Surface water on driveway

Joined
30 Oct 2005
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Birmingham
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United Kingdom
Whenever it rains my neighbours drive holds standing water. Mine used to do it slightly until I re-gravelled it with thick gravel. I suggest him do the same but I think with the amount of water he gets it might not be enough.

Is it something simple as drilling loads of holes in the drive before re-gravelling or would it be best to get a kango on it first?

He is a pensioner and has a bad back so i'd do it for him.

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Thick gravel is a nightmare - it moves around and ain`t nice to walk on ( not with my gammy leg :wink: ) so for your pensioner neighbour - drill some holes first :idea:
 
Catlad is on the money. Are you certain its not got concrete or the remains of an old tarmac base under there?

Drilling holes will do no good, you need to rake back the gravel, loosen up the sub-base and add some more to remove the obvious dip and try and fall it towards a hedge or flowerbed. Then re-compact it and re-dress with gravel.

Piling more gravel on the top will as nige says be like wading through treacle and will not help at all.
 
The best bet is to create a slight camber so it runs off.
 
Once the ground is saturated the water will eventually lie as long as the shape of the ground allows.

Gravel is a rather dynamic covering that constantly needs re-shaping/maintaining or is constantly re-shaped by vehicles. What should be doing the work is a well prepped base, i.e. a decent thickness of stone or hard core. But even hard core will become impermeable eventually and suffer ponding should the contours of the drive allow.

If you have an area that is in a depression then the only solution is a drain gully draining into a soakaway regardless of what permeable materials are placed on top.

Granted, a good thickness of gravel will 'disguise' ponding but the sacrifice is that the surface is difficult to walk or cycle through.
 

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