Learned a new lesson about car care yesterday, the hard way. My car has
accelerated corrosion of the chassis which the mechanics say is a result
of my parking the car for extended periods over grassy areas.

I've got about a half acre lot. Driveway is single car wide. Although
I could extend it I can't widen it very easily.

Instead I'm considering building some sort of parking pad in the
backyard where I was parking the car. Likely concrete, concrete pavers,
or perhaps asphalt.

Any recommendations or suggestions? Low cost, low maintenance, and
durability all a plus.

Jim wrote:
Learned a new lesson about car care yesterday, the hard way. My car has
accelerated corrosion of the chassis which the mechanics say is a result
of my parking the car for extended periods over grassy areas.

I've got about a half acre lot. Driveway is single car wide. Although
I could extend it I can't widen it very easily.

Instead I'm considering building some sort of parking pad in the
backyard where I was parking the car. Likely concrete, concrete pavers,
or perhaps asphalt.

Any recommendations or suggestions? Low cost, low maintenance, and
durability all a plus.

Corrosion is probably result of moisture migrating up & out of soil.
Thus, you might want crushed stone covered with poly below a concrete
slab.
TB

On Thu, 10 Aug 2006 20:04:29 -0400, Jim wrote:

Learned a new lesson about car care yesterday, the hard way. My car has
accelerated corrosion of the chassis which the mechanics say is a result
of my parking the car for extended periods over grassy areas.

I've got about a half acre lot. Driveway is single car wide. Although
I could extend it I can't widen it very easily.

Instead I'm considering building some sort of parking pad in the
backyard where I was parking the car. Likely concrete, concrete pavers,
or perhaps asphalt.

Any recommendations or suggestions? Low cost, low maintenance, and
durability all a plus.



Concrete - durable, looks good, low maintenance, high initial cost
Asphalt - durable, some maintenance, cost less than concrete
Pavers - Some maintenance, weed growth in cracks, low cost
gravel - high maintenance, low cost

Phisherman wrote:

On Thu, 10 Aug 2006 20:04:29 -0400, Jim wrote:

Learned a new lesson about car care yesterday, the hard way. My car has
accelerated corrosion of the chassis which the mechanics say is a result
of my parking the car for extended periods over grassy areas.

I've got about a half acre lot. Driveway is single car wide. Although
I could extend it I can't widen it very easily.

Instead I'm considering building some sort of parking pad in the
backyard where I was parking the car. Likely concrete, concrete pavers,
or perhaps asphalt.

Any recommendations or suggestions? Low cost, low maintenance, and
durability all a plus.


Concrete - durable, looks good, low maintenance, high initial cost
Asphalt - durable, some maintenance, cost less than concrete
Pavers - Some maintenance, weed growth in cracks, low cost
gravel - high maintenance, low cost

I believe for a small scale pad (assume 8' x 16') asphalt will cost
considerably more than concrete due to the need for specialty equipment
for placement vs. a 2x form and a screed board.

Pete C.

Pete C. wrote:
Phisherman wrote:

On Thu, 10 Aug 2006 20:04:29 -0400, Jim wrote:

Learned a new lesson about car care yesterday, the hard way. My car has
accelerated corrosion of the chassis which the mechanics say is a result
of my parking the car for extended periods over grassy areas.

I've got about a half acre lot. Driveway is single car wide. Although
I could extend it I can't widen it very easily.

Instead I'm considering building some sort of parking pad in the
backyard where I was parking the car. Likely concrete, concrete pavers,
or perhaps asphalt.

Any recommendations or suggestions? Low cost, low maintenance, and
durability all a plus.


Concrete - durable, looks good, low maintenance, high initial cost
Asphalt - durable, some maintenance, cost less than concrete
Pavers - Some maintenance, weed growth in cracks, low cost
gravel - high maintenance, low cost

I believe for a small scale pad (assume 8' x 16') asphalt will cost
considerably more than concrete due to the need for specialty equipment
for placement vs. a 2x form and a screed board.

Pete C.

i would go with gravel if you are trying to keep costs down. have an
excavator strip the organics down to native soil, and use a geotextile
fabric. you could also use paver edging to somewhat limit weed growth.
hit it with roundup every few years. BTW, i parked a fairly decent
pickup in the weeds for three years, and pretty much ruined it with
underbody rust.

"Jim" wrote in message
...
Learned a new lesson about car care yesterday, the hard way. My car has
accelerated corrosion of the chassis which the mechanics say is a result
of my parking the car for extended periods over grassy areas.

I've got about a half acre lot. Driveway is single car wide. Although
I could extend it I can't widen it very easily.

Instead I'm considering building some sort of parking pad in the
backyard where I was parking the car. Likely concrete, concrete pavers,
or perhaps asphalt.

Any recommendations or suggestions? Low cost, low maintenance, and
durability all a plus.



I will throw this one out for your consideration. Minimal cost and a DIY
project all the way.

One of the neater things I saw a picture of in a very dated "concrete
projects" book was a casual parking pad built out of concrete blocks and
filled with earth so that you had green space but a durable surface. In the
example shown they pretty much had the blocks butted together end to end and
side to side with the opening up. For what I am going to suggest you might
be able to decrease the block quantity by spacing them apart a bit more
except around the perimeter.

For your purposes I would modify that concept like this. Excavate to 6" or
so, making sure to allow for drainage as you site lies, lay down a heavy
layer of plastic, sit the blocks on a finely crushed rock base which has
been spread over the plastic, fill the blocks and all gaps with "road grade"
crushed rock. You will have some weed growth after a few years but an annual
application of a herbicide will control it.

Let me know what you think and how it works out if you do it.


--
Colbyt
One picture can be worth a 1000 words.
Post yours at www.ImageGenie.net for FREE.

"Pete C." wrote in message

Concrete - durable, looks good, low maintenance, high initial cost
Asphalt - durable, some maintenance, cost less than concrete
Pavers - Some maintenance, weed growth in cracks, low cost
gravel - high maintenance, low cost

I believe for a small scale pad (assume 8' x 16') asphalt will cost
considerably more than concrete due to the need for specialty equipment
for placement vs. a 2x form and a screed board.

When I got a price for a similar parking pad, the asphalt guy wanted almost
as much for the small pad as for doing an entire driveway. Near work
there is an outfit that will line up a number of jobs in the same area and
do them all in the same day or two at more reasonable cost, but he does not
come down to my town. If you have a neighbor getting a new drive, you may
be able to piggy-back cheap. Otherwise, concrete is probably best.

On Thu, 10 Aug 2006 20:04:29 -0400, Jim wrote:

Learned a new lesson about car care yesterday, the hard way. My car has
accelerated corrosion of the chassis which the mechanics say is a result
of my parking the car for extended periods over grassy areas.

I've got about a half acre lot. Driveway is single car wide. Although
I could extend it I can't widen it very easily.

Instead I'm considering building some sort of parking pad in the
backyard where I was parking the car. Likely concrete, concrete pavers,
or perhaps asphalt.

Any recommendations or suggestions? Low cost, low maintenance, and
durability all a plus.


Those guys that advertise sheds and garages for less than a thousand
bucks do a wonderful job for the money and they are fast.

And the corrosion problem is all due to road chemicals, not parking
on grass.

"JimL" wrote in message
And the corrosion problem is all due to road chemicals, not parking
on grass.

No, grass helps. I've seen the difference on my two cars the same age and
use, one is sometimes on grass, the other never is. The road chemicals may
start, but the moist environment helps it along.

Colbyt wrote:
"Jim" wrote in message
...

Learned a new lesson about car care yesterday, the hard way. My car has
accelerated corrosion of the chassis which the mechanics say is a result
of my parking the car for extended periods over grassy areas.

I've got about a half acre lot. Driveway is single car wide. Although
I could extend it I can't widen it very easily.

Instead I'm considering building some sort of parking pad in the
backyard where I was parking the car. Likely concrete, concrete pavers,
or perhaps asphalt.

Any recommendations or suggestions? Low cost, low maintenance, and
durability all a plus.




I will throw this one out for your consideration. Minimal cost and a DIY
project all the way.

One of the neater things I saw a picture of in a very dated "concrete
projects" book was a casual parking pad built out of concrete blocks and
filled with earth so that you had green space but a durable surface. In the
example shown they pretty much had the blocks butted together end to end and
side to side with the opening up. For what I am going to suggest you might
be able to decrease the block quantity by spacing them apart a bit more
except around the perimeter.

For your purposes I would modify that concept like this. Excavate to 6" or
so, making sure to allow for drainage as you site lies, lay down a heavy
layer of plastic, sit the blocks on a finely crushed rock base which has
been spread over the plastic, fill the blocks and all gaps with "road grade"
crushed rock. You will have some weed growth after a few years but an annual
application of a herbicide will control it.

Let me know what you think and how it works out if you do it.


I used something vaguely similar on a yard shed I erected a few years
back. The Home Depot type where they want to also sell a wooden floor
kit. Others prefer a concrete pad but in my area that qualifies the
shed as a permanent, aka taxable, structure,

Instead I excavated the depth of concrete blocks. Using the blocks has
been quite handy in the winter time because as the snow thrower thaws
any water easily can drain away.