How to Build a Driveway Apron | This Old House

Senior technical editor Mark Powers shows how to install a driveway apron. (See below for a shopping list and tools.)

What is a driveway apron?
It’s the area where your residential driveway meets the street pavement. You can transform that plain patch of tarmac by tearing up the section above the curb and replacing it with materials that look like they were taken from the streets of Brussels itself.

But instead of laying cobblestone one by one, check out these time-saving manufactured concrete cobbles. They're produced in mats like those for mosaic backsplash tiles, and they install almost as easily. Follow along as senior technical editor Mark Powers shows you how.

Shopping List for How to Build a Driveway Apron:
- Cobblestone mats with cast-in grid. Have your supplier help determine the amount you need.
- Permeable epoxy grout
- Leveling sand. A 1/2-cubic-foot bag covers 6 square feet at 1 inch deep.

Tools for How to Build a Driveway Apron:
- tape measure
- nails to stake the chalk line in asphalt
- chalk line
- safety glasses
- hearing protection
- 14-inch gas-powered concrete saw with segmented diamond blade
- garden hose
- hammer drill with chisel bit to break up the driveway surface
- pick mattock to remove broken-up chunks
- work gloves for handling asphalt and cobbles
- stakes
- mason's line
- bow rake
- plate compactor to tamp base and pavers
- side-cutting pliers
- chalk stick
- mason's chisel with hand guard
- hand sledge
- brick hammer
- hand tamper to fix uneven spots during installation
- duct tape
- cement mixer
- double-foam squeegee to spread grout into joints
- push broom to remove excess grout

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How to Build a Driveway Apron | This Old House

[oe]

The level of work this weekend project is wildly understated.

[drinny]

I just love how they edited out the 5 helpers he probably had.

[creative]

“Then comes the hard part - don’t walk on it” 😂

[TNtoolman]

We had our driveway replaced with pavers.  The key is a good solid base of crushed stone (about 4-6" thick).  If there is not a solid base the drive could be wavy in less than 2 years.

[Maxid]

I installed my driveway apron in 60 seconds. It was the apron my mother in law happened to be wearing when I pulled in off the street. It took the other 59 seconds driving back and forth to get it all flattened out nice.

[DouglasBlake]

Seeing all that work, maybe opt for poured concrete using a cookie cutter type form to make it look like cobblestone!

[ecstasyofgold]

Do you hate being able to easily shovel snow off of your driveway with a regular shovel? Then boy do we have a project for you!!

[BradiKal]

there's a quick extra $5 added to the sale price of your house

[Helterskelter]

The driveway looked pretty OK to start with. If going to do something like this, then at least do the whole thing. Kinda looks weird just having a strip. Personally I'd rather pave it than cobblestone as visually it looks a lot better (and the whole drive). And that's only if the driveway was really in dire need of a overhaul. Like how they glossed over the removing of the old driveway. It's a hell of a lot of hard work.

[aikenschlong]

This is for when you run out of real projects to do around the house.

[ejohnson]

Though this does add some curb appeal, it's also a lot of unnecessary work. I do think those cobbles on a mesh is a great idea though and I might look into that for a path I want to create in my backyard.

[critterscropscuisine]

This video doesn't have the old familiar TOH feel. Just not getting into it.

[marco]

Sorry, I'm not seeing the need for this and all the work to do it.

[は私です彼の名前]

Dude, if I am going to spend all that money renting all of that equipment, I might as well hire the whole job out and let a pro deal with it.

[pringals]

Be aware of where the community right of ways and or easements are. It would suck to do all this work only to have a utility come through with a trench for upgrades, tearing up all your hard work.

[TL]

all I want is to know where to get grid cobblestone.. all stores and suppliers are clueless to what I'm asking for

[gameelders]

No matter how many times I see this great video, I can't find a reason to change from "Like".

[dallashill]

LMAO! "now here comes the fun part" yes this is quite the project but hey happy wife happy life

[perropulgoso]

Yeah, you can look at pictures of your finished driveway from your hospital bed, no way in hell I would do that back braking job 🚑

[I-Teee]

This is a “You saved $1000, but incurred $2000 in medical expenses” job.