Driveway Modification - I Can't Get My Car On the Drive

[Gillesa]

Hi,

I have a bit of a problem with my driveway, as I can only get my car onto it by driving very slowly at a specific angle to avoid scraping the underside.

I have just put up with it since I moved in but I could really do with being able to drive straight onto it, so I want to try and do something about it (other than getting a higher car!)

The road is in a bit of a state, and my actual driveway is on a concrete pad that is raised up above the road. I had considered putting a load of gravel / hardcore or something down on the road to build it up around my driveway, but I don't know if this would look bad, if it will last, or if I am actually allowed to do that.

I can't just pour a bit of concrete right next to it to make a small slope because the middle of the car will scrape before the back wheels reach the slope, so the raised up area needs to spread out a bit beyond the kerb/step.

The road is a dead end by the way, so there isn't much traffic.

Any ideas?

Cheers.

IMG_20160908_075522

• Gillesa
• 8 Sep 2016

IMG_20160908_075533

• Gillesa
• 8 Sep 2016

 

[bernardgreen]

A lot will depend on whether planning consent was granted to create a parking area and who is responsible for the road way.

If the local council own the road then you could apply to the council's Highways Department for a dropped kerb to be installed.. This would be removal of the council's kerb stone(s) and ( with good will from the council ) removal ( planing down ) of some of the concrete to create a slope down to the road surface from the parking area.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I agree with some of that. Is that a private road? Looking the state of it if it's Public Highway then I'd be jumping up and down at the Highways Section of the Council to get it repaired. (Ask them to drop the kerb whilst they're on site. ) However, I doubt you'll plane down the concrete, only solution would be to remove it and relay drive to the correct levels.

If it's private, check who has responsibility. You may find you own the section in front of your property, in which case you are responsible for maintaining it, and on the upside, you could put a concrete ramp in against the kerb. Advise if you were to do that, lay the concrete on some heavy duty polythene. Means then its dead easy to remove at a later date if need be without damaging the surface underneath.

 

[Gillesa]

Embarrassingly, I don't actually know if it is privately maintained or not, I'll have to dig out the paperwork when I get home and have a look.

One of the neighbours a few doors down has actually already added a small concrete ramp, but unfortunately that wouldn't help much for me as the car will still bottom out before the back wheel reaches the ramp.

If it turns out to be my responsibility, is there any kind of gravel that I could just spread in the general area to build it up a bit that would work and not just scatter about after a couple of days? I'd probably have to try and match the colour too so it doesn't look horrendous (not that the road is pristine as it is anyway).

 

[charliegolf]

Gravel will act like a liquid after a short time, and spread to one stone's thickness. You will need to contain it within edges or rake it very regularly. The white car seems to have it easier- I'd be surprised if it is bottoming; and they have a gentle concrete run-out easing the kerb's effect significantly. Have you had a go on their drive?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Your car isn't lowered to the point it's only got about 1" ground clearance ?

 

[Gillesa]

Yes, the neighbours with the mini have it better, I would be able to get my car onto their drive if I tried, it just gets worse from about half way across my drive.

The neighbours on the other side have it just as bad as I do, it's just that their car is capable of driving up a kerb, and my stupid lowered car cannot! A gradual concrete slope would be ideal, but I don't know how easily I could blend that in to the rest of the road.

I have more than 1" of clearance, but it isn't a great deal more than that! I had the car before the house..

 

[charliegolf]

A barrow-load (or 2) of concrete spread reasonably neatly will suffer the same fate as the gravel (breaking and spreading), but would last a lot longer. I'd give it a go. I wouldn't worry about the road- its little more than a track, and adding concrete like the mini owner has done ain't gonna make it worse!

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Use a bit of strong concrete, (or a Grano mix may be even better), and provided the road is private, make yourself a ramp. Lowering the kerb wont help unless you lower the drive too. Probably worth painting the edges either side with bright yellow paint, just to make it a bit more obvious.....

 

[bernardgreen]

I have more than 1" of clearance, but it isn't a great deal more than that! I had the car before the house..

Have you considered increasing the ground clearance of the car ? ( maybe back to what it was ? ) There are some "normal" roads where a 2 inch clearance ( exhaust to ground ) can result in the exhaust being damaged / detached. One driver had to take his lowered car on a 9 mile diversion to avoid a level crossing that requires more ground clearance than his car had. There was also some doubt about it being legal / insured dus toi the changes he had made to the suspension

 

[geraldthehamster]

What happens when you encounter speed humps in the course of driving?

 

[tomfe]

What happens when you encounter speed humps in the course of driving?

You are going so fast you fly over them....
I think I am getting old

 

[Tigercubrider]

I think a mate paid about £800 to have his kerb lowered via the council.
Once it is done legally, nobody can park across your drive.

also, technically, you are driving on the pavement which is illegal.

Back in the day people just used to chuck shaped bit of timber in the gutter.

 

[Gillesa]

The car isn't horrendously low, I can get over speed bumps fine. The step is just bigger than a standard speed bump!

 

[^woody^]

If you own that driveway (hard standing) then you own the edging kerb at the end of it, and you can alter it yourself.

Whoever owns the access road, be it council or shared private, would not own that kerb