My driveway is in need of repair. It is a straightforward enough job, being only 25' X 16'. I was going to have the old, existing asphalt resurfaced with a fresh coat. Simple and at a reasonable cost.
However, my wife wants something a bit more elegant and, of course, expensive. I checked out the cost of a concrete drive, but that will run us around $4K.
One option before us is stamped concrete, where two thin layers of concrete are poured over the existing asphalt. This concrete is then stamped and stained and sealed. The result is an appearance of stone or tile, depending upon the pattern and colors selected. I have seen this work before and it can be quite appealing.
My question is can this be done over asphalt? Will the petroleum base of the asphalt and the existing cracks in it cause a problem with the concrete? I'd hate to have this done only to be facing the same situation in two years. Thank you!

As the summer heat affects the asphalt below, do you think it will have an affect on the concrete riding on top? Concrete has no problem cracking on it's own when it is on a good base. I would remove the asphalt first.

What about stamped asphalt? Go to drivewayimpressions.com to see if they are in your area.
As far as concrete over asphalt, you'll have to ask the company who will perform the work if they can use that as a base.
Magprob has a good point about the heat, movement & removal.
If you do leave they existing driveway you might need a layer of gravel to isolate the 2 from each other.

Hi I just had concrete impressions out to my house and they will not do the asphalt impression over concrete but they will do it over an existing asphalt driveway.

My estimate to remove my old concrete and put in a new asphalt one and then do the impression was approx $14,000. Double driveway. We didn't do it due to cost but the ones I've seen are really nice. Some look just like white, or red or blue brick, slate, almost any thing you want. patches2000

There is a product called Encore coatings that can be put over asphalt and looks good and works well. You can roll down the first coat, allow it to dry, lay down a stencil and then spray a couple of other layers down, remove the stencil and you have a nice sriveway with a pattern. Sealing this with a good sealer is also recommended for driveways. I have never stamped this coating, but will be experimenting with that this next week. You can contact me for further info at [email protected]

I have done something similar to what you suggest to my own driveway, with mixed results. It can be done, and there is no reason to think you cannot do it.

In general, you would never put concrete over asphalt because they expand and contract at different rates with freeze and thaw cycles. They asphalt is less dense and expands faster with heat which would stress the slab of concrete above to the point of cracking.

However, you are not laying a slab, you are laying stamped concrete, which I assume will create joints in the concrete layer. These joints will allow the concrete to flex and float on top of the asphalt just fine.

The final issue then becomes the joints themselves. If you live in a cold climate, then you need to seal those joints up with something flexible that will keep water from getting in and freezing, which will only chip away at those joints. A good option is crack resistant driveway patching cement with reinforcing fibers. This will keep the joint filled with more flexible concrete that will hold up to the elements.

My results were mixed for correctable reasons. I should have added reinforcing fibers to the concrete mix to give it flexibility, and I failed to get the right material into the joints. Also, I had a few bad batches of concrete that just seemed to be brittle. I have since amended these issues and it held up quite nicely through this winter.

You should expect a bit more maintenance. You will have to repair the joints from time to time and you should seal the driveway each year at those joints to keep water out. My problem is that I did brick shaped pieces, so there are a gazillion joints to maintain.

As long as you...
1. Have enough joints to release stress and
2. Use a flexible type of concrete with reinforcing fibers and
3. Fill and maintain the joints with crackproof, weatherproof material

You will be fine.