I gotta redo a drive way strip that a redwood tree uplifted. It's one of
those old driveways where there are two strips of concrete about 30"
wide with dirt in the middle.

Some of the roots of the redwood tree are level with the top of where
the driveway strip should be so the lady wants to pour around the roots.
Makes sense to me. She said she talked to someone and all she could come
up with was "hard dirt". Now that don't sound like anything I ever heard
of, but who knows?

I figure, form up around the roots, pour the conc and fill in with
whatever it is she is calling 'hard dirt' around the roots. I don't know
what the hell she might mean, but I guess there might be something out
there to fill the bill.

Anyone got any ideas?

Major Debacle wrote:
I gotta redo a drive way strip that a redwood tree uplifted. It's one of
those old driveways where there are two strips of concrete about 30"
wide with dirt in the middle.

Some of the roots of the redwood tree are level with the top of where
the driveway strip should be so the lady wants to pour around the roots.
Makes sense to me. She said she talked to someone and all she could come
up with was "hard dirt". Now that don't sound like anything I ever heard
of, but who knows?

I figure, form up around the roots, pour the conc and fill in with
whatever it is she is calling 'hard dirt' around the roots. I don't know
what the hell she might mean, but I guess there might be something out
there to fill the bill.

Anyone got any ideas?

Probably just clay.

A bane to many cause it is hard to get grass to grow in it.

Lou

On Apr 15, 7:05*am, LouB wrote:
Major Debacle wrote:
I gotta redo a drive way strip that a redwood tree uplifted. It's one of
those old driveways where there are two strips of concrete about 30"
wide with dirt in the middle.

Some of the roots of the redwood tree are level with the top of where
the driveway strip should be so the lady wants to pour around the roots..
Makes sense to me.

That makes sense to you? The roots are flush with the top of where
the new pour is going and you think it's ok to just pour concrete
around them? Should look great. And regardless of how it looks,
it's going to fail. Even if the roots are just BELOW the concrete
they will eventually cause it to beak up.







She said she talked to someone and all she could come
up with was "hard dirt". Now that don't sound like anything I ever heard
of, but who knows?

I figure, form up around the roots, pour the conc and fill in with
whatever it is she is calling 'hard dirt' around the roots. I don't know
what the hell she might mean, but I guess there might be something out
there to fill the bill.

Anyone got any ideas?

Probably just clay.

A bane to many cause it is hard to get grass to grow in it.

Lou- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

On Apr 15, 12:04*am, Major Debacle
wrote:
I gotta redo a drive way strip that a redwood tree uplifted. It's one of
those old driveways where there are two strips of concrete about 30"
wide with dirt in the middle.

Some of the roots of the redwood tree are level with the top of where
the driveway strip should be so the lady wants to pour around the roots.
Makes sense to me. She said she talked to someone and all she could come
up with was "hard dirt". Now that don't sound like anything I ever heard
of, but who knows?

I figure, form up around the roots, pour the conc and fill in with
whatever it is she is calling 'hard dirt' around the roots. I don't know
what the hell she might mean, but I guess there might be something out
there to fill the bill.

Anyone got any ideas?

Your county probably has a tree expert on hand that will come out free
and give ideas that will last and not hurt the tree. Neither of you
know what is right for the tree and to make it last.

Major Debacle wrote:
I gotta redo a drive way strip that a redwood tree uplifted. It's one of
those old driveways where there are two strips of concrete about 30"
wide with dirt in the middle.

Some of the roots of the redwood tree are level with the top of where
the driveway strip should be so the lady wants to pour around the roots.
Makes sense to me. She said she talked to someone and all she could come
up with was "hard dirt". Now that don't sound like anything I ever heard
of, but who knows?

I figure, form up around the roots, pour the conc and fill in with
whatever it is she is calling 'hard dirt' around the roots. I don't know
what the hell she might mean, but I guess there might be something out
there to fill the bill.

Anyone got any ideas?

Crushed stone? I know it is used for underlayment for pavers. Use
compacter for that.

In article ,
Major Debacle wrote:

I gotta redo a drive way strip that a redwood tree uplifted. It's one of
those old driveways where there are two strips of concrete about 30"
wide with dirt in the middle.

Some of the roots of the redwood tree are level with the top of where
the driveway strip should be so the lady wants to pour around the roots.
Makes sense to me. She said she talked to someone and all she could come
up with was "hard dirt". Now that don't sound like anything I ever heard
of, but who knows?

I figure, form up around the roots, pour the conc and fill in with
whatever it is she is calling 'hard dirt' around the roots. I don't know
what the hell she might mean, but I guess there might be something out
there to fill the bill.

Anyone got any ideas?

My guess is decomposed granite, aka DG. Are you familiar with it?

wrote:
On Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:04:25 -0700, Major Debacle
wrote:

I gotta redo a drive way strip that a redwood tree uplifted. It's one of
those old driveways where there are two strips of concrete about 30"
wide with dirt in the middle.

Some of the roots of the redwood tree are level with the top of where
the driveway strip should be so the lady wants to pour around the roots.
Makes sense to me. She said she talked to someone and all she could come
up with was "hard dirt". Now that don't sound like anything I ever heard
of, but who knows?

I figure, form up around the roots, pour the conc and fill in with
whatever it is she is calling 'hard dirt' around the roots. I don't know
what the hell she might mean, but I guess there might be something out
there to fill the bill.

Anyone got any ideas?

I'd just skip the cement around the roots and then put some asphalt
there. Asphalt is much easier to replace, and it will mold to the
shape of the roots rather than crack.
I'd move the driveway. Is there room in the yard to jog around the
above-ground part of the roots?

But speaking seriously- have an arborist look at the tree, and see if it
can live without the problem roots in question. Whatever you put there
is either going to heave eventually, or kill the root and maybe the tree.

--
aem sends...

--
aem sends...

wrote:
On Apr 15, 7:05 am, LouB wrote:
Major Debacle wrote:
I gotta redo a drive way strip that a redwood tree uplifted. It's one of
those old driveways where there are two strips of concrete about 30"
wide with dirt in the middle.
Some of the roots of the redwood tree are level with the top of where
the driveway strip should be so the lady wants to pour around the roots.
Makes sense to me.

That makes sense to you? The roots are flush with the top of where
the new pour is going and you think it's ok to just pour concrete
around them?

Actually, no. I was ambiguous in the description. By "pour around the
roots" I actually nmeant to covey that I would be pouring around the
roots, but not up to the roots, in much the same way boat goes around an
island or a plane goes around a mountain.

Anyway , the stuff I was looking for is decomposed granite with a
stabilizer mixed in.

Should look great. And regardless of how it looks,
it's going to fail. Even if the roots are just BELOW the concrete
they will eventually cause it to beak up.







She said she talked to someone and all she could come
up with was "hard dirt". Now that don't sound like anything I ever heard
of, but who knows?
I figure, form up around the roots, pour the conc and fill in with
whatever it is she is calling 'hard dirt' around the roots. I don't know
what the hell she might mean, but I guess there might be something out
there to fill the bill.
Anyone got any ideas?
Probably just clay.

A bane to many cause it is hard to get grass to grow in it.

Lou- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -



--
When asked, years afterward, why his charge at Gettysburg failed,
General Pickett said: "I've always thought the Yankees had something to
do with it."

Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
Major Debacle wrote:

I gotta redo a drive way strip that a redwood tree uplifted. It's one of
those old driveways where there are two strips of concrete about 30"
wide with dirt in the middle.

Some of the roots of the redwood tree are level with the top of where
the driveway strip should be so the lady wants to pour around the roots.
Makes sense to me. She said she talked to someone and all she could come
up with was "hard dirt". Now that don't sound like anything I ever heard
of, but who knows?

I figure, form up around the roots, pour the conc and fill in with
whatever it is she is calling 'hard dirt' around the roots. I don't know
what the hell she might mean, but I guess there might be something out
there to fill the bill.

Anyone got any ideas?

My guess is decomposed granite, aka DG. Are you familiar with it?

I got familiar with it yesterday. Tree guy came out and recommended it.
Got a line on it from American Soil down the road, along with a
stabilizer to mix in.

--
When asked, years afterward, why his charge at Gettysburg failed,
General Pickett said: "I've always thought the Yankees had something to
do with it."

ransley wrote:
On Apr 15, 12:04 am, Major Debacle
wrote:
I gotta redo a drive way strip that a redwood tree uplifted. It's one of
those old driveways where there are two strips of concrete about 30"
wide with dirt in the middle.

Some of the roots of the redwood tree are level with the top of where
the driveway strip should be so the lady wants to pour around the roots.
Makes sense to me. She said she talked to someone and all she could come
up with was "hard dirt". Now that don't sound like anything I ever heard
of, but who knows?

I figure, form up around the roots, pour the conc and fill in with
whatever it is she is calling 'hard dirt' around the roots. I don't know
what the hell she might mean, but I guess there might be something out
there to fill the bill.

Anyone got any ideas?

Your county probably has a tree expert on hand that will come out free
and give ideas that will last and not hurt the tree. Neither of you
know what is right for the tree and to make it last.

The laday called a tree guy out and he recommended decomposed granite
with a stabilizer. Plan on pouring conc where root free and DG near the
roots.


--
When asked, years afterward, why his charge at Gettysburg failed,
General Pickett said: "I've always thought the Yankees had something to
do with it."

Major Debacle wrote:
Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
Major Debacle wrote:

I gotta redo a drive way strip that a redwood tree uplifted. It's one of
those old driveways where there are two strips of concrete about 30"
wide with dirt in the middle.

Some of the roots of the redwood tree are level with the top of where
the driveway strip should be so the lady wants to pour around the roots.
Makes sense to me. She said she talked to someone and all she could come
up with was "hard dirt". Now that don't sound like anything I ever heard
of, but who knows?

I figure, form up around the roots, pour the conc and fill in with
whatever it is she is calling 'hard dirt' around the roots. I don't know
what the hell she might mean, but I guess there might be something out
there to fill the bill.

Anyone got any ideas?
My guess is decomposed granite, aka DG. Are you familiar with it?

I got familiar with it yesterday. Tree guy came out and recommended it.
Got a line on it from American Soil down the road, along with a
stabilizer to mix in.

The decomposed granite worked like a charm! The old gent at the rock
place said that stabilizer wasn't needed. Turns out it's just powdered
seed hulls.

I made a border out of cinderblock-like pieces 5"x2"x24" with one edge
scalloped. I mixed some mortar and spread it along the edge of the
driveway strip and put the scallop side down, backed dirt on the outside
and DG on the inside. I wet it as I layed it down according to what the
old gent said. Compacting was done with a 8 foot long 2x4 and a mattock
handle. It was only about 17 sq feet. The next day I backed my pickup
over it. The bottom 5 feet was new concrete, then seven feet of DG, then
the old concrete section. It was an upslope. I didn't even feel the
transition and the tires didn't leave the least mark.

--
When asked, years afterward, why his charge at Gettysburg failed,
General Pickett said: "I've always thought the Yankees had something to
do with it."

In article ,
Major Debacle wrote:


The decomposed granite worked like a charm! The old gent at the rock
place said that stabilizer wasn't needed. Turns out it's just powdered
seed hulls.

Well, I'm glad you liked it. And I'm glad you installed it properly,
wetting and tamping. People who don't like it are usually the ones who
don't install it properly.

Powdered seed hulls, huh? Somebody's leg got pulled pretty hard, I
guess. DG is, uh, decomposed *granite*, just like the name says. That'd
be mineral, not vegetable.

Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
Major Debacle wrote:

The decomposed granite worked like a charm! The old gent at the rock
place said that stabilizer wasn't needed. Turns out it's just powdered
seed hulls.

Well, I'm glad you liked it. And I'm glad you installed it properly,
wetting and tamping. People who don't like it are usually the ones who
don't install it properly.

Powdered seed hulls, huh? Somebody's leg got pulled pretty hard, I
guess. DG is, uh, decomposed *granite*, just like the name says. That'd
be mineral, not vegetable.

The 'stabilizer' is sold to be mixed with the DG. It is powdered seed
hulls. Turns out that 'Stabilizer' is the registered trademark of the
stuff:

Stabilizer®
stabilizes soil by binding soil particles

Can you bind soil particles in a completely natural way? You can with a
very special seed from a special plant. When you crush this seed into
different grades of powder and blend that powder in a proprietary
process using a perfected recipe, Stabilizer is created. It’s so natural
that it is edible, and actually good for you (Lawyers Disclaimer: DO NOT
EAT STABILIZER). When Stabilizer mixes into a soil; it works its way
into the spaces between soil particles, also known as pore spaces. Much
like the chaperon between you and your dance partner at the school
dance. Unlike the chaperon, Stabilizer strengthens the weaknesses of the
party. You could say that it stabilizes the soil.

A good party needs to bring its guests together... with sponges. Once
Stabilizer is activated by water, it swells like a sponge. Soil
particles stick to Stabilizer. The swelling action pulls the particles
and binds them together. Binding soil particles does different things
depending on the type of soil and the amount of Stabilizer in the soil.
An aggregate and a higher amount of Stabilizer can achieve a very hard
surface. A baseball infield mix with a lower amount of Stabilizer can
achieve a firm, yet forgiving surface. But can it keep that surface
stable in many weather conditions?

A good party can be ruined by too many or too few refreshments. When a
soil is hit with too much water, Stabilizer drinks as much as it can and
allows the rest to drain. The soil remains stable, without becoming too
muddy, because Stabilizer keeps the soil particles bonded. This also
works in dry periods. Stabilizer is like a camel, after it drinks water;
it stores the water, reducing loose and dusty soil.

Where can you use Stabilizer? Explore the application pages for a few
examples, but we really want you to discover your own uses. Twenty six
years of doing this and you hear some crazy things. Like our friends
that realized Stabilizer binds so well, it can embalm the deceased. No
joke, we’re dead serious. But it may be a good idea to stick with soil,
request a free sample or check out your application and imagine what you
can do with Stabilizer.

http://www.stabilizersolutions.com/technology/view/1
--
When asked, years afterward, why his charge at Gettysburg failed,
General Pickett said: "I've always thought the Yankees had something to
do with it."

In article ,
Major Debacle wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
Major Debacle Major Debacle@the pentagon.mil wrote:

The decomposed granite worked like a charm! The old gent at the rock
place said that stabilizer wasn't needed. Turns out it's just powdered
seed hulls.

Well, I'm glad you liked it. And I'm glad you installed it properly,
wetting and tamping. People who don't like it are usually the ones who
don't install it properly.

Powdered seed hulls, huh? Somebody's leg got pulled pretty hard, I
guess. DG is, uh, decomposed *granite*, just like the name says. That'd
be mineral, not vegetable.

The 'stabilizer' is sold to be mixed with the DG. It is powdered seed
hulls. Turns out that 'Stabilizer' is the registered trademark of the
stuff:


D'oh! I figured that out after I posted. The pronoun "it" fooled me for
a minute, there. People also mix cement (not concrete) with DG to make
it more permanent.

Even properly installed and compacted DG can get weak if it gets too
wet. I hope the rainy season doesn't cause problems for your client.

Major Debacle wrote:
I gotta redo a drive way strip that a redwood tree uplifted. It's one of
those old driveways where there are two strips of concrete about 30"
wide with dirt in the middle.

Some of the roots of the redwood tree are level with the top of where
the driveway strip should be so the lady wants to pour around the roots.
Makes sense to me. She said she talked to someone and all she could come
up with was "hard dirt". Now that don't sound like anything I ever heard
of, but who knows?

I figure, form up around the roots, pour the conc and fill in with
whatever it is she is calling 'hard dirt' around the roots. I don't know
what the hell she might mean, but I guess there might be something out
there to fill the bill.

Anyone got any ideas?

that's the stuff between your ears.

wrote:
On Apr 15, 7:05 am, LouB wrote:
Major Debacle wrote:
I gotta redo a drive way strip that a redwood tree uplifted. It's one of
those old driveways where there are two strips of concrete about 30"
wide with dirt in the middle.
Some of the roots of the redwood tree are level with the top of where
the driveway strip should be so the lady wants to pour around the roots.
Makes sense to me.

That makes sense to you? The roots are flush with the top of where
the new pour is going and you think it's ok to just pour concrete
around them? Should look great. And regardless of how it looks,
it's going to fail. Even if the roots are just BELOW the concrete
they will eventually cause it to beak up.

he sounds more like Major Dumbass.

Teleprompter wrote:
wrote:
On Apr 15, 7:05 am, LouB wrote:
Major Debacle wrote:
I gotta redo a drive way strip that a redwood tree uplifted. It's one of
those old driveways where there are two strips of concrete about 30"
wide with dirt in the middle.
Some of the roots of the redwood tree are level with the top of where
the driveway strip should be so the lady wants to pour around the roots.
Makes sense to me.
That makes sense to you? The roots are flush with the top of where
the new pour is going and you think it's ok to just pour concrete
around them? Should look great. And regardless of how it looks,
it's going to fail. Even if the roots are just BELOW the concrete
they will eventually cause it to beak up.

he sounds more like Major Dumbass.

Not bad for a dumbass:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36692640@N03/3481783509/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36692640@N03/3481782713/

--
When asked, years afterward, why his charge at Gettysburg failed,
General Pickett said: "I've always thought the Yankees had something to
do with it."

Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
Major Debacle wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
Major Debacle Major Debacle@the pentagon.mil wrote:

The decomposed granite worked like a charm! The old gent at the rock
place said that stabilizer wasn't needed. Turns out it's just powdered
seed hulls.
Well, I'm glad you liked it. And I'm glad you installed it properly,
wetting and tamping. People who don't like it are usually the ones who
don't install it properly.

Powdered seed hulls, huh? Somebody's leg got pulled pretty hard, I
guess. DG is, uh, decomposed *granite*, just like the name says. That'd
be mineral, not vegetable.
The 'stabilizer' is sold to be mixed with the DG. It is powdered seed
hulls. Turns out that 'Stabilizer' is the registered trademark of the
stuff:


D'oh! I figured that out after I posted. The pronoun "it" fooled me for
a minute, there. People also mix cement (not concrete) with DG to make
it more permanent.

Even properly installed and compacted DG can get weak if it gets too
wet. I hope the rainy season doesn't cause problems for your client.

Thanks for heads up on that, Smitty. I read that somewhere, but you put
me on alert for a possible problem. I will pass this on to lady involved
and have her call me if rain causes the DG to weaken.

Here's some pics I took of the finished product:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36692640@N03/3481783509/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36692640@N03/3481782713/


--
When asked, years afterward, why his charge at Gettysburg failed,
General Pickett said: "I've always thought the Yankees had something to
do with it."

In article ,
Major Debacle wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:


Even properly installed and compacted DG can get weak if it gets too
wet. I hope the rainy season doesn't cause problems for your client.

Thanks for heads up on that, Smitty. I read that somewhere, but you put
me on alert for a possible problem. I will pass this on to lady involved
and have her call me if rain causes the DG to weaken.

Here's some pics I took of the finished product:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36692640@N03/3481783509/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36692640@N03/3481782713/

Looks great. I don't know how a car tire compares to a horse hoof, but
definitely keep the horses off it if it gets real wet (damhik)... with
the slope though, it might never be an issue.