Can anyone tell me what he is doing?

[BGcoop]

We have a neighbor a few houses down that is pouring a black substance on his gravel driveway, like gallons and gallons of it. From the road it appears to be blacktop sealer??? He did this once before and then was seen taking a blow torchy thing to it. We do not have good relations with him so I can’t just go ask what he is doing (he made false accusations about my DH to the police after DH asked him to move a car from the driving lane of the road). I’m just wondering if this is like a legit thing people do to create a faux blacktop driveway and if it is what type of product is he using? We are on well water here and I am concerned for the watershed with the amount of stuff being dumped.

 

[cheepteach]

It is probably driveway patch or sealer, and the torch is to re-melt lumps. It doesn't seep in past his gravel base

 

[BGcoop]

So it’s normal to just put this on top of gravel? What’s the point of it?

 

[cheepteach]

cheap temporary driveway---maybe he doesn't like moving gravel and dust when using the driveway--easier to plow snow. But it breaks apart at the edges eventually

 

[BGcoop]

Hmmm. Ok, so it is supposed to harden then.

 

[cheepteach]

yes--should not drive on it for 12 hrs or so

 

[BGcoop]

Gotchya. So is this a widely known thing? i was trying to figure it out with google searches but google must have been having an off day cuz it got me nowhere

 

[cheepteach]

yes--they sell the sealer and DIY driveway stuff at Home Depot, Lowes---check their websites. Disposing of those buckets is a pain, too

 

[Ron in Sebring]

Quite normal...known as oil and stone pavement...he’s just melting down either coal patch or roof sealer to smooth it out. Most smaller neighborhoods have similar roads of just sprayed hot oil and topped with stone of some sort instead of standard bituminous asphalt. I used to work for a county road department for years when I was young...this was a common practice back in the day at least...

 

[BGcoop]

Quite normal...known as oil and stone pavement...he’s just melting down either coal patch or roof sealer to smooth it out. Most smaller neighborhoods have similar roads of just sprayed hot oil and topped with stone of some sort instead of standard bituminous asphalt. I used to work for a county road department for years when I was young...this was a common practice back in the day at least...

This is how our road is made- however he doesn’t put anything/sones, sand etc. over the stuff he pours on. Just pours it on, heats it up, done.