Drive

[Shell-e]

Hi All,

I recently bought my property.

It has a drive which would fit 3 cars however it has gravelled stone throughout with 2 concrete slabs in the middle which enables me to park one car on the drive. If any other cars park on the drive / stones they sink.

What can be done about this? I quite like the stones but not the sinking - you have to run to the front door before you sink!

Last night someone parked on our drive as they wanted to go to the shop next door, I couldnt believe it! Anyway they knocked and told us they were stuck and had to get road side assistance to get them out. Anyway they then knocked on the door to tell me it was £85 and we need to pay half as its our drive! I nearly had a heart attack at the sheer cheek! I didnt tell them to park there and they should not have! Anyway I didnt pay!

We planned to get the drive done as soon as and last night just made me want to even more so.

I have no idea what it costs to get a drive done and so was hoping you could give me a rough idea?

 

[toptec]

Fraid you have no choice Shell-e, its all gotta come up. It sounds like you dont have a sub-base of any note - which is why you and your "visitors" are sinking.

I have recently viewed a bungalow in Gloucester that had pea gravel laid on earth - lots of problems for the purchasers.

Without knowing the size of the drive I would guess it will take a lot of work to remove current surface and dig down a sufficient depth to create a sub base. Costs cannot be estimated due to many factors. This also depends on what finish you are after, Gravel, pavers/pavoirs, tarmac. Pavoirs needs scalpings and sharp sand. Also you need to consider drainage, is there any on your drive? will you need some to take away surface water?......

Photos of the offending area would help those who choose to advise.

 

[JohnD]

If people are going to park in your drive to go to the shop, you should let them sink. Buy an old tractor and offer to tow them out for £50 cash, paid on the nail.

I expect the previous owners had shingle spread over their muddy garden to make some mug buy it.

 

[Shell-e]

Crap.

Here is a pic:
http://s167.photobucket.com/albums/...ction=view&current=n560802914_374651_8339.jpg

I thought it would take some work.... To be fair the guy did tell me when I bought it that he just got the builders that were working on the house next door to put the gravel down.... but being female and 24 I didnt think it would be a problem!

 

[Shell-e]

lol I didnt mean your help was rubbish - I said a different word C R A P meaning the answer isnt good.... its very clever, it changed it lol

 

[Thermo]

to me that doesnt look like the whole garden was intended to be used for parking, just the concrete slabs up the middle. If thats the case then it sounds like as already said that the gravel has been laid for decorative effect and will have no sub-base under. If you intend to use it all for parking the it needs a good sub-base of about 150mm of compacted mot type 1 (dependent on whats under it.)

 

[noseall]

the optimum thickness for gravel is about 40mm max.

any thicker, as you already know, it becomes difficult to support even a human. it just gets displaced.

as Thermo has said, a decent sub base will allow for a thinner decorative topping.