UK diy (uk.d-i-y) For the discussion of all topics related to diy (do-it-yourself) in the UK. All levels of experience and proficency are welcome to join in to ask questions or offer solutions.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Mike Saunders
 
Posts: n/a
Default Gravel Drive

I woild like to know from anyone who has laid a gravel grive suitable
for light traffic. I already have a sound crushed limestone base. What
I need to know is

Advice on depth and type of material to use advantages/disavantages etc

Should I put some of that special fabric over the base to stop weeds
etc. Some are already growing in the base due to contamination Does
this affect the depth of the gravel? (Moves around more?)

Drainage. Mostly on a slight slope but there is one area that is lower
where puddles can form after heavy rain

Maintainance. Mud on tyres, fallen leaves etc. Does the gravel need
replenising every few years etc

Anything else I have missed

Many thanks in advance

Mike


  #2   Report Post  
Richard Faulkner
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In message , Mike Saunders
writes
I woild like to know from anyone who has laid a gravel grive suitable
for light traffic. I already have a sound crushed limestone base. What
I need to know is

Advice on depth and type of material to use advantages/disavantages etc

Should I put some of that special fabric over the base to stop weeds
etc. Some are already growing in the base due to contamination Does
this affect the depth of the gravel? (Moves around more?)

Drainage. Mostly on a slight slope but there is one area that is lower
where puddles can form after heavy rain

Maintainance. Mud on tyres, fallen leaves etc. Does the gravel need
replenising every few years etc

Anything else I have missed

Many thanks in advance

Mike



It's a pain in the neck to walk on g

--
Richard Faulkner
  #3   Report Post  
Uno Hoo!
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Richard Faulkner" wrote in message
...
In message , Mike Saunders
writes
I woild like to know from anyone who has laid a gravel grive suitable
for light traffic. I already have a sound crushed limestone base. What
I need to know is

Advice on depth and type of material to use advantages/disavantages etc

Should I put some of that special fabric over the base to stop weeds
etc. Some are already growing in the base due to contamination Does
this affect the depth of the gravel? (Moves around more?)

Drainage. Mostly on a slight slope but there is one area that is lower
where puddles can form after heavy rain

Maintainance. Mud on tyres, fallen leaves etc. Does the gravel need
replenising every few years etc

Anything else I have missed

Many thanks in advance

Mike



It's a pain in the neck to walk on g


And tends to spread everywhere. You get it in your garden, on the pavement
outside your house and it will required regular 'raking' to correct the
movement caused by car tyres. My sister has a gravel drive and regrets it to
this day!

Kev



  #4   Report Post  
Steve Walker
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Mike Saunders wrote:
I woild like to know from anyone who has laid a gravel grive
suitable for light traffic. I already have a sound crushed
limestone base. What I need to know is....


www.pavingexpert.com


  #5   Report Post  
andrewpreece
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Mike Saunders" wrote in message
...
I woild like to know from anyone who has laid a gravel grive suitable
for light traffic. I already have a sound crushed limestone base. What
I need to know is

Advice on depth and type of material to use advantages/disavantages etc

Should I put some of that special fabric over the base to stop weeds
etc. Some are already growing in the base due to contamination Does
this affect the depth of the gravel? (Moves around more?)

Drainage. Mostly on a slight slope but there is one area that is lower
where puddles can form after heavy rain

Maintainance. Mud on tyres, fallen leaves etc. Does the gravel need
replenising every few years etc

Anything else I have missed

Many thanks in advance

Mike

I jokingly said, after I laid a gravel drive, that I should have taken a
Gravel
Technology 101 course first!

Yes, lay a geotextile fabric: use a proper heavy duty type, not the stuff
you put in
your flowerbeds.

The geotextile needs to be protected above and below by 1" of sand, to
prevent
puncturing.

Don't use pea -gravel, at least not the ungraded stuff ( as I did ) since it
goes everywhere,
especially on a wet day on the soles of your shoes. Also cats like it for
****ting in.
I eventually graded my 1 ton of pea-gravel manually with a garden sieve (
you can't
imagine...) to get 9mm gravel only. I would say go for pregraded 10mm. 20mm
is also
available but I think it's rather large, though stays in place more. Angular
gravel stays in place
better than rounded.

I followed the usual advice and put 2" of gravel on top of my top layer of
sand, but what with
it being rounded pea gravel and the sand acting like tiny ball bearings it
was very hard work
to walk on. I eventually solved that problem by using clay subsoil I had
lying around to create
a binder. The result ( at last ) is compact and easy to walk on. The added
clay does mean I
get a few weeds in the least trampled ares, but they pll up easily because
they can't penetrate the textile. In some ares of the country ( SE? )
something called hogging is available which is
basically a kind of clay/gravel mixture which does what I ended up doing,
but it's all ready
for you.

Make sure your gravel is contained on all sides: that means that there
should be a lip of some
sort at every edge, 1" or 2" should be enough. If your drive slopes down to
the pavement, gravel will
try and migrate onto the pavement ( I see a lot of this in other peoples
drives ), so remember that lip.

If you can I should try and get rid of the potential puddle area, if it's in
the main area of use. You could
build it up or maybe make a sort of soakaway.

As for maintenance, a bit of weeding every year ( or just use that pathclear
stuff ) will deal with any
annoying weeds at the edges, and a good rake with a grass rake will do. I
have not found the need to
replenish after 2 years of use. I do not have leaf problems though I can't
see that would be a difficulty, you will need to rake them up. Mud off cars
just washes in. Do not use bright white chippings- they will look naff. I
suspect that you will not bother with clay binder, so in order to avoid
kicking the gravel away so you can see the liner, as you walk, I think 2" of
gravel will be about right. You might want to buy in a 2kilo bag of 2" and
1" gravel plus some sand, and make a little test area
to see which size you prefer.
Andy.





  #6   Report Post  
Homer2911
 
Posts: n/a
Default



I woild like to know from anyone who has laid a gravel grive

suitable
for light traffic.





It's a pain in the neck to walk on g

--
Richard Faulkner


It's also a damn good burglar deterrent
due to the noise it makes when walked on!

  #7   Report Post  
The Natural Philosopher
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Mike Saunders wrote:
I woild like to know from anyone who has laid a gravel grive suitable
for light traffic. I already have a sound crushed limestone base. What
I need to know is

Advice on depth and type of material to use advantages/disavantages etc

about 3"

Should I put some of that special fabric over the base to stop weeds
etc. Some are already growing in the base due to contamination Does
this affect the depth of the gravel? (Moves around more?)


It doesn't really work. Mud and organic debris gets on top of any
garvel, and seeds blow in.

Use path clear every year to control.

Drainage. Mostly on a slight slope but there is one area that is lower
where puddles can form after heavy rain

Tough.
Use deepre greavle and rake...
Maintainance. Mud on tyres, fallen leaves etc. Does the gravel need
replenising every few years etc

no, it last about 20-30 yeqas, but it does eventually get packed with
mud and debris, and need a thing top coat.

Anything else I have missed


Tarmaxc?

I have the same job to do, again.

Gravel is not maintenance free. get used to it.


Many thanks in advance

Mike


  #8   Report Post  
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 13:04:09 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

Mike Saunders wrote:
I woild like to know from anyone who has laid a gravel grive suitable
for light traffic. I already have a sound crushed limestone base. What
I need to know is

Advice on depth and type of material to use advantages/disavantages etc

about 3"

Should I put some of that special fabric over the base to stop weeds
etc. Some are already growing in the base due to contamination Does
this affect the depth of the gravel? (Moves around more?)


Gravel is a cheap quick way of providing a drive, it is also not too
permanent if you want to change your mind later.

Have a good look at different sizes of gravel , on the first area I
did the size was far too big. !

If you can get a lorry load and keep some excess for topping up later
all the better.

Think how you are going to contain it at the edges.

It does need raking occasionally to keep it looking its best tho'.

Robert
royall at which net
  #9   Report Post  
p00kie
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Mike Saunders" wrote in message
...
I woild like to know from anyone who has laid a gravel grive suitable
for light traffic. I already have a sound crushed limestone base. What
I need to know is

Advice on depth and type of material to use advantages/disavantages etc

Should I put some of that special fabric over the base to stop weeds
etc. Some are already growing in the base due to contamination Does
this affect the depth of the gravel? (Moves around more?)

Drainage. Mostly on a slight slope but there is one area that is lower
where puddles can form after heavy rain

Maintainance. Mud on tyres, fallen leaves etc. Does the gravel need
replenising every few years etc

Anything else I have missed

Many thanks in advance

Mike



Part of my drive was gravelled by the previous owners. The car got bogged
down in it, it was like walking up a pebble dune on a beach ... tough going!
Plus it was the public loo for the local feline population!
Soon after moving in I had that area block paved .... so much easier to
drive, walk and no poo!
Anyone ever asks me about a gravel drive ... I'd say never!


  #10   Report Post  
Rick
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 13:12:15 -0000, "Mike Saunders"
wrote:

I woild like to know from anyone who has laid a gravel grive suitable
for light traffic. I already have a sound crushed limestone base. What
I need to know is

Advice on depth and type of material to use advantages/disavantages etc

Should I put some of that special fabric over the base to stop weeds
etc. Some are already growing in the base due to contamination Does
this affect the depth of the gravel? (Moves around more?)

Drainage. Mostly on a slight slope but there is one area that is lower
where puddles can form after heavy rain

Maintainance. Mud on tyres, fallen leaves etc. Does the gravel need
replenising every few years etc

Anything else I have missed

Many thanks in advance

Mike


We used "slate scalpings" 200 quid a lorry load from the quarry, it
packs down and binds together. Looked good for the first year or two,
now we have had so much "sheep/cow/tractor doo dah" on it, we can't
sweep it all off, and its back to being an uncleanable muddy mess. We
are currently looking at concrete.

Rick



  #11   Report Post  
andrewpreece
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Rick" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 13:12:15 -0000, "Mike Saunders"
wrote:

I woild like to know from anyone who has laid a gravel grive suitable
for light traffic. I already have a sound crushed limestone base. What
I need to know is

Advice on depth and type of material to use advantages/disavantages etc

Should I put some of that special fabric over the base to stop weeds
etc. Some are already growing in the base due to contamination Does
this affect the depth of the gravel? (Moves around more?)

Drainage. Mostly on a slight slope but there is one area that is lower
where puddles can form after heavy rain

Maintainance. Mud on tyres, fallen leaves etc. Does the gravel need
replenising every few years etc

Anything else I have missed

Many thanks in advance

Mike


We used "slate scalpings" 200 quid a lorry load from the quarry, it
packs down and binds together. Looked good for the first year or two,
now we have had so much "sheep/cow/tractor doo dah" on it, we can't
sweep it all off, and its back to being an uncleanable muddy mess. We
are currently looking at concrete.

Rick


I must say I had a few initial problems with my gravel but nothing to put me
off.
This business of gravel acting like a difficult to walk on shingle beach was
solved with
a bit of clay subsoil to act as a binder. I think the use of geotextiles
causes problems
since it removes contact of the gravel with the binding soil below, and the
sand layer
to protect the textile acts as a lubricant. If you go to National Trust
properties I think you'll
find they don't use geotextiles ( though they quite often use fine gravel
which is not so
good near a house as you traipse it in ).

The local cats went on a sh***ing spree when I first put gravel down, but
when I added the
binder they gave it a few half-hearted attempts and gave up,as they don't
like hard work.

I have a theory that slate scalpings may be too flat to allow dirt to
percolate away - and
I wonder what they're like to rake over if you want to refresh their look?
Having said that
I don't get much in the way of sheep/cow/tractor doo-dah on my drive!

I'm still glad I put down gravel, despite the steep learning curve. There
are plenty of
houses with smart brick drives around me, but in a way, they have a very
suburban
feel to them which I don't fancy ( add a perfect front lawn to get the full
surbuban feel ).
I get a nice bucolic feeling crunching down me mellow golden gravel drive,
with the
odd clump of fleabane or campanula growing at the side.

Andy.


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Hard drive repair (longish) PlainBill Electronics Repair 53 April 9th 05 05:25 AM
Unusual hard drive noise. Dan Electronics Repair 13 March 18th 05 04:01 AM
Need a computer system for your nuclear program? Gunner Metalworking 42 December 28th 04 11:58 PM
IDE Hard Drive motor clicking-- any chance of getting my data off? Jim Bancroft Electronics Repair 15 October 1st 04 08:36 AM
need advice on data recovery service company alfonso gayoso Electronics Repair 4 February 18th 04 08:48 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 09:29 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 DIYbanter.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about DIY & home improvement"