I recently bought a house that has a shared driveway surrounded by concrete, and I've noticed weeds growing in the cracks at the back. I'm wondering if I can just throw some grass seed onto the concrete or if I need to do a bit more prep work, like removing it. I checked with the city, and there's no easement, but I want to make sure the neighbor's kids aren't playing in my backyard. I share the driveway, but I believe I own the concrete in the back. What are my options here? Should I leave it alone, fill the gaps with something, or go ahead and plant grass? Also, this property used to be a business, so are there any specific rules I should be aware of?
2 Answers
If your goal is to have grass instead of concrete in the back, a full removal of the asphalt could be a big project, but it’s totally doable! You could plant grass there to create a nice space, especially if it’s not affecting the electrical easement. Keep in mind that weeds will keep coming back if you don’t get to the root of the problem, so you might want to tackle that with a weed eater—just be careful around your neighbor's car!
You definitely can’t just toss grass seeds on concrete and expect it to grow—you’d need to address the concrete first. Since you’ve got weeds coming up and erosion happening, I'd recommend hand-pulling the weeds, then maybe using an asphalt filler to smooth out the driveway on your side. As for the back, if you're looking to replace the concrete with grass, you might want to do it gradually and see if a local landscaping company can give you advice. Definitely good to chat with your neighbors about any work you plan to do, especially since you share the driveway!