Removing Oil stains on asphalt driveway

[paulsharvey]

Some of the advice on here is the equivalent to charging your cell phone by microwaving it....

 

[C79]

I have had success getting oil out of broom finished concrete with crushed pelletized gypsum but what ever you use on asphalt that is a degreaser may effect the binding of the asphalt itself because of what it is comprised of. Any lighter oil like orange oil would probably have a very negative effect on it too.

 

[RandR10]

As repeatedly said here, the liquid asphalt that holds blacktop together is a petroleum distillate, and when you get a stain from oil, it's not just a color change. You've dissolved the two petroleum fractions back into each other. How much depends on how much oil you've spilled and how long it sat soaking into the surface. You'll never get it completely out without replacing the asphalt completely. If it's just the surface, leave it alone and it'll blend in with time. If the homeowner isn't happy, offer them some money off your for the cosmetic damage. Of it's more than that you may have to get your insurance company involved to cover the cost of milling it up and replacing.

 

[sailonner]

It may not work so well on asphalt, but we used to throw coca-cola on oil-stained concrete!

 

[Hay Dude]

I can respect that but I would argue his property didn't get damaged and the owner accepted that risk by hiring a contractor. Although I did learn oil can damage asphalt witch seem odd to me but that depend on multiple factors like if not cleaned up type. But it was... If it would've been a corporate delivery vehicle I would strongly doubt they would offer any reparations.

Yeah, parts of what you say make sense.
UPS delivery trucks leave oil on my driveway.
Tree guys removed a huge trees on out newly paved private lave and spilled several gallons on hydraulic oil and no one said a thing to them.

I feel like with any property owner, if you invite large equipment on your property, there’s risks that seals, or lines could blow and this could happen.
Like a risk you assume.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Yeah, parts of what you say make sense.
UPS delivery trucks leave oil on my driveway.
Tree guys removed a huge trees on out newly paved private lave and spilled several gallons on hydraulic oil and no one said a thing to them.

I feel like with any property owner, if you invite large equipment on your property, there’s risks that seals, or lines could blow and this could happen.
Like a risk you assume.

I understand your position on keeping your name untinted, I would suggest you see that as a learning experience and for future clients and have them sign a waver for these kind of unforeseen events so you feel and held responsible.

 

[dodge man]

Listen to Paulsharvey. He is correct, some bad advice here. Nobody suggested dynamite but some of the ideas are about the same. I’ve also done some asphalt inspection years ago and the stuff isn’t delicate but it can be if you put the wrong stuff on it. Haydude you are to the point I’d just use soap and water and a scrub brush on a stick. There is also the often overlooked solution of doing nothing, it depends on your client’s expectations.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Yeah, parts of what you say make sense.
UPS delivery trucks leave oil on my driveway.
Tree guys removed a huge trees on out newly paved private lave and spilled several gallons on hydraulic oil and no one said a thing to them.

I feel like with any property owner, if you invite large equipment on your property, there’s risks that seals, or lines could blow and this could happen.
Like a risk you assume.

I think there is a little grey area. I have been the customer and the contractor position in the past, as you have. I would agree that there is the unwritten understanding that equipment will have an impact and I would expect that anything in the "normal scope" of the job would be the implied risk the homeowner assumes. Light ruts, a few for gouges in the ground, dead spots from hay sitting, maybe a couple small dead spots from fuel dribbles would be in the normal scope of doing the job. However when the negative impact is beyond the normal scope of what the job entails then the contractor has the responsibility to make it right. It sounds like you are trying to do right by the customer, and it sounds like the customer is so far giving you plenty of grace. In my opinion that spill is out of the normal scope of the impact I would expect from a tractor on my property and the contractor would need to make that right. I personally would consider you doing the best you can do to clean it up and offering to make an insurance claim if the asphalt fails in an agreed upon timeline to be fair on your part, and if I was the customer I would likely be happy with that.

I don't see this as any different than any other accident. Unforeseen, sucks, and potentially expensive. Same as if your steering failed and you took out an outbuilding, not done on purpose, but contractor bears responsibility.

 

[Hay Dude]

Yeah, that’s pretty much the way I think about it, too.
I will make it right.
Need to see how much the kitty litter did, let things dry out from Sunday's monsoon and reassess.

 

[edsxtrees]

Hay Dude
Apparently you believe in the saying "You leave a site in 'as good as or better than condition' than it was when you arrived". It is something that I believe in and try to live by but in so many instances contractors (or power companies) don't. I take my hat off to you!!!! I wish you the best in resolving the problem. I have no suggestions for you. As several have suggested there are a number of BAD options presented here.