Gravel Path

[eob]

Hello all,
I moved into a house with a mono-bloc driveway for two cars. The driveway is only wide enough for a vehicle and over the winter the grass has been worn down by stepping out of the cars.
We have a baby due in August and this will not be an ideal situation when a pram is involved.

I got a quote for wideing the drive by 3 feet either side and it came out at over £2k.

The monobloc is herring-bone with a straight edge and I was thinking about creating another straight edge with the same colour of brick 3 feet out and filling in between with pebbles and putting stepping stone type slabs up the middle.
Is it Ok to just put down a membrane or will I have to put down some sort of compacted course before the pebbles?

Cheers.

 

[Thermo]

are you planning to drive on it or just use it for foot traffic?

 

[eob]

It will only be used for foot traffic. The cars will remain on the drive.

I don't have to do both sides but when I clean the cars the grass gets very muddy and the water hangs about for a while. When it rains it becomes messy.

 

[Thermo]

a compacted course would be better, but if your time and budget is limited (and we have a baby on the way in the next month so believe me if you think times limited now just wait!) then a decent layer of gravel on a good quality geotextile membrane will be ok for foot traffic

 

[Dewy]

One thing to note about a loose gravel path is that you will hear it crunching underfoot when anyone walks on it.
This should alert you to anyone approaching the house.
Burglars hate being announced like that.
Annual weeds seed readily in gravel but can be pulled out easily or give it a yearly dose of a simazine weedkiller (path clear) which prevents germination for 6 months.

 

[wreckedit]

I tried that burglar walking on gravel thing and only if listening through the letter box could my partner hear me. So, in order to fool her I lined some old snow shoes with foam back carpet and made the sound of the wind blowing. That did it !!!! Because I was able to sneak up to her and boo! through the box. She was so astonished that for the first time in 20 years she made me a cup of tea ( I normally drink coffee). I know this story sounds a bit far fetched but it was true. She made me a cup of tea. I didn't do the burglary bit after that because I would have not been able to do a quick get away. What with the gammy leg and my old age I would have felt a bit handicapped.

 

[2scoops0406]

I tried that burglar walking on gravel thing and only if listening through the letter box could my partner hear me. So, in order to fool her I lined some old snow shoes with foam back carpet and made the sound of the wind blowing. That did it !!!! Because I was able to sneak up to her and boo! through the box. She was so astonished that for the first time in 20 years she made me a cup of tea ( I normally drink coffee). I know this story sounds a bit far fetched but it was true. She made me a cup of tea. I didn't do the burglary bit after that because I would have not been able to do a quick get away. What with the gammy leg and my old age I would have felt a bit handicapped.

The visualisation of that is quite compelling