My drive is paved with slabs at the moment, probably around 40 years
old. I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive since a lot of
the flags are broken, etc. Is it just a matter if lifting the flags,
replacing with matting and then pouring the gravel on top? The
current drive is flat. I wouldn't need to buyild anything firmer
underneath, which i would if i went for, say, monoblock?

Grateful for any views, since I know very little about this area.

Thanks

Chris

"chris" wrote in message
...
My drive is paved with slabs at the moment, probably around 40 years
old. I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive since a lot of
the flags are broken, etc. Is it just a matter if lifting the flags,
replacing with matting and then pouring the gravel on top? The
current drive is flat. I wouldn't need to buyild anything firmer
underneath, which i would if i went for, say, monoblock?

Grateful for any views, since I know very little about this area.

Thanks

Chris

After looking at all the damn weeds coming through on my gravelled drive I'd
replace the slabs.

brass monkey wrote:


After looking at all the damn weeds coming through on my gravelled
drive I'd replace the slabs.

Can you still get Sodium Chlorate? That would do the trick, although it
might take out some of your flowerbeds if it spreads.



--
Murphy's ultimate law is that if something that could go wrong doesn't,
it turns out that it would have been better if it had gone wrong.

In article , GB
scribeth thus
brass monkey wrote:


After looking at all the damn weeds coming through on my gravelled
drive I'd replace the slabs.

Can you still get Sodium Chlorate? That would do the trick, although it
might take out some of your flowerbeds if it spreads.



Had a gravelled drive and access road for some 15 years now, yet to see
a single weed or any other plant!...
--
Tony Sayer

In article f28802a6-6a83-4ba2-b1b1-d6731fa344c8
@l22g2000pre.googlegroups.com, says...
I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive


Gravel takes a lot more maintenance. Personally I'd relay nicer slabs,
or if it's being driven over frequently, use brick paviors.

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

"Skipweasel" wrote in message
...
In article f28802a6-6a83-4ba2-b1b1-d6731fa344c8
@l22g2000pre.googlegroups.com, says...
I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive


Gravel takes a lot more maintenance. Personally I'd relay nicer slabs,
or if it's being driven over frequently, use brick paviors.

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

I bought some sodium chlrate out a garden center about 18months ago (didnt
know it was banned)
Anyhow once a year I put a solution down on gravel and no weeds. But it can
seep into borders if not careful.
I stay away from the edges and use more friendly one for a yard or so if
near a border.
There are other weedkillers you can use,buy from any garden center.

On 08/02/2011 13:02, chris wrote:
My drive is paved with slabs at the moment, probably around 40 years
old. I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive since a lot of
the flags are broken, etc. Is it just a matter if lifting the flags,
replacing with matting and then pouring the gravel on top? The
current drive is flat. I wouldn't need to buyild anything firmer
underneath, which i would if i went for, say, monoblock?

Grateful for any views, since I know very little about this area.

Thanks

Chris

Block paving is ecologically unsound as the water run-off has to be delt
with by the drains. Sunstantial weed membrane then tip the gravel on top.

In article , Huge
wrote:
On 2011-02-08, GB wrote:
brass monkey wrote:


After looking at all the damn weeds coming through on
my gravelled drive I'd replace the slabs.

Can you still get Sodium Chlorate?

No. Sale has been banned for ~18 months and use for a
year.
Gravel drive with liberal doses of Sodium Chlorate over
several years idn't stop the weeds /grass, but where there
was regular passage kept growth down fairly well.

Former flower bed covered with woven plastic sheet
( www.lbsgardenwarehouse.co.uk/ Look at 'ground cover') and
a couple cm of gravel hardly ever need touching, apart from
the occasional weed coming up past the edge.

(LBS also do industrial strength type weedkiller, but you
need a licence to buy it, or get a farmer or 'professional'
to buy it for you.)

John

--
John Mulrooney
NOTE Email address IS correct but might not be checked for a while.

Nostalgia just isn't the same these days

On 8 Feb,
Huge wrote:

On 2011-02-08, brass monkey wrote:

"chris" wrote in message
...
My drive is paved with slabs at the moment, probably around 40 years
old. I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive since a lot of
the flags are broken, etc. Is it just a matter if lifting the flags,
replacing with matting and then pouring the gravel on top? The
current drive is flat. I wouldn't need to buyild anything firmer
underneath, which i would if i went for, say, monoblock?

Grateful for any views, since I know very little about this area.

Thanks

Chris

After looking at all the damn weeds coming through on my gravelled drive
I'd replace the slabs.

Hear, hear. I shall never have a gravel drive again.

Definitely agree. Neighbour had to resort to this!

http://www.planet3.dyndns.org/eaten.jpg

--
B Thumbs
Change lycos to yahoo to reply

In article ,
says...
Block paving is ecologically unsound as the water run-off has to be delt
with by the drains


That would depend on the paving. You can leave the gaps unfilled to
allow it to soak into the substrate.

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

In article , says...
Definitely agree. Neighbour had to resort to this!

http://www.planet3.dyndns.org/eaten.jpg

Not the appetite for large children?

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

tony sayer ) wibbled on Tuesday 08 February 2011 13:59:

In article , GB
scribeth thus
brass monkey wrote:


After looking at all the damn weeds coming through on my gravelled
drive I'd replace the slabs.

Can you still get Sodium Chlorate? That would do the trick, although it
might take out some of your flowerbeds if it spreads.



Had a gravelled drive and access road for some 15 years now, yet to see
a single weed or any other plant!...

You can get a fancy epoxied gravel drive (often used in Stately homes open
to public) - but I bet it costs! Sturgeons of Pembury, Kent do that as a
specialism I think.

Suspect it asumes a concreted base though...

--
Tim Watts

Biggest problem with the smaller gravels is the local moggies find it
easy to dig.


You know what for.

1501 ) wibbled on Tuesday 08 February 2011 17:17:

Biggest problem with the smaller gravels is the local moggies find it
easy to dig.


You know what for.

Chav moggies round here just crap on the drive - lazy sods.

--
Tim Watts

On 08/02/2011 16:28, nicknoxx wrote:

Block paving is ecologically unsound as the water run-off has to be delt
with by the drains.

A year or so ago they made the installion of a grating and soakaway a
planning requirement.

--
Reentrant

On 08/02/2011 17:24, Reentrant wrote:
On 08/02/2011 16:28, nicknoxx wrote:

Block paving is ecologically unsound as the water run-off has to be delt
with by the drains.

A year or so ago they made the installion of a grating and soakaway a
planning requirement.

Correction -you can't let it drain onto the road, and round here to get
planning permission a soakaway is the only practical solution.

--
Reentrant

On 08/02/2011 13:29, brass monkey wrote:
wrote in message
...
My drive is paved with slabs at the moment, probably around 40 years
old. I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive since a lot of
the flags are broken, etc. Is it just a matter if lifting the flags,
replacing with matting and then pouring the gravel on top? The
current drive is flat. I wouldn't need to buyild anything firmer
underneath, which i would if i went for, say, monoblock?

Grateful for any views, since I know very little about this area.

Thanks

Chris

After looking at all the damn weeds coming through on my gravelled drive I'd
replace the slabs.


After looking at the zero weeds on my gravel drive I'd never go back to
slabs :-)


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 08/02/2011 14:09, Skipweasel wrote:
In articlef28802a6-6a83-4ba2-b1b1-d6731fa344c8
@l22g2000pre.googlegroups.com, says...
I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive


Gravel takes a lot more maintenance. Personally I'd relay nicer slabs,
or if it's being driven over frequently, use brick paviors.


???

Virtually zero. Odd weed hunting session, occasional rake. Maintenance
virtually zero.

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 08/02/2011 15:52, Phil L wrote:
chris wrote:
My drive is paved with slabs at the moment, probably around 40 years
old. I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive since a lot of
the flags are broken, etc. Is it just a matter if lifting the flags,
replacing with matting and then pouring the gravel on top? The
current drive is flat. I wouldn't need to buyild anything firmer
underneath, which i would if i went for, say, monoblock?

Grateful for any views, since I know very little about this area.

Thanks

Chris

It doesn't work mate - seen it too many times and it:
A) looks revolting from day one - the membrane shows through the gravel.
B) Any vehicular movement on it scrapes away the gravel, again showing the
membrane.
C) spreads all down the pavement and onto the road.

It can be done properly, but never is, and that is to excavate, put down
75mm of MOT, whack it down or use a vibrating roller, then a thin layer of
your chosen decorative gravel and roll again, then a 50mm layer of the
gravel as a top dressing, but bear in mind that it still ends up all over
the street.

Exactly what I did years ago. Looks fine, odd bit of gravel in the
street but thats all. You do need to use 18mm gravel though.

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 08/02/2011 16:07, Huge wrote:
On 2011-02-08, Phil wrote:
chris wrote:
My drive is paved with slabs at the moment, probably around 40 years
old. I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive since a lot of
the flags are broken, etc. Is it just a matter if lifting the flags,
replacing with matting and then pouring the gravel on top? The
current drive is flat. I wouldn't need to buyild anything firmer
underneath, which i would if i went for, say, monoblock?

Grateful for any views, since I know very little about this area.

Thanks

Chris

It doesn't work mate - seen it too many times and it:
A) looks revolting from day one - the membrane shows through the gravel.
B) Any vehicular movement on it scrapes away the gravel, again showing the
membrane.
C) spreads all down the pavement and onto the road.

It can be done properly, but never is, and that is to excavate, put down
75mm of MOT, whack it down or use a vibrating roller, then a thin layer of
your chosen decorative gravel and roll again, then a 50mm layer of the
gravel as a top dressing, but bear in mind that it still ends up all over
the street.

And in your car and house (and shoes) and you can't jack cars up on it and
it shows oil stains and crawling about under cars is a pain and anything
small you drop gets lost and after a few years it accumulates enough dirt
that things start to grow in it and it has to be regularly raked to look
good and it sticks to muddy boots and I'm sure there are more reasons not
to have it.

Like I said, I shall never have it again.

What size gravel?

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

Reentrant wrote:

On 08/02/2011 17:24, Reentrant wrote:
On 08/02/2011 16:28, nicknoxx wrote:

Block paving is ecologically unsound as the water run-off has to be delt
with by the drains.

A year or so ago they made the installion of a grating and soakaway a
planning requirement.

Correction -you can't let it drain onto the road, and round here to get
planning permission a soakaway is the only practical solution.

In my area, they have an additional requirement that lose gravel
etc. is not used within a specified distance of the road.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

On Feb 8, 1:02*pm, chris wrote:
My drive is paved with slabs at the moment, probably around 40 years
old. *I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive since a lot of
the flags are broken, etc. *Is it just a matter if lifting the flags,
replacing with matting and then pouring the gravel on top? *The
current drive is flat. I wouldn't need to buyild anything firmer
underneath, which i would if i went for, say, monoblock?

Grateful for any views, since I know very little about this area.

Thanks

Chris

Agreed, gravel is a pain.
Brick sized paviours is the way to go. Subsidance can be corrected,
they can be taken up for water & electric repairs etc. Get a few
spares and chuck under the hedge for the future if any get damaged.
There are three thicknesses for different traffic. Go for the thick,
the additional cost is small compared with the labour cost. Trucks can
be driven over it then.
You can DIY but it's harder than you think. Workwise and skillwise.
It took me six weeks to lay about 6000 of them. I just about had it
sorted by the end of the job. First and hopefully last time.

chris wrote:
My drive is paved with slabs at the moment, probably around 40 years
old. I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive since a lot of
the flags are broken, etc. Is it just a matter if lifting the flags,
replacing with matting

Dont use matting. Complete waste of time.


and then pouring the gravel on top?

More or less, yes. Consider edging strips to hold it in place.

The
current drive is flat. I wouldn't need to buyild anything firmer
underneath, which i would if i went for, say, monoblock?


Depends. Ive got 4"-6" of MOT Tyep 1 under mine and it will take a 30
tonne lorry and did, many times, delivering bulding materials, but thats
on very wet clay.

What you may find with just gravel, is that it will eventually squish
into the mud. And need anothe layer ading. But whether to use a total of
6" of gravel or 3" OT and 3 of gravel, is up to you.

If the soils is very wet I recommend about 3" of OT limestone type I
well whacked down and run over by the heaviest vehicles you a muster.
Leave that for a while and USE it and it will eventually settle down to
a well crushed sub base: then pile gravel on top. About 3" is optimal.
That itself will move around till its settles and finds its level, and
you will need to keep raking a bit to get it back from where car wheels
push it.



Grateful for any views, since I know very little about this area.


Not sure the pavingexpert site hasn't got chaper and verse..

Aha

http://www.pavingexpert.com/gravel01.htm

Basically, I think I agree 100% with his approach. He recommends less
gravel, more sub base. His drives are probably better than mine!





Thanks

Chris

brass monkey wrote:
"chris" wrote in message
...
My drive is paved with slabs at the moment, probably around 40 years
old. I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive since a lot of
the flags are broken, etc. Is it just a matter if lifting the flags,
replacing with matting and then pouring the gravel on top? The
current drive is flat. I wouldn't need to buyild anything firmer
underneath, which i would if i went for, say, monoblock?

Grateful for any views, since I know very little about this area.

Thanks

Chris

After looking at all the damn weeds coming through on my gravelled drive I'd
replace the slabs.


Why not water it with pathclear once a year?

That's all it takes..

JTM wrote:
In article , Huge
wrote:
On 2011-02-08, GB wrote:
brass monkey wrote:


After looking at all the damn weeds coming through on
my gravelled drive I'd replace the slabs.
Can you still get Sodium Chlorate?

No. Sale has been banned for ~18 months and use for a
year.
Gravel drive with liberal doses of Sodium Chlorate over
several years idn't stop the weeds /grass, but where there
was regular passage kept growth down fairly well.

Former flower bed covered with woven plastic sheet
( www.lbsgardenwarehouse.co.uk/ Look at 'ground cover') and
a couple cm of gravel hardly ever need touching, apart from
the occasional weed coming up past the edge.


The problem is not 'weeds coming up' its cars with mud on them and seeds
blowing in ..the cars leave mud, the seeds blow in, and the weeds grow
IN the gravel!

they are easy to pull OUT though.

Doesnt happen in garden settings just drives.



(LBS also do industrial strength type weedkiller, but you
need a licence to buy it, or get a farmer or 'professional'
to buy it for you.)


PATHCLEAR works 100% for me. Must give the drive its annual dosing.

John

The Medway Handyman wrote:
On 08/02/2011 13:29, brass monkey wrote:
wrote in message
...
My drive is paved with slabs at the moment, probably around 40 years
old. I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive since a lot of
the flags are broken, etc. Is it just a matter if lifting the flags,
replacing with matting and then pouring the gravel on top? The
current drive is flat. I wouldn't need to buyild anything firmer
underneath, which i would if i went for, say, monoblock?

Grateful for any views, since I know very little about this area.

Thanks

Chris

After looking at all the damn weeds coming through on my gravelled
drive I'd
replace the slabs.


After looking at the zero weeds on my gravel drive I'd never go back to
slabs :-)


Ditto.

Skipweasel wrote:
In article f28802a6-6a83-4ba2-b1b1-d6731fa344c8
@l22g2000pre.googlegroups.com, says...
I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive


Gravel takes a lot more maintenance. Personally I'd relay nicer slabs,
or if it's being driven over frequently, use brick paviors.


I have yet to see a 5 year old pavior drive that isn't warped and bent
by traffic.

If my gravel gets warped and bent, half an hour with a rake fixes it.
Pathclear once a year keeps it weed free, takes almost 45 minutes to do.
Gosh. High maintenance.

I have just as many of not MORE weeds growing out of the paved areas...

and when it finally gets worn too flat, another couple of tons and a
rake sorts it all out.

The Medway Handyman wrote:
On 08/02/2011 15:52, Phil L wrote:
chris wrote:
My drive is paved with slabs at the moment, probably around 40 years
old. I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive since a lot of
the flags are broken, etc. Is it just a matter if lifting the flags,
replacing with matting and then pouring the gravel on top? The
current drive is flat. I wouldn't need to buyild anything firmer
underneath, which i would if i went for, say, monoblock?

Grateful for any views, since I know very little about this area.

Thanks

Chris

It doesn't work mate - seen it too many times and it:
A) looks revolting from day one - the membrane shows through the gravel.
B) Any vehicular movement on it scrapes away the gravel, again showing
the
membrane.
C) spreads all down the pavement and onto the road.

It can be done properly, but never is, and that is to excavate, put down
75mm of MOT, whack it down or use a vibrating roller, then a thin
layer of
your chosen decorative gravel and roll again, then a 50mm layer of the
gravel as a top dressing, but bear in mind that it still ends up all over
the street.

Exactly what I did years ago. Looks fine, odd bit of gravel in the
street but thats all. You do need to use 18mm gravel though.

what street is that?


Its a lane here :-)

The secret to getting it fairly stable is whacking with a vibro whacker.

nicknoxx wrote:
On 08/02/2011 13:02, chris wrote:
My drive is paved with slabs at the moment, probably around 40 years
old. I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive since a lot of
the flags are broken, etc. Is it just a matter if lifting the flags,
replacing with matting and then pouring the gravel on top? The
current drive is flat. I wouldn't need to buyild anything firmer
underneath, which i would if i went for, say, monoblock?

Grateful for any views, since I know very little about this area.

Thanks

Chris

Block paving is ecologically unsound as the water run-off has to be delt
with by the drains. Sunstantial weed membrane then tip the gravel on top.

No membrane. Doesn't stop weeds as they come down from ABOVE.. At best
stop gravel sinking into soil, but sub base MUCH better idea, and if
properly laid, stabilises everything and is free draining through.

Chris J Dixon wrote:
Reentrant wrote:

On 08/02/2011 17:24, Reentrant wrote:
On 08/02/2011 16:28, nicknoxx wrote:

Block paving is ecologically unsound as the water run-off has to be delt
with by the drains.
A year or so ago they made the installion of a grating and soakaway a
planning requirement.

Correction -you can't let it drain onto the road, and round here to get
planning permission a soakaway is the only practical solution.

In my area, they have an additional requirement that lose gravel
etc. is not used within a specified distance of the road.

Chris


what is lose gravel? I have never heard of it?

On 08/02/2011 19:35, harry wrote:
On Feb 8, 1:02 pm, wrote:
My drive is paved with slabs at the moment, probably around 40 years
old. I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive since a lot of
the flags are broken, etc. Is it just a matter if lifting the flags,
replacing with matting and then pouring the gravel on top? The
current drive is flat. I wouldn't need to buyild anything firmer
underneath, which i would if i went for, say, monoblock?

Grateful for any views, since I know very little about this area.

Thanks

Chris

Agreed, gravel is a pain.

I don't agree :-)

Brick sized paviours is the way to go. Subsidance can be corrected,
they can be taken up for water& electric repairs etc.

What about algae, weeds between them etc? Gravel doesn't subside & is
simply to take up & relay.

Get a few
spares and chuck under the hedge for the future if any get damaged.

No need for spare gravel :-)

There are three thicknesses for different traffic. Go for the thick,
the additional cost is small compared with the labour cost. Trucks can
be driven over it then.

I've had skip lorries on my drive no problem.

You can DIY but it's harder than you think. Workwise and skillwise.
It took me six weeks to lay about 6000 of them. I just about had it
sorted by the end of the job. First and hopefully last time.

Took me about a week inc excavation. Gravel is much cheaper than paviours.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

In article , says...
Chav moggies round here just crap on the drive - lazy sods.


All over the strawberries on our raised bed, here. And in the kids'
vegetable plots at school.

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

In article , lid says...
what is lose gravel? I have never heard of it?


It's the gravel that you lose.

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

Skipweasel wrote:
In article , lid says...
what is lose gravel? I have never heard of it?


It's the gravel that you lose.

No, that's lost gravel....

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
chris wrote:
My drive is paved with slabs at the moment, probably around 40 years
old. I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive since a lot of
the flags are broken, etc. Is it just a matter if lifting the flags,
replacing with matting

Dont use matting. Complete waste of time.


and then pouring the gravel on top?

More or less, yes. Consider edging strips to hold it in place.

The
current drive is flat. I wouldn't need to buyild anything firmer
underneath, which i would if i went for, say, monoblock?


Depends. Ive got 4"-6" of MOT Tyep 1 under mine and it will take a 30
tonne lorry and did, many times, delivering bulding materials, but thats
on very wet clay.

What you may find with just gravel, is that it will eventually squish into
the mud. And need anothe layer ading. But whether to use a total of 6" of
gravel or 3" OT and 3 of gravel, is up to you.

If the soils is very wet I recommend about 3" of OT limestone type I well
whacked down and run over by the heaviest vehicles you a muster. Leave
that for a while and USE it and it will eventually settle down to a well
crushed sub base: then pile gravel on top. About 3" is optimal. That
itself will move around till its settles and finds its level, and you will
need to keep raking a bit to get it back from where car wheels push it.



Grateful for any views, since I know very little about this area.


Not sure the pavingexpert site hasn't got chaper and verse..

Aha

http://www.pavingexpert.com/gravel01.htm

Basically, I think I agree 100% with his approach. He recommends less
gravel, more sub base. His drives are probably better than mine!





Thanks

Chris

When my house was built 21 years ago the builder put something like 40 tons
of hardcore down and then the gravel, I only levelled with 3 ton 2 years
ago.
Once a year I use chlorate and a other liquid weedkiller.
The builder also done the slabbed path around the house one or two started
to shift 2 years ago with the severe weather. Until then I dont think they
shifted a mm out in all those years.

If done properly its easy to maintain gravel or slabs.
Either will be a problem if done on the cheap.

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Chris J Dixon wrote:

In my area, they have an additional requirement that lose gravel
etc. is not used within a specified distance of the road.

what is lose gravel? I have never heard of it?

That's the trouble with the stuff - all the little oooooooo have
a life of their own.

The actual wording of a typical planning decision notice is:

"...all drives and any parking and turning areas are surfaced in
a hard bound material for a minimum of 5.5 m behind the highway
boundary..."

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

On Feb 9, 7:49*am, Chris J Dixon wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Chris J Dixon wrote:
In my area, they have an additional requirement that lose gravel
etc. is not used within a specified distance of the road.

what is lose gravel? I have never heard of it?

That's the trouble with the stuff - all the little oooooooo have
a life of their own.

The actual wording of a typical planning decision notice is:

"...all drives and any parking and turning areas are surfaced in
a hard bound material for a minimum of 5.5 m behind the highway
boundary..."

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon *Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

That's very common, we have it here. It's so that you can accelarate
away out into the traffic from your drive without wheel spin. Now you
mention it, another reason not to have it. Esp. the pebbly stuff as
opposed to crushed rock.

On 08/02/2011 21:51, Huge wrote:
On 2011-02-08, The Medway wrote:

Exactly what I did years ago. Looks fine, odd bit of gravel in the
street but thats all. You do need to use 18mm gravel though.

That ain't gravel, that's hardcore.

Anything less ain't not gravel - its shingle. Hence the probloads.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Feb 8, 7:37*pm, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:
chris wrote:
My drive is paved with slabs at the moment, probably around 40 years
old. *I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive since a lot of
the flags are broken, etc. *Is it just a matter if lifting the flags,
replacing with matting

Dont use matting. Complete waste of time.

and then pouring the gravel on top?

More or less, yes. Consider edging strips to hold it in place.

*The
current drive is flat. I wouldn't need to buyild anything firmer
underneath, which i would if i went for, say, monoblock?

Depends. Ive got 4"-6" of MOT Tyep 1 under mine and it will take a 30
tonne lorry and did, many times, delivering bulding materials, but thats
on very wet clay.

What you may find with just gravel, is that it will eventually squish
into the mud. And need anothe layer ading. But whether to use a total of
6" of gravel or 3" *OT and 3 of gravel, is up to you.

If the soils is very wet I recommend about 3" of OT limestone type I
well whacked down and run over by the heaviest vehicles you a muster.
Leave that for a while and USE it and it will eventually settle down to
a well crushed sub base: then pile gravel on top. About 3" is optimal.
That itself will move around till its settles and finds its level, and
you will need to keep raking a bit to get it back from where car wheels
push it.

Grateful for any views, since I know very little about this area.

Not sure the pavingexpert site hasn't got chaper and verse..

Aha

http://www.pavingexpert.com/gravel01.htm

Basically, I think I agree 100% with his approach. He recommends less
gravel, more sub base. His drives are probably better than mine!



Thanks

Chris- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thanks you to all for helpful replies. I have loked at the paving
expert site. So, it looks like we need to do some digging, etc, to
properly lay the gravel rather than just lifting flags and tipping the
gravel on.

I've also looked at the monoblock pages on that site. Looks like the
sub base etc would be cheaper for the gravel drive than for the
monoblock, as well as the gravel being cheaper than the monoblocks.
i.e. overall job would be a lot cheaper?

Thanks, all

Chris

On 09/02/2011 20:02, Huge wrote:
On 2011-02-09, The Medway wrote:
On 08/02/2011 21:51, Huge wrote:
On 2011-02-08, The Medway wrote:

Exactly what I did years ago. Looks fine, odd bit of gravel in the
street but thats all. You do need to use 18mm gravel though.

That ain't gravel, that's hardcore.

Anything less ain't not gravel - its shingle. Hence the probloads.

Ain't not? )

Yup!

Or Bain't not if you live uoop norf.

Technically it should just be ain't I spose.

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk