I think I made a big booboo!!

[stewart.paul]

I have just finished converting front garden (1/2 lawn 1/2 concrete tarmac) to a gravelled area and am beginning to think I have done the wrong thing

As I say half of the area was concrete, which I removed, then all I did was put down a membraine follwed by 3inches of 20mm gravel.

The problem is that when I drive my car in or out of the gravel, I can't get enough traction and end up wheel spinning and ripping up bits of fabric.

Does the gravel need time to settle and compact? Will it compact?

Is there anything alse I can do to resolve this?

cheers

 

[paul1972]

cannot remember where i saw it but there are some grids that are kind of egg box design that you can lay in gravel. These have the advantage also of keeping gravel level to.
Other alternative I can think of is to lay a row of slabs under where the car wheels will drive.

 

[Thermo]

gravel wont compact, its too large and hard to do so. You should have put a sub-base down eg MOT or scalpings, which needs to be compacted down on top of a geotextile membrane. The gravel then sits on top and is held in the area with some form of edgings, such as kerbs etc.

Personally i would start again as it will only get worse in the winter in the wetter weather. 20mm gravel is too large for a driveway really as well. You could always render your house and then wheel spin on the gravel to pebbledash it!

 

[Steve]

reminds me of when i once went to a friends house, she had gravel driveway, clever me decided to park on the drive. Came to drive out, and nearly went sideways into the fence. Stupid gravel