Gravel or block paving?

[dbaplaya]

I need to redo my drive which is about 25 years old and is tarmac.
Cost wise i guess chipped slate will be cheaper than paving blocks. Are there any negatives to using the slate on a maintenance side? I'm put off by block paving as some of the houses in the street have them and they are full of weeds and have sunk in places. also they seem a bit 1990's!
Im thinking of 40mm blue chipped slate - http://www.stonetohome.com/gbu0-prodshow/Blue+Slate+40mm+Decorative+Garden+Aggregate.html

 

[imamartian]

Block paving still looks ok... but you may need to pressure wash those weeds away (or spray 'em) every now and again.. Have you got kids? BP is so much better for kids to play on that gravel, tarmac, stone etc...

 

[dbaplaya]

no kids...yet!

if i was to lay the gravel drive myself what tools would i need? would a mini digger fetch the tarmac up or would a back-hoe be needed?

 

[ColJack]

for the love of whichever deity you worship, don't have gravel..
mine is and I'm forever having to brush the stuff back onto my drive from off the footpath..

it's a pain in the knees whe you're doing anyhing that requires you to kneel by the car ( cleaning the alloys, pumping up the tyres etc.. ) and it still gets weeds in it.

 

[dbaplaya]

do you think i would still get the problem with slate (chippings spilled onto the footpath)? its 40mm so quite chunky stuff.

thanks

 

[lasors]

Edge it with an attractive kerb if you can, ie. not a block soldier course at the same level, and it should hold the gravel in just fine. This is what we're doing for our new driveway, but it has been forced a little as we have no drains anywhere on the front of our property and a downpour would create a flood so we need permeability.

Oh and I wouldn't go for 40mm gravel, it's difficult to walk on and doesn't compact well so driving on it creates furrows. 20mm max would be better, roll or plate compact it.

 

[merlin50]

slate is very soft and can turn into dust, you will need stone chips.

 

[JohnD]

some people think gravel is pea shingle

it isn't, its a mixture of small stones, coarse sand, and a little clay to consolidate it (hoggin) rolled flat.

I happened to be working on a gravel drive recently, the original 100-year old gravel is still firm, but the pea shingle someone recently added on top is loose.

 

[imamartian]

cats love it too !!

 

[dbaplaya]

going back to my original question can anyone tell me if i oculd fetch the old tarmac up with a mini digger? what do the pro's use? a JCB or something like a pneumatic drill?