Driveway refurb
Discussion
Recently moved house and the driveway is in need of a tidy-up/redoing. Anyone got any decent suggestions of what they'd have done? I like the idea of 20mm gravel, but the drive itself is on an incline, so I don't want everything to just run off it.
In the next couple of years we'll need to replace the retaining-wall at the front of the house (and possibly put some sort of boot-room on the front), so we don't want to limit ourselves now by spending loads on the drive and then needing to change it all.
In the next couple of years we'll need to replace the retaining-wall at the front of the house (and possibly put some sort of boot-room on the front), so we don't want to limit ourselves now by spending loads on the drive and then needing to change it all.
Looking to do something similar so will be watching (mainly because gravel's a lot cheaper than other surfaces).
You've got a threshold, if you dig down below this then you won't suffer the migration of stones. I don't think that you'd have to go a long way down either, I'd hire a mini-digger for a day then get a get one of those grab-hires to collect what's dug up.
You've got a threshold, if you dig down below this then you won't suffer the migration of stones. I don't think that you'd have to go a long way down either, I'd hire a mini-digger for a day then get a get one of those grab-hires to collect what's dug up.
Personally, I'd just look at the problem bit at the road end.
To me, the rest of it looks nicer than acres of block paving.
You could use gravel in grids, my brother has this, it works well.
Or you could get that bit tarmac'd, but good luck with finding the right people to do that.
Or you could replace what was there and do it better so it lasts.
You need to think about drainage.
To me, the rest of it looks nicer than acres of block paving.
You could use gravel in grids, my brother has this, it works well.
Or you could get that bit tarmac'd, but good luck with finding the right people to do that.
Or you could replace what was there and do it better so it lasts.
You need to think about drainage.
If you want to use gravel and are worried about the slope then these work really well…
https://www.ibran.com/products/gravel-parking-grid...
You can also buy ramps that attach to them if they end up higher than the road end and you don’t want to dig them in.
https://www.ibran.com/products/ramp-edging
We have used both in various places at our place and they are excellent, taking the weight of a tractor easily,
If you are going to use planings then there would be no need to add gravel, just get this rolled and it will be fine, this is what we have had done to the main part of our drive which is 1/4 mile long. Just make sure there is a camber to allow water to run off.
https://www.ibran.com/products/gravel-parking-grid...
You can also buy ramps that attach to them if they end up higher than the road end and you don’t want to dig them in.
https://www.ibran.com/products/ramp-edging
We have used both in various places at our place and they are excellent, taking the weight of a tractor easily,
If you are going to use planings then there would be no need to add gravel, just get this rolled and it will be fine, this is what we have had done to the main part of our drive which is 1/4 mile long. Just make sure there is a camber to allow water to run off.
Edited by skeeterm5 on Tuesday 10th September 17:39
I'm sorting the exact same situation, (25x3m drive), wanted reclaimed Victorian pavers but at £6k in pavers alone I soon sacked that off.
By me (Dorset) block paving is deemed impermeable so a fall to suitable SUDS drainage is a requirement, along with planning permission..
Permeable SUDS compliant driveways however DO NOT need planning. So I've decided on crushed Cotswold stone finish, as mentioned above, crushed stone can be compacted and doesn't flow about like the regular river gravel type stuff you often see on poor quality drives.
Costs to date;
Excavations;
Groundworker and his digger 1 day - £400
2x 10 ton inert muck away grab lorries £300ea
1x Terram equivalent decoupling membrane £300
1 week of me digging the edges neat etc etc - £priceless but back still hurts
Infill;
Groundworker and his digger/roller compactor 1 day - £400
3x 10-ton MOT3 limestone deliveries grab offload £360ea
Future;
1x extra 10 ton MOT3 delivery needed as we are short/low because of my poor maths £360
I will shovel and hand compact this to bring to final level.
8x bulk bags Cotswold crushed stone £85 inc VAT plud delivery @ £300.
Edging/haunching etc tbc, probably staked steel edging - Circa £300 materials only.
Total build cost; £4,120
Pics self explanatory and for interest. MOT3 is a low fines sub base which is SUDS complaint permeable FYI
By me (Dorset) block paving is deemed impermeable so a fall to suitable SUDS drainage is a requirement, along with planning permission..
Permeable SUDS compliant driveways however DO NOT need planning. So I've decided on crushed Cotswold stone finish, as mentioned above, crushed stone can be compacted and doesn't flow about like the regular river gravel type stuff you often see on poor quality drives.
Costs to date;
Excavations;
Groundworker and his digger 1 day - £400
2x 10 ton inert muck away grab lorries £300ea
1x Terram equivalent decoupling membrane £300
1 week of me digging the edges neat etc etc - £priceless but back still hurts
Infill;
Groundworker and his digger/roller compactor 1 day - £400
3x 10-ton MOT3 limestone deliveries grab offload £360ea
Future;
1x extra 10 ton MOT3 delivery needed as we are short/low because of my poor maths £360
I will shovel and hand compact this to bring to final level.
8x bulk bags Cotswold crushed stone £85 inc VAT plud delivery @ £300.
Edging/haunching etc tbc, probably staked steel edging - Circa £300 materials only.
Total build cost; £4,120
Pics self explanatory and for interest. MOT3 is a low fines sub base which is SUDS complaint permeable FYI
Pistonsquirter said:
I'm sorting the exact same situation...
Very nice.We did simular four years ago, only removed less and added a lot less.
Couple of skips during the wall building, and then a half days mini digger hire and £200 for a grab waggon to tidy up the end.
Then something like 8 bags of Cotswold stone over the top. Due to madness the bags are single use, so just cut open when in the right place.
I did then do my back raking it all level in about 2hours before the mrs came home, but easily avoided im sure...
We're on sandstone bedrock, and 2/3 was an original gravel drive, but no membrane, no hardcore, no whacker plate.
Very similar time of year too, end of Oct 2020 just in time for winter!
It's on a reasonable slope, but even without compacting it down, the cars have worked it down and it's stayed put pretty well.
Struggling to find a good photo of the current condition, but this is from July 2023 after three years/winters.
Just a little bit of the bedrock coming through at the top where it was a bit thin to start with and a few weeds at the edge.
The drive is under trees, mainly pine, so gets covered twice a year but it rakes off the top surprisingly easily.
Edited by dhutch on Thursday 10th October 10:12
dhutch said:
Very nice.
We did simular four years ago, only removed less and added a lot less.
Nice! I'm surprised you have no threshold at the street! That's a strict policy by us (resi road), plan to use 4 courses of granite setts haunched in place, the 'old fashioned' logic was it acts as a rumble strip to shake stones out the tyres, as well as preventing stones spreading onto the road.We did simular four years ago, only removed less and added a lot less.
Edited by dhutch on Thursday 10th October 10:12
You'll be surprised if you run a whacker over your stone it will compact it just a touch so it won't migrate downhill
Just an update:
I've got someone booked in for January. They're going to dig down 12-inches, membrane, MOT/crushed concrete, 20mm gravel. Granite setts for the threshold, concrete slab for bin area. They're also going to sort out badly laid gravel down side of house.
Originally quoted £5.5k, but they came back a few months later as they're doing a few doors down in Jan. Agreed £4k. Very well reviewed company, so hopefully a quality job.
I've got someone booked in for January. They're going to dig down 12-inches, membrane, MOT/crushed concrete, 20mm gravel. Granite setts for the threshold, concrete slab for bin area. They're also going to sort out badly laid gravel down side of house.
Originally quoted £5.5k, but they came back a few months later as they're doing a few doors down in Jan. Agreed £4k. Very well reviewed company, so hopefully a quality job.
Pistonsquirter said:
Nice! I'm surprised you have no threshold at the street! That's a strict policy by us (resi road), plan to use 4 courses of granite setts haunched in place, the 'old fashioned' logic was it acts as a rumble strip to shake stones out the tyres, as well as preventing stones spreading onto the road.
You'll be surprised if you run a whacker over your stone it will compact it just a touch so it won't migrate downhill
Same thought, lovely garden/drive but surprised you got permission for no threshold, both planning and highways were very clear when I did mine and as a biker it makes me very nervous You'll be surprised if you run a whacker over your stone it will compact it just a touch so it won't migrate downhill
Pistonsquirter said:
Nice! I'm surprised you have no threshold at the street! That's a strict policy by us ...
It's a very small back road not wide enough for two cars to pass joining a partially unadopted old coach road, the surface of which in placed is breaking up and making far more loose material than our driveway, which was replacing an existing pebble drive, and also wraps round an provides a 3-4ft wide gravel strip which is used as a passing place and drop point for couriers etc. But yes in highsight it is a bit on an anomaly. If you look closely at the drive opposite they have a 4ft wide cobbled threshold/margin but then have 2ft of pea gravel beyond this in order to fill in the craters between the threshold and the tarmac!
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