New driveway?

[Old Dog]

I need to build a new gravel drive and haven't a clue.

If anyone can give me a clue, we'd probably build it ourselves.

But barring that, does anyone have good recommendations on someone to build a gravel drive (a really, really long one) ? Best place to get the stone? (if we build ourselves)

Thanks bunches.

 

[Railroad]

I need to build a new gravel drive and haven't a clue.

If anyone can give me a clue, we'd probably build it ourselves.

But barring that, does anyone have good recommendations on someone to build a gravel drive (a really, really long one) ? Best place to get the stone? (if we build ourselves)

Thanks bunches.

Sorry I can't help by telling you all you need to know, but I CAN tell you that you DON'T want to do it yourself. Talk about a BACK breaker!!! I've worked with shoveling and spreading gravel before, and I include that experience when I explain how my back and knees got so messed up.

I have witnessed folks simply have a dumptruck full of bluestone come and (sort of) roll along while dumping gravel, over a dirt lane. Then the unlucky physical labor follows along and spreads it around. For a "really, really long" one, I'd expect multiple dump truck loads.

What my wife and I have done in the past is, get a few contractors/suppliers to come and look at what you're trying to have done, and let them give you advice and a price. It's very educational. Once you decide what to do and who to hire, you'll be well-informed and able to tell if things are going well or not.

 

[Elle]

But barring that, does anyone have good recommendations on someone to build a gravel drive (a really, really long one) ? Best place to get the stone? (if we build ourselves)

That sounds like it's going to take a lot of work. I can send you the name and number of a usually resonable priced excavating company.

 

[kwillia]

Hey Old Dog... check your PMer...

 

[sleuth]

I need to build a new gravel drive and haven't a clue.

If anyone can give me a clue, we'd probably build it ourselves.

But barring that, does anyone have good recommendations on someone to build a gravel drive (a really, really long one) ? Best place to get the stone? (if we build ourselves)

Thanks bunches.

PM MainMan... he has some buddies in the business I think.

 

[Cletus_Vandam]

There are several different materials that can fit the description of "gravel". Everything from pea gravel, to bank run, to CR-6 (bluestone).

No too sure what you mean by really really long. If you're out there on a ten degree day shovling snow, 100 feet can be really really long.

The type of material you want to use depends on how good the base is that you're putting it on. Staty away from pea gravel or any smooth washed gravel. It will squash from under the tires of vehicles and never will bond together. At my home, my drive is about 600 feet long. I have had bankrum gravel down for about two years. This is a great base, but not a good final topping for the drive. I holds up well, compacts well, but tends to have a "clayey" look to it and does track the redish-orange dirt-especially when the dogs go up and down the drive then walk on the carpets...

If you already have base established, I would recomment topping it with 1 to 2 inches of reclaimed asphalt-AKA millings. This makes for a great topping that locks together and doesn't have the tracking problems of bankrun. I also think it is better that CR-6 becuase it is crushed smaller, locks together better and isn't tough on the bare feet. It's about as close as you can get to asphalt at a fraction of the cost.

As far as doing it yourself. Not trying to take anything away from you, your physcial abilities or the like, but if you are asking the question about what gravel would be best, I would guess that you don't have the equipment necessary to do the job right. If you don't have a bobcat and a roller, you're going to loose the battle. Call some contractors and you'll save yourself a lot of pain and frustration. And it will likely only cost you a bit more to have them do it right versus trucking the material and just dropping it.

 

[Oz]

If you're trying to put a driveway over grass, you're going to need to dig down about 6-8 inches, and then fill it in. Otherwise, you'll always have grass growing up through it.

Pay an excavator to do it for you. Quicker, and you'll get it done right.

 

[Ken King]

What length of drive are you talking about and do you have to deal with any defined wetlands?

 

[sleuth]

If you're trying to put a driveway over grass, you're going to need to dig down about 6-8 inches, and then fill it in. Otherwise, you'll always have grass growing up through it.

Pay an excavator to do it for you. Quicker, and you'll get it done right.

Can't you lay down black plastic under it?
I've seen on HGTV that it heats up and kills anything under it.

 

[Ken King]

Can't you lay down black plastic under it?
I've seen on HGTV that it heats up and kills anything under it.

Yeah do that. Mound the gravel (or whatever) on top of the plastic just laying on the ground. What do you think will happen if you don't provide a way for water to seep through, not to mention doing it this way will allow it to spread out like you never put anything down in no time. That's the ticket.

 

[sleuth]

Yeah do that. Mound the gravel (or whatever) on top of the plastic just laying on the ground. What do you think will happen if you don't provide a way for water to seep through, not to mention doing it this way will allow it to spread out like you never put anything down in no time. That's the ticket.

Good point.... ...hadn't thought of that.
Although he could lay down the plastic and let it sit for 2 or 3 months, weigh it down with bricks.. if he has that kind of time.

I saw that on HGTV too. Should kill anything under the plastic and leave you only with bare soil.

 

[willie]

Cletus has some good advice. A possible cheaper solution along those lines is to hire a "Bobcat Service" to prepare the surface and spread the material. They can advise what to get and you can buy it yourself without a middleman. Chaney or Howlin are good local sources but Rockville Crushed Stone is cheaper but won't deliver within the hour.

 

[Tomcat]

There are several different materials that can fit the description of "gravel". Everything from pea gravel, to bank run, to CR-6 (bluestone).

No too sure what you mean by really really long. If you're out there on a ten degree day shovling snow, 100 feet can be really really long.

The type of material you want to use depends on how good the base is that you're putting it on. Staty away from pea gravel or any smooth washed gravel. It will squash from under the tires of vehicles and never will bond together. At my home, my drive is about 600 feet long. I have had bankrum gravel down for about two years. This is a great base, but not a good final topping for the drive. I holds up well, compacts well, but tends to have a "clayey" look to it and does track the redish-orange dirt-especially when the dogs go up and down the drive then walk on the carpets...

If you already have base established, I would recomment topping it with 1 to 2 inches of reclaimed asphalt-AKA millings. This makes for a great topping that locks together and doesn't have the tracking problems of bankrun. I also think it is better that CR-6 becuase it is crushed smaller, locks together better and isn't tough on the bare feet. It's about as close as you can get to asphalt at a fraction of the cost.

As far as doing it yourself. Not trying to take anything away from you, your physcial abilities or the like, but if you are asking the question about what gravel would be best, I would guess that you don't have the equipment necessary to do the job right. If you don't have a bobcat and a roller, you're going to loose the battle. Call some contractors and you'll save yourself a lot of pain and frustration. And it will likely only cost you a bit more to have them do it right versus trucking the material and just dropping it.

Good advice, I know someone in Hollywood that I would highly recommend, PM me for details.

 

[huntr1]

Good point.... ...hadn't thought of that.
Although he could lay down the plastic and let it sit for 2 or 3 months, weigh it down with bricks.. if he has that kind of time.

I saw that on HGTV too. Should kill anything under the plastic and leave you only with bare soil.

If he's that worried about stuff growing up thru it, all he has to do is spray Round-up a couple days to a week in advance. The Brush version is AWSOME! I used it and it killed EVERYTHING I sprayed it on. Even worked on baby trees and trees sprouting out of stumps. It is the shiznet! By using R-U, he doesn't have the long wait of using plastic as a temporary measure.

 

[scupper trout]

This is off topic a bit but the lot next door to me was cleared this Fall and a new home built, resulting my property edge looking like crap, as well as run off from my yard making those ditch trails. Anyone know where I can get a reasonable priced dumptruck full of clean fill dirt?

 

[huntr1]

There is still a pile of FREE dirt in front of the Safeway in La Plata.

Where are you located?

 

[kwillia]

reasonable priced dumptruck full of clean fill dirt?

Define 'clean'.... if you mean summin' close to sifted... you are gonna pay a premium price just for the material alone, not including a haul charge...

 

[huntr1]

Define 'clean'.... if you mean summin' close to sifted... you are gonna pay a premium price just for the material alone, not including a haul charge...

This morning I saw a truck on the beltway for a company that uses crushed recycled concrete instead of stone for driveways. Can't remember the name of the company. Don't really care what it was either. However, I DO want to know if there are any companies down our way that sell the crushed concrete.

We need to have our driveway pretty much redone from scratch. The layer of stone was only about an inch thick (IF that), and there are large bare patches. I may do it myself (ok, I'd actually have my father in-law do it, since he has the tractor and experience), but I'd still need materials. With such a pizz-poor base, I don't think asphalt millings are an option. Assume I need to go with something more substantial atleast for a base material. Any recomendations?

 

[kwillia]

With such a pizz-poor base, I don't think asphalt millings are an option. Assume I need to go with something more substantial atleast for a base material. Any recomendations?

I wouldn't rule out asphalt millings if I were you... it's a whole lot cheaper than any stone based material and it packs in just from driving on it so once it sets, it doesn't move around or get ground in like gravel does.

 

[huntr1]

I wouldn't rule out asphalt millings if I were you... it's a whole lot cheaper than any stone based material and it packs in just from driving on it so once it sets, it doesn't move around or get ground in like gravel does.

I'd much prefer the millings, because of the way it sets. Just thought it needed a better base than patchy (somewhat bare) gravel.