We're diying a pavered patio (300 square feet) and are wondering about using recycled asphalt as the base. Has anyone done this? We"re going to rent a plate compactor, so the extra required tamping isn't a problem. It will be going top of of 1 inch traditional paver base (compacted)/geotextile stabilization fabric/ground. It's SERIOUSLY less expensive--8 dollars a ton and we need about 5.

So, has anyone used this? I can't find much online. The company I found it from said they use it all the time as a paver base and it works great. Just want some confirmation!

Well, when I was talking to paving companies about repaving my parking lot, several of them suggested breaking up the old asphalt and using it as a base for the new asphalt.

I never did that. I knew I didn't know enough about asphalt to wander off the well beaten path, so I ended up paying for the old asphalt to be hauled to the landfill and for crushed limestone to be put down as a base.

But, if the asphalt companies here are OK with the idea, then I'd say it's not a crazy idea.

Ideally, your best bet is to use crushed limestone, but the problem is that the moisture content of the limestone has to be right. If you have too little moisture in it, it doesn't compact as hard as it can. If you have too much moisture in it, it doesn't compact as hard as it can either. There's an optimum moisture content that results in the limestone compacting really well. So, even if you pay for crushed limestone for your base, if this is a DIY project, you might not end up with that great a base if your limestone is too wet or too dry.

So, if you do pay more for crushed limestone, find out how to test the moisture content and what it should be for proper compacting. The paving companies in your area should be able to tell you that over the phone.

Maybe look in your yellow pages under "Paving" and phone up some of the companies that pave with paving stones and see what their experience with recycled asphalt has been.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Nestor,