Driveway Help

Not sure if this is in the right area of the forum but I will give it a go.

I recently levelled my drive, I removed flower beds and crazy paving for the entire area, I did it a few weeks back when it was absolutely chucking it down. Mini digger and wellies job.

Its all gone ok apart from one point on the drive. If I rake back the hardcore its like raking sand on a beach, you know how it fills with water each time you rake, its like that.

This point was a problem before this work began, it had a slab on the top and everytime you stood on it you got wet ankles.

The water mains runs directly below this point and my initial thought was the weight of the cars over the years has crushed the earth down and caused a leak but when I did the drive I dug down to the mains and checked it all and it was fine.

So now I have dug all the soggy clay out replaced it with 10mm and 20mm gravel and then put the hardcore back on top but it is still the same.

In my mind its not draining away, even now after its been dry for a few days its still a big puddle as soon as you start to rake the area.

The whole of the drive is clay at its root, rock hard clay, if you dig down a foot or so you are into the clay.

Any ideas on this chaps, I know its hard without seeing it but is there anything I could do or add to the gravel to make the water get soaked up a bit better.

Any help appreciated.

where abouts in staffs, tamworth?

I'm not sure where you are going with this?
I presume you do not intend to have a clay surface to walk and drive on?
Therefore, what do you intend?
If its gravel, or even bricks or concrete, all thats required is to mix in Portland cement this will set and solve the problem.

water does not readily drain away in clay.

what certainly does happen in clay ground though is water will collect in areas that have been previously disturbed.

clay ground that has been subject to a lot of rain will behave like human flesh. cut into it and it will bleed into the rupture.

the water will want to follow the least path of resistance i.e. the water main trench.

I am in Stoke, Clayton (Clay Town) to be more precise.

I intend to put 20mm golden gravel on it when I have sorted the retaining wall.

Now don't laugh at me here but I did chuck some dry mix cement and sand in the hole but this cured nothing, so then I started thinking that the cement was now stopping the water from draining away

I would say that this particular spot has definitely been disturbed due to me digging down to the water mains.

water does not readily drain away in clay.



Canals are lined with clay, so your water may be there for a while, the clay seems the problem, get rid of two foot of clay, throw a few bag of 40mm stone in, you need the drainage, and that may still not sort your problem out


Your unlikely to find much that will "soak up the water"( apart from large trees!)