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Gravel driveway

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  • 22-12-2014 11:47pm
    #1
    Elsie161211
    Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭


    Hi, going to start putting down a gravel driveway soon and have been told to put these rolls of underlay down first to prevent weeds. It's quite expensive. Is it any good? Will it not just rip go bits when the trucks start tipping the stone onto it?

    Thanks in advance
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    #2
    Kenajonn
    Registered Users Posts: 47 ✭Kenajonn


    This will be of no use to you. Most weeds come from airborne seeds and no membrane will stop these.
    Twice a year with roundup will keep your drive clear.
    Good luck with your new drive.

    Happy Christmas and New Year


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    #3
    homer911
    Registered Users Posts: 5,113 ✭✭✭homer911


    Kenajonn wrote: »
    This will be of no use to you. Most weeds come from airborne seeds and no membrane will stop these.
    Twice a year with roundup will keep your drive clear.
    Good luck with your new drive.

    Happy Christmas and New Year

    +1

    I'd be more concerned about preparing the ground - If you can, put down plenty of hardcore first and get it well rollered, otherwise cars will just compress your gravel and you'll have to redo it


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    #4
    yllw.ldbttr
    Registered Users Posts: 1,553 ✭✭✭yllw.ldbttr


    Sorry to piggyback on the thread but I recently bought a house that has a gravel driveway and lots of weeds coming through.

    There's also a well on site so I've been told to avoid chemical weed killer for fear of contaminating my own water supply. Any truth in this or is it exaggeration?
    Are there any not chemical alternatives to weed killer?


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    #5
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,370 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    What type of ground is it going on. Heavy soil? Stoney - gravelly?


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    #6
    Elsie161211
    Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭Elsie161211


    Thanks for the responses. It's soft ground so I plan on putting down a good layer of large stone first, either 4" or 6". I'm gonna let all the trucks and machines drive over it for the duration of the build and then put a layer of 804 on top to finish it off


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    #7
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,370 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    Elsie161211 wrote: »
    Thanks for the responses. It's soft ground so I plan on putting down a good layer of large stone first, either 4" or 6". I'm gonna let all the trucks and machines drive over it for the duration of the build and then put a layer of 804 on top to finish it off

    That's a good plan. A small bit of quarry dust on top and scattered out is a great job for binding the whole thing together


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    #8
    st1979
    Registered Users Posts: 936 ✭✭✭st1979


    yllw.ldbttr wrote:
    There's also a well on site so I've been told to avoid chemical weed killer for fear of contaminating my own water supply. Any truth in this or is it exaggeration? Are there any not chemical alternatives to weed killer?


    complete exaggeration. all farmers have Wells on land and they would still spray. and it would be more toxic stuff than roundup. you just keep a bit away from the well.


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    #9
    cocoman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,105 ✭✭✭cocoman


    yllw.ldbttr wrote: »
    Sorry to piggyback on the thread but I recently bought a house that has a gravel driveway and lots of weeds coming through.

    There's also a well on site so I've been told to avoid chemical weed killer for fear of contaminating my own water supply. Any truth in this or is it exaggeration?
    Are there any not chemical alternatives to weed killer?

    Talk to chemical manufacturers for advice. Material safety data sheet for the chemical will provide assistance aswell.


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    #10
    BryanF
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 10,140 Mod ✭✭✭✭BryanF


    st1979 wrote: »
    complete exaggeration. all farmers have Wells on land and they would still spray. and it would be more toxic stuff than roundup. you just keep a bit away from the well.
    how far away?


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    #11
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,370 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    BryanF wrote: »
    how far away?

    Spray only really penetrates the leaf of the plant. Very little if any gets into the soil that's why there has to be no rain for upto 3 hrs after spraying in order for it not to be washed away


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    #12
    gctest50
    Registered Users Posts: 9,605 ✭✭✭gctest50


    BryanF wrote: »
    how far away?

    far as possible ?
    Capel said glyphosate, the key ingredient in "Roundup" herbicide, was found in every stream sample examined in Mississippi in a two-year period and in most air samples taken. Tests were also done in Iowa.
    "So people are exposed to it through inhalation," said Capel.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/31/us-glyphosate-pollution-idUSTRE77U61720110831


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    #13
    elperello
    Registered Users Posts: 14,378 ✭✭✭✭elperello


    You can burn off the weeds using a blowtorch device attached to a gas cylinder. It's the type of blowtorch used on felt roofing. Sometimes they are on offer in Lidl. It's a bit more bother but you won't be worrying about the water.


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    #14
    kellymick39
    Site Banned Posts: 180 ✭✭kellymick39


    Obviously nobody here has ever heard of a landscapers rake and giving the gravel a quick rake every few months.Its not that hard to do and its also keeps a nice fresh colour on the gravel too.Mypex is used for any deep root weeds and plants that may be still under the gravel and that may in future come back to life and come up through any hardcore,sharp sand and gravel surface.If you are worried about stability and load bearing issues than install Nidagravel frames and then rake your stone or gravel in over them.This will give you a lovely clean finish that a 30 tonne truck can drive accross and you wont get any ruts or sinking in the gravel.

    http://www.nidagravel.eu/ieen/site/faq-categories.aspx

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S0JAeCc9_k


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    #15
    braddun
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭braddun


    gravel driveway will wreck your car


    hard to walk on


    child cant play on it


    as for weeds just pull them out


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    #16
    kellymick39
    Site Banned Posts: 180 ✭✭kellymick39


    Also make sure to use correct sub base so that you allow heavy rainwater and surface water to pass through and not waterlog or pond the area and cause flooding.


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    #17
    kellymick39
    Site Banned Posts: 180 ✭✭kellymick39


    braddun wrote: »
    gravel driveway will wreck your car


    hard to walk on


    child cant play on it


    as for weeds just pull them out

    Post 14 addresses all those points.


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    #18
    Elsie161211
    Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭Elsie161211


    Hi,

    Does anyone have experience with using railway sleepers as kerbs for your driveway. . Will they last for a long time without having to be removed?
    Can they rot?
    Do they get very slippy?
    I'm looking at the new ones you can buy as opposed to the old reclaimed ones.
    Any advice would be great

    Thanks in advance


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    #19
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,370 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    Elsie161211 wrote: »
    Hi,

    Does anyone have experience with using railway sleepers as kerbs for your driveway. . Will they last for a long time without having to be removed?
    Can they rot?
    Do they get very slippy?
    I'm looking at the new ones you can buy as opposed to the old reclaimed ones.
    Any advice would be great

    Thanks in advance
    I don't think they would last too long compared to concrete kerbs and yes they do get slippery when wet


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    #20
    Elsie161211
    Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭Elsie161211


    Thanks


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