and did a great job. It was time to redo it entirely, rather than just slap on another layer.

http://www.michaelgiordanocontractor.com/

susan1014 said:

When we needed our driveway redone (an ugly job including a crater due to fallen trees), we used Michael Giordano, who came highly recommended, and did a great job. It was time to redo it entirely, rather than just slap on another layer.

http://www.michaelgiordanocontractor.com/

 I’ve heard other good references about Giordano. 

Maybe goes without saying, Taylor, but is you can save the underlying concrete subgrade, that’d be the way to go!

Thanks, I agree about keeping the concrete sublayer, but we are up to basement windows, I may have no option but to tear it all out.  I've been told that disposal of asphalt is a big part of the cost of a tear-out. I was hoping that SMA would allow a thinner layer if resurfacing, but probably not. Maybe I should consider concrete, but it's a long driveway.

Taylor said:

Thanks, I agree about keeping the concrete sublayer, but we are up to basement windows, I may have no option but to tear it all out.  I've been told that disposal of asphalt is a big part of the cost of a tear-out. I was hoping that SMA would allow a thinner layer if resurfacing, but probably not. Maybe I should consider concrete, but it's a long driveway.

 Asphalt is actually 100% recyclable.  If they scrape it off of the concrete you can put a new layer on.

We used Mike Giordano and he did a wonderful job. Driveway still looking good 10 years later.  

I used Carmines and they did an excellent job.  I had one contractor say if they found concrete under the asphalt, it would be extra to remove it.  Note: after the asphalt is removed, if the driveway is taken down to the dirt and re-leveled, it has to sit for 2-3 weeks to harden before it can be paved.

From past MOL post's and recommendations:

1. Sidewalk/Driveway:
   Johny Masonry
   862-703-9220
   
   Avellino Masonry (https://avellinomasonry.com/):
   973-535-1457
   
   Michael Giordano
   908-687-1711
   
   Carmines (https://www.carmineslandscaping.com/)
   973-763-6626
   
   Ernest & Sons
   973-669-3779
   
   
   
2. Driveway Sealing:
   JWH & SONS 973-467-0195

Regards,

RCH

Essex Morris - a longtime sponsor on MOL is really good as well:

https://www.essexmorriscontracting.com