How loud is a driveway replacement? How long does it take? (Belmont: home, neighborhood)

[Gauss44]

My neighbors are getting their old concrete driveway replaced by an asphalt driveway. I am next door with a very large air conditioner in my window that makes my window impossible to close, so I will get all the noise.

My questions are:

1. If I plan to be home while this process is taking place (removal of old driveway, construction of new driveway), will normal earplugs suffice for any noise?

2. Does anyone know how long this process usually takes? Or better yet, can you point me to a website that explains how long each step usually takes and what is done during each step of the process? (I looked around and found nothing thorough. I am hoping to learn about the whole process from removal, to installation of the area where the driveway meets the street (gutter area).

3. During what stages of this process will I likely not be able to talk on the phone due to the noise next door?

If necessary, I will make sure I'm not home during this process. But I would rather be home if that's safe noise-wise.

I live in Belmont.

Thanks!

[gf2020]

I think you're worrying too much about the noise and the job should be done in 1 day.

[Gauss44]

Originally Posted by gf2020

I think you're worrying too much about the noise and the job should be done in 1 day.

I'm actually not worried, just doing my due diligence. A friend of mine warned me about the noise and may or may not have been misinformed.

[MikePRU]

There's going to be noise. There's no doubt about it as the contractor will be operating heavy machinery. While it might be a nuisance, I wouldn't describe the noise level as likely to be unsafe.

[SalamanderSmile]

It depends on the size of the driveway, I assume small and narrow so work that may usually be done with heavier equipment will be done more by hand. So if my experience is anything to go on there will be the jackhammering of the current driveway(loud), maybe a little backhoe thing to dig out and drag slabs to a dump truck (banging slabs in empty truck) or if they really hammered it they will wheelbarrow the pieces out. Then they need to prep the site for the new driveway which will involve at least a bobcat (not loud) and one of those tamper things (loud). As i said any piece of it will take longer and be louder longer if done by hand. One of those hydraulic concrete breaking machines would be quick and not take long and be much less loud but may not be something they can get to your site.

Once the site is prepped and ready there will be a loud stinky asphalt truck and some wheelbarrow work and hand raking, then the bobcat/roller thing will go back and forth over it until it is smooth.

IMHO The most annoying thing after all of the concrete breaking will be the backup beeps of the various bobcats and trucks. Then the leftover bits of blacktop getting tracked in on your shoes for weeks.

My old neighborhood was (still is) a veritable construction site while I was home with an infant so we saw many aspects of tear-down rebuild/remodel. Something like 30% of my neighborhood was remodel/teardown at any given point.

[BostonMike7]

1-2 days....depending on the size.

Wear earplugs, or earmuffs if the noise bothers you, or have someone come by to remove your window AC unit.

[brent s]

I'm assuming if its Belmont, the driveway likely isn't enormous. Any time I have had a driveway done they have been in and out in 1 day including ripping up the old and laying down new asphalt.

[Cape Cod Todd]

I'd say most driveways are completed in one day but if your neighbor is having the old concrete removed there will be jackhammers that make a lot of noise and it might take a few days to get all that done. If the paving company has the proper equipment and personel the job usually goes very quickly. There will be noise from the machinery but I say the worst part is the smell of the new pavement going down.
If you are so concerned with the noise you could go Christmas shopping. Also there are noise ordinances in all towns and depending on yours they might not be able to start working until 8-9 and have to stop 4-5.

[Gauss44]

This is all good news.

I was told, perhaps inaccurately, that a residential driveway took a few weeks when the workers worked about every other day (due to rain, holidays, etc.). Noise-wise, I was told that the part where they move slabs of concrete to the dump truck was "so loud you could feel it in the air down the block."

It sounds like driveway replacements usually don't go like that.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by Gauss44

This is all good news.

I was told, perhaps inaccurately, that a residential driveway took a few weeks when the workers worked about every other day (due to rain, holidays, etc.). Noise-wise, I was told that the part where they move slabs of concrete to the dump truck was "so loud you could feel it in the air down the block."

It sounds like driveway replacements usually don't go like that.

Being in Belmont, i can't imagine the driveways being that big.

The contractor is going to want to get in and out in 1 day and not tie up equipment. Jackhammer slabs up and lay the asphault and roll in the afternoon. 1-2 days tops if it's a 1-2 car driveway.