Looking for idea on inexpensive driveway finishes


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Old 03-12-13, 05:28 PM
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Looking for idea on inexpensive driveway finishes

Hey Guys,

So spring is approaching and one of my top priorities for this year is to do something about our driveway. It's an old gravel driveway and I wouldnt mind it so much if it werent for all the mud when it rains and the fact that its un-even and doe'snt drain properly. Plus in the winter its a pain to shovel a gravel driveway.

I dont have a ton of money to blow so looking for a inexpensive solution to get the driveway eaven, graded properly and mud free.

I had considered the recycled shreaded asphalt but then I'd have to find somewhere that rents steam rollers and I live in a small town a hour away from the nearest big city.

Any thoughts?
 
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Old 03-12-13, 06:00 PM
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Small town doesn't provide a lot of options. I've seen both the recycled asphalt and stone dust used, but both were local products, so trucking costs were minimal. The other problem is the mud. If you don't have a good base, whatever you put down may simply push into the mud.

Now, if you want to get strange, I've seen canvas used. And in another location, they had access to the material used in paper mills. It's like a canvas and they discard a bunch every time they replace the huge belt upon which the wood pulp is pressed into paper.

I'm out of ideas!

Bud
 
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Old 03-12-13, 09:06 PM
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A few truckloads of crushed gravel, and a few hours' work by a good blade (motor grader) man, and you'd be in business for a few years. Additional compaction may or may not be needed, depending on subgrade condition, the gradation of material used and the skill of the blade operator.

And good luck trying to find "steam rollers" anywhere, except possibly in a museum. They haven't been made in the last 100+ years or so. The current machine of choice is the vibratory (compacting) roller.
 
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Old 03-13-13, 10:34 AM
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Thanks guys, I'll have to see whts in the area.

Bridgeman, what is this blade and can you rent them? I'm not big ony paying people to do things I can do myself.

As for the steam roller, yea yea, everyone still calls them a steam roller.
 
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Old 03-13-13, 12:44 PM
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A blade is simply a motor grader, consisting of a long, motorized chassis having a blade which both rotates and raises/lowers. Look under "equipment rental" to find the going rate in your area if you really want to go this route. Rental rates usually start in the $300 to $400 a day range, but if you don't have the skills to operate one, you will quickly do more damage than good. Probably easier to master the skills a small dozer requires instead. Whichever route you go, it would be better to hire the machine with a skilled operator already included.
 
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Old 03-13-13, 03:23 PM
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Do you have any neighbors with a tractor? I use the scraper blade on my tractor all the time to maintain my 1/4 mile long driveway.
 
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Old 03-13-13, 05:44 PM
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Well, I mean, my driveway's not that big, its a regular driveway, fits maybe 3 cars so I think a tractor may be a bit mutch.

Couldnt I just rake it out and go over it with one of thoes vibrating dirt compactors or something?

My only concern with using gravel again is in the winter most of it is gonna ned up on my lawn when I shovel so I dont really think that will be the best solution.

Maybe I need to post some ads to see if anyone around here has any sort of material I could use.
 
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Old 03-14-13, 04:17 AM
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You shouldn't need more than 1 truckload of gravel. The driver should be able to spread it as he dumps it providing there aren't any tree limbs or electrical wires in the way. You can fine tune it with a rake and shovel. I suppose a vibrating compactor would work ok although I've never tried it.

Unless you can figure out a way to lay concrete or pave it with asphalt, shoveling up gravel along with the snow is always going to be an issue

Is there anyway to fix the drain issue? You'll want to fill in the low spots with dirt or gravel.
 
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Old 03-14-13, 05:58 AM
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Before you place your order, talk with your supplier, tell them your concerns, and ask what they carry that may work best for you. In my area anyway, you can buy pretty much anything you want, including mixes such as something that most of the guys refer to as a "road" or "driveway" mix, which contains a mixture of larger stones, smaller stones, and clay, which I understand to work as a manner of binding agent. I work, manicure, whatever you want to call it, mine 4, 5, maybe 6 times a year, with the tractor and blade, as Mark described, and my goal is to maintian loose gravel on top, because even though it does require raking some of it out of the yard every spring, I like the looks of it better and it's easier to maintain, hence fewer high and low spots. Therefore, already having an established driveway, when I add gravel, I want just plain gravel, but all larger stuff, with no smalls and no clay. In your case, since you prefer it packed, maybe you want to order something other than just plain "gravel".
 
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Old 03-14-13, 09:53 AM
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Hmm I'll have to see if there are any quarries or graval pits around here that would offer some sort of a mix. Some mind of biding agent in the gravel would be great if that were possible.

Luckly I just built a fence last year and have all the dirt/clay I dug up from the post holes which might be just enough to level out the drivway and fill in the depressions.
 
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Old 03-14-13, 02:41 PM
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They should have gravel that hasn't been cleaned, the rock dust in the gravel helps to 'glue' it together. I like to use crusher run - I think it's the same stuff that is called 'road mix' in other areas.
 
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Old 03-14-13, 04:25 PM
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Well, doing some reaseach there seems to be some treatments, like Gravel Lok, you can apply to the gravel to lock it together and make like a hard surface out of it so that might be the way to go.
 
 

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