Have just laid a new gravel drive, trouble is it is sloped up to my garage and the front-wheel drive spins on the surface. Any good ideas on what to do about this, short of laying two strips of paving which I do not think will look very nice.
Regards, Malcolm.
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it depends on the size of the area you are talking of..
but perhaps, remove all the stones from the affected area. lay concrete, but imbed the stones into the top of it, thickly, so that it appears similar to the area with the loose stones. Perhaps you could do that in two strips where the tyres will run.
Be warned though, that in the wet the stones will be slippery and your wheels may spin anyway - although whilst its a bit iffy, it won't ruin the surface.
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Have you got the gravel too deep?
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I've done a few of these in my day...
With time it will bed down - then you'll have two lovely furrows to fill in, to stop you going 'thump' as you hit the step up into the garage, and the problem starts all over again.
Alternately, you can bed/tamp it down now, with an industrial vibrator (ooerr missus!) which is a nasty piece of kit, but does the job admirably.
But then you still have to fill in the bit in front of the step, to avoid going 'thump' etc etc etc
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Ian Cape Town
Do you have Tarmac in Cape Town {SA?} ????????
Comes in Red or the usual black.
Good for 20 to 30 year on a drive if done proper like !!
My last house still had its same tarmaced drive as when it was built in the early 70s. Nowt wrong with it.
neigbours had had the navies in to lay a new 250 thou {1'4 inch / 6mm layer}, but knackered after 3 months.
Others had had ugly block paying layed, soon subsides, full of oil stains - very expensive, very messy, grass growing through after 6 months.
Tarmac is best !!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think thats why they use it on roads ????????????
Hope this helps
Paul {Forest of Bowland} GB>> I've done a few of these in my day...With time it will bed down - then you'll have two lovely furrows to fill in, to stop you going 'thump' as you hit the step up into the garage, and the problem starts all over again. Alternately, you can bed/tamp it down now, with an industrial vibrator (ooerr missus!) which is a nasty piece of kit, but does the job admirably. But then you still have to fill in the bit in front of the step, to avoid going 'thump' etc etc etc
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Ian Cape Town Do you have Tarmac in Cape Town {SA?} ???????? Comes in Red or the usual black.
Lots of it, matey!!
My original quote reads thus:
>>I've done a few of these in my day...
I don't have one myself - but in my younger days was known to push a few barrows and swing a shovel...
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Bogush is on the track, the secret with gravel drives is to keep them to about 1" thick. Our whole drive/yard is gravel and no problem as it is always a bit thin.
A friend has just put down a "luxury" gravel yard that is 4"-6" deep in places...folks really do keep getting stuck in it.
My advice to her was to dig a load off and bring it round for our bald patches.
The other option may be a RWD or 4WD car, even reversing up perhaps.
David W
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Ensure the gravel is not too deep as mentioned and try mixing in lime stone grit available from the builders merchant. This on its own congeals like concrete once its been wet.
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Like the sound of this advive Jud because the drive, which I laid myself is actualy made up of 20-25mm limestone at a depth of approximately 50mm laidon top of a weed suppressing material called, I think "terramm".
Thanks, Malcolm.
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Teram (lots of similar brands out there) is a geotextile which basically adds to the strength of the pavement (road/drive) if you have poor soil. It also stops the aggregate punching into the soil beneath and thus you dont need to top it up as often.
Block paving is superb if laid properly. Although I agree oil stains can be a pain. (aren't there lots of products out there to clean the stuff off.)
If you are laying Tarmac you might want to lay it on a good thickness of "Type 1 sub-base" This is a graded aggregate (fine and coarse particles)which knit together to provide frost resistance. Otherwise the expensive blacktop will heave due to frost and crack to bits.
Gravel is orrible for a drive. You will be forever cleaning bits of gravel from the street.
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I have block paving on my drives and over the three years its been down have come to the conclusion that given a choice i would go back to the tarmac i had before. The old tarmac was of a high quality (be aware there are different grades)but i wanted a drive in/out drive so decided to go for blocks. Although the paving looks good i now have to treat it ever year to kill the weeds and moss that grows between the blocks, the blocks get dirty so every year i have to clean them, also i constantly pick up sand even 3 years on, not good for the carpets etc.
The only problems i ever had with the tarmac was shaded areas would get a build up of moss over winter.
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Glad to see,
most people agree with me.
Gravel and blocks are both a pest,
Tarmac, red or black, is the best.
Paul
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A couple of years ago I agreed with my mum that we were going to shovel the gravel and sand and create our new drive before my dad came home from work. After a hard days shoveling (and a few inches of sand and chuckies) I drove the Omega onto the drive, taking a step back to admire our work. When I got into the car to nip down to my mates house I found the rear wheels had no traction what so ever. One hour later the pit below the wheels was that deep the chasis was almost sitting on the ground and no amount of pulling from my mates Renault 19 was going to get me out of there!
With the help of a turbodiesel E-Class and some frantic shoveling we got the car out, just in time for my old man to watch the fun and games as he arrived home.
I don't think we've bothered helping out since then :>
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"Tarmac, red or black, is the best"
Personally, I favour concrete, either laid or as paving stones.
Our laid slab drive is approaching 50 years old and still serviceable.
Oil and petrol spills have no effect. (Petrol and tarmac do not mix!)
No sinkage or flaking.
No loose bits to walk into the house.
Sweep or pressure wash occasionally to clean.
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If you have a concrete base under the shifting gravel, try the following: Remove and set aside the gravel. If the gravel is bigger than half inch, (oops sorry, 12.5 mm), buy a small quantity of 3/8 (10mm) chippings. Apply Synthaprufe or similar. It is a Bituminous liquid compound usually used to waterproof concrete prior to the application of finished flooring or plastering. Whilst still wet apply the small chippings to cover the majority of the surface. When FULLY set, (allow a couple of days), scatter the original gravel/chippings back over although not much deeper than max 1 inch. (Work the milli' thingy's out yerself !!)
Regards, Martin.
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Forget these complex solutions, malcolm.
Simply stuff a winch on rear garage wall, hitch up to tow eye, press button and watch your motor put itself to bed. Job done.
Remember to unhitch cable at end of exercise, or backing out tomorrow will be somewhat fraught.................
I know these things.....................
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Been there, done that!
I thought 6" of gravel was a good idea until I found it was like driving on a beach. The answer was to dig it all out again and lay it mixed with soil, with only the top inch in pure gravel.
It also of course demonstrates that BMW are right - rear-wheel drive cars have better traction.>> Forget these complex solutions, malcolm.Simply stuff a winch on rear garage wall, hitch up to tow eye, press button and watch your motor put itself to bed. Job done. Remember to unhitch cable at end of exercise, or backing out tomorrow will be somewhat fraught................. I know these things.....................
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Dunno about all that. Go and see what it says at
www.pavingexpert.com/home.htm
Everything you could want to know about drives & paving is there.
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1 Get a big tub,
2 Light a fire under it and put in large amount of tar
3 Mix said grave in with tar.
4 Lay on {prepared} drive to a dept of 4 inches.
5 Steam roll to flatten and produce good finish.
6 Camber if no natural slope.
7 Wait 'till fully set
8 Park car
See www.tarmac.co.uk
Paul
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1 Get a big solicitor
2 Light a fire under him/her and put in large amount of cash
3 Mix it with estate agent
4 Lay on snacks to distract punters from gravel drive
5 Steam roll to flatten and dispose of solicitor
6 Clobber estate agent, there's no natural hope
7 Wait 'till fully sold
8 Move to new house with flat drive, errr........park car
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3 Mix said grave in with tar.
Eh.........................?
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3 Mix said grave in with tar. Eh.........................?
It's dead easy
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Groan...............................
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