gravel Drive

DaveOC · 23 Jun 2008

Hi
I am looking to lay a gravel drive, it is quite large and I was going to lay 4" type 1 gravel first then the stones on top. My question is will I need to put edging stones all round or can I dig down so that the stones butt up against the earth, as i said it is very large and would be quite a job cementing in edging. Unless anyone has any better ideas. Thanks.

BirdDesign · 23 Jun 2008

For a drive, I'd lay 150mm of Type 1. Compact it twice... once when 75mm depth then once when at full depth.

I'd definitely lay edgings too onto about 100mm of semi-dry concrete then haunched. If you don't you'll end up with a right mess after a while.

What sort of gravel are you thinking? A self binding aggregate like Breedon Golden Amber is a good choice..

Don't forget to put a membrane down too

breezer · 23 Jun 2008

does this drive slope?

DaveOC · 24 Jun 2008

Hi
The drive doesn't slope or if it does its only very slight, I've not heard of self binding gravel what are the fors and against for using them.

DaveOC · 24 Jun 2008

also i was just thinking about 12m stones ??

WabbitPoo · 25 Jun 2008

DaveOC said:
also i was just thinking about 12m stones ??

That's a big stone.

DaveOC · 25 Jun 2008

Might have got the size wrong. Bigger than pea about size of large marble

WabbitPoo · 25 Jun 2008

WabbitPoo said:
DaveOC said:

also i was just thinking about 12m stones ??

Click to expand...

That's a big stone.

DaveOC said:
Might have got the size wrong. Bigger than pea about size of large marble

12m. That's still a big stone.

DaveOC · 25 Jun 2008

What would be the down sides of using that size stone ??

Thermo · 25 Jun 2008

you should use 20mm stone on a driveway

WabbitPoo · 26 Jun 2008

DaveOC said:
What would be the down sides of using that size stone ??

Oh for goodness sake. Read.

To avoid confusion, note that m means metres, whereas I imagine that you meant millimetres, which is mm.

As the man said, use 20mm gravel - anything much smaller will just rut too much and you'll spray it everywhere.

noseall · 26 Jun 2008

the drive will need edging.

you will end up with a muddy mess in the winter and a tonne of weeds growing from it in the summer, if you don't edge.

lay a good sub base and don't lay the decorative gravel too thick, or you will sink.

the more remote areas of gravel will eventually spout weeds if left undisturbed as nature always finds a way. these will set into the gravel from above so it matters not what barriers you put down below.

breezer · 26 Jun 2008

I can voudh for the last bit.

i graveled my whole garden, last autmn a tree we have did very well, i thought no more of it till ealier this year, the little seed poddy things are everywhere growing in the gravel, yes, no soil. spent half a sunday pulling out the ones i could see, still get the odd one now

WabbitPoo · 26 Jun 2008

Seeds have all the nutrients they need to sprout within the seed itself, so they can (and do) grow everywhere they settle. Gravel is an exellent growing medium. Many clients think that gravel means no maintenance. Wrong!!!

DaveOC · 26 Jun 2008

Thanks for the advice, everyone

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gravel Drive

breezer

breezer

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