Our home in western new york is 4 years old and the driveway is gravel.
There are 10+ other homes on the street built about the same time as ours
and had gravel driveways. A concrete flatwork contractor put in about 5
driveways last summer and did minimal excavation. He told the home owners
that by them driving on the gravel for 3-4 years was the best subbase there
could be and if he didn't have to excavate much it would also cost them
less. The problem I see is that the driveway is above grade and even
bringing in topsoil it would take a lot to feather it out so the lawn looks
flat. Any opinions on this contractor's statements or could he have
excavated so that the driveway was flat with the adjacent lawn?

I'm thinking of putting in a driveway in the spring. Thanks for any replies.

kb

flat. Any opinions on this contractor's statements or could he have
excavated so that the driveway was flat with the adjacent lawn?

I'm thinking of putting in a driveway in the spring. Thanks for any
replies.

He could have, it just would have cost more. If you're willing to PAY
more you can have it done the other way.

--Goedjn

In alt.home.repair Keith Boeheim wrote:
Our home in western new york is 4 years old and the driveway is gravel.
There are 10+ other homes on the street built about the same time as ours
and had gravel driveways. A concrete flatwork contractor put in about 5
driveways last summer and did minimal excavation. He told the home owners
that by them driving on the gravel for 3-4 years was the best subbase there
could be and if he didn't have to excavate much it would also cost them
less. The problem I see is that the driveway is above grade and even
bringing in topsoil it would take a lot to feather it out so the lawn looks
flat. Any opinions on this contractor's statements or could he have
excavated so that the driveway was flat with the adjacent lawn?

Frankly, I think it's far easier to raise things up a bit than it is to
move everything around. I'd let him put in the driveway and get a
dumpload of crushed stone to put along the edges. The grass will
eventually grow up through the stones and you'll have a sturdy edge to the
driveway that will still drain well.

I'm thinking of putting in a driveway in the spring. Thanks for any replies.

If you wait untill somewhat late in the spring, yu'll have a chance to see
his work under nearly a years full exposure. While that's not the best
amount of time to see if he's wrong about the base holding up, it should
give you and idea if he's grossly wrong (since the other driveways will
start failing).



John
--
Remove the dead poet to e-mail, tho CC'd posts are unwelcome.
Ask me about joining the NRA.

Keith Boeheim wrote:
Our home in western new york is 4 years old and the driveway
is
gravel. There are 10+ other homes on the street built about
the same
time as ours and had gravel driveways. A concrete flatwork
contractor put in about 5 driveways last summer and did
minimal
excavation. He told the home owners that by them driving on
the
gravel for 3-4 years was the best subbase there could be and
if he
didn't have to excavate much it would also cost them less.
That's bunk; gravel is not a reliable base, it won't hold, and
3-4 years of driving on it -might- have compacted some parts of
it some, but not enough, and, well, on the areas where it didn't
get driven on much? How did he account for those? Personally,
it sounds like cheap work; which is what they got in the final
product also.

The
problem I see is that the driveway is above grade and even
bringing
in topsoil it would take a lot to feather it out so the lawn
looks
flat. Any opinions on this contractor's statements or could he
have
excavated so that the driveway was flat with the adjacent
lawn?

Yes, he could and should have. Your neighbors are going to have
sink-holes and low spots starting about three
years from now, plus the attendant cracks appearing in the
pavement, and they'll continue to sink, especially in the places
where people are habitually letting the cars stop or where theyt
park. Also if there are rocks under there any bigger than about
4 inches, chances are good they will "float" and begin to appear
though the pavement as little but ever-growing bumps until
eventually they crack open the pavement enough to let the
ice/water finish opening them.
My driveway is now 6 years old and is still perfect with one
exception: there is a big rock, I'm guessing a foot of so in
size, floating up right between the garage doors where they
couldn't get the compactor fully into it. The contractor told me
he couldn't compact about a three foot area there, but he didn't
think it'd matter, and was that OK? I asked what could happen
and he said it might rise or sink; no way to be sure, but he
didn't think it'd do either. Well, it floated; so far about two
inches above the pavement. I pour sealer into the cracks every
year, but it keeps on coming up further every spring. And, that
area rises and falls with freezing, too, which doesn't happen
directly in front of the garage doors. Once I can actually see
the rock, I plan to lever it out and fill it with patch, but
until then, well, it's not reall in the way of everything. I
just have to look at it everytime I hose down the driveway.
I'm in far northeastern NY, so our winters are likely worse
than yours coldwise, but it's not that much different from where
you are.

Oh, also, and it costs a little more, but if you're interested in
a nicer looking surface, be sure they put the top-coat on it.
Without it, the driveway will start to look like the roadway
pretty quickly and it takes tons of sealer when you do decide to
apply it. Our "U" part of the drive isn't finished and it takes
a LOT of sealer, but the top-coated part takes sealer at the
rates listed on the cans. It's an aesthetic thing really, so if
that's not important, then no big deal - the surface is actually
harder without the top-coating. But dang, it looks great where
it's top coated! Oh, the topcoat does seem to keep the edges of
the drive from breaking away so easily; forgot that.

HTH,

Pop


I'm thinking of putting in a driveway in the spring. Thanks
for any
replies.

kb

PS Actually, a driveway should be slightly above or level with
the lawn on at least one side. It should also be sloped, to run
rainwater off to areas where it doesn't matter. Like, into the
roadway if you have city drains, or in my case, out into a field.
But, NOT into the garage! I think they used 1/4" per foot slope
on mine, but it's three cars wide. They also put some sort of
big, soft fibered thing between the concrete garage floor and the
pavement where they meet. I guess it's to allow
expansion/contraction with temperature so one doesn't push on the
other.
Also, the whole job cost about 5k (but that was a few years
ago); it's a short but wide driveway with a "U" off to the side.

Pop


Keith Boeheim wrote:
Our home in western new york is 4 years old and the driveway
is
gravel. There are 10+ other homes on the street built about
the same
time as ours and had gravel driveways. A concrete flatwork
contractor put in about 5 driveways last summer and did
minimal
excavation. He told the home owners that by them driving on
the
gravel for 3-4 years was the best subbase there could be and
if he
didn't have to excavate much it would also cost them less. The
problem I see is that the driveway is above grade and even
bringing
in topsoil it would take a lot to feather it out so the lawn
looks
flat. Any opinions on this contractor's statements or could he
have
excavated so that the driveway was flat with the adjacent
lawn?

I'm thinking of putting in a driveway in the spring. Thanks
for any
replies.

kb

In article , Keith Boeheim
wrote:

€ If I am doing this, is a 6'' slab overkill since I would think that the
€ additional cost would mostly be in material?

Yes.

Any money you spent on additional concrete would be far, far better
spent on more surface preparation.

The additional concrete wouldn't do you any good, but more crushed
rock, more subbase, or more compaction would.

Best of luck, and let us know how it comes out!

--
Lyle B. Harwood, President
Phoenix Homes, Inc.
(206) 523-9500 www.phoenixhomesinc.com

I thought I killfiled you? Quit changing your email address.

*plonk*