Drive way options for rural house

sas

What are the options for a rural house, does it really come down to tarmac or gravel\chippings?

Concrete\Mattcrete is out for me because I don't like the look. Paving sets are far too apartment blockish for me too.

I fancy gravel but was previously put off it here for maintenance reasons. Gravel stabilizers could help offset some of these reasons but they appear to be funny money.

So does it ultimately fall back to tarmac? I'm looking at approx 500m2 so naturally this affects choice too.

Thoughts?

kboc

sas wrote: »

What are the options for a rural house, does it really come down to tarmac or gravel\chippings?

Concrete\Mattcrete is out for me because I don't like the look. Paving sets are far too apartment blockish for me too.

I fancy gravel but was previously put off it here for maintenance reasons. Gravel stabilizers could help offset some of these reasons but they appear to be funny money.

So does it ultimately fall back to tarmac? I'm looking at approx 500m2 so naturally this affects choice too.

Thoughts?

crazy money. I got a price for this 2 years ago. no thanks

The black stuff always looks nice. but there are plenty of cowboys about in this particular area of building

BryanF

Preamble paving - may help reduce soakaways

sas

kboc wrote: »

crazy money. I got a price for this 2 years ago. no thanks

The black stuff always looks nice. but there are plenty of cowboys about in this particular area of building

Yeah, assuming you can find a reputable company it's probably best.

sas

BryanF wrote: »

Preamble paving - may help reduce soakaways

I assume you meant permeable paving. Going to be more expensive than tarmac for anything I'd be prepared to put down.

stock>

What length of drive are you looking at?
If the traffic load isn't heavy maybe consider using a properly graded base with a tar and chip cover, but like all roads will require some maintenance as ponding water is the main enemy of there road systems............

It is also possible to use a cement bound material laid with a paver but this system will require a week to reach a suitable strength for traffic.

Do-more

I don't know if it is available around you but my BIL in the UK did a long driveway in recycled tarmac/asphalt. It is basically blacktop removed from an old road surface which can't be recycled into new road surface. It is crushed into smaller chips then rolled and firmly compacted. It's quite a long time since I saw the driveway but from memory it was a decent enough surface although obviously not as smooth a a new laid tarmac driveway.

Might be worth enquiring if it can be got near you, you could possibly use it in combination with fresh tarmac directly in front of the house. I remember him saying that it was very inexpensive.

sas

stock> wrote: »

What length of drive are you looking at?
If the traffic load isn't heavy maybe consider using a properly graded base with a tar and chip cover, but like all roads will require some maintenance as ponding water is the main enemy of there road systems............

It is also possible to use a cement bound material laid with a paver but this system will require a week to reach a suitable strength for traffic.

Approx 580m2 in play here.

Have hard that tar and chip is quite rough.

sas

Do-more wrote: »

I don't know if it is available around you but my BIL in the UK did a long driveway in recycled tarmac/asphalt. It is basically blacktop removed from an old road surface which can't be recycled into new road surface. It is crushed into smaller chips then rolled and firmly compacted. It's quite a long time since I saw the driveway but from memory it was a decent enough surface although obviously not as smooth a a new laid tarmac driveway.

Might be worth enquiring if it can be got near you, you could possibly use it in combination with fresh tarmac directly in front of the house. I remember him saying that it was very inexpensive.

Never heard of this. Wouldn't know what to even look for to be honest.

I've a lead on something right now on tarmac that would definitely fall within my definition of value for money. I'm going to explore this and see where it takes me.

Markcheese

Gravel... Probably river gravel rather than limestone chips (I think it looks better),when my dad put down his driveway 20 something years ago he compacted a layer of hardcore and then( about 5 years later) put Chips on top ..
I'd put a geo textile in between to block any weeds. a deep layer of gravel from the start and you won't have any trouble . And won't have any drainage issues either ...way cheaper and you get that lovely tyres going over deep gravel noise....( you can tell I don't like tarmac)

secman

Put a gravel one down 3 years ago, turned out cheaper than tarmac;

Dust stone €250
Gravel €2,500 ( 40 ton)
Hire Roller/compactor €500 (weekend)
Labour €600 ( 2 men for 2 days)
Dump truck €250 ( including 2 day labour)
Mini digger €250 ( including 2 day labour)

Total cost €4,350,

My cousin got a similar area, driveway and around back of house done at the same time , it cost €6,500 and like most tarmac, not weathering very well.

Every weekend I do a walk about, outside the gates , up the driveway, around the house and back down the driveway, any visible weeds are immediately pulled out and never given a chance to take.

Still looks the biz

Secman

Possedion

in my old house I had a tarmac drive way, went pretty horrible after a few years. Moss weeds, holes starting to develop after heavy winters.
Regretted not sticking with gravel.

sas

Biggest concern I have with gravel is that I've young kids and cycling etc is very difficult if there is any depth of it at all. They've had enough upheaval with the move, I want them to be able to play etc and a hard smooth surface offers alot more on this basis.

I've yet to get anyone out to quote though so money could ultimately dictate.

I apprecaite the time people have taken to reply.

Annabella1

Just finished our driveway
Did tar and chip on driveway and stone around the house ( same colour stone)...looks smashing and the kids are having a ball on their bikes
Got a few quotes.
All the companies said that the price of tar is quite high due to oil prices

stock>

Markcheese wrote: »

Gravel...
I'd put a geo textile in between to block any weeds.

This is a misnomer if you tip a load of gravel in a yard after a period of time weed grow on top of it.


Based on the sq meters you saying 580sqm
Dig it out to a depth of 225mm, if the ground is good and you are not running 40ton + loads on it then place 150mm of Pencil/slig or what ever is called in your area,you can also use pit run but bear in mind that if you use 150mm down then you have to work in 150mm layers minimum.
Also screened stone is more expensive than excavated stone.
Back to slig or pencil, this material breaks down under the track of the excavator (dependent on size)or roller. Again we must look at the ground, if you are rolling it, then after the year we have had,you must put in teram (geotextile) and be careful not to over roll it. If you are tracking it with the excavator then the machine need to be 13ton or more to be effective but you won't need teram.
So now you have your base in then I would put lime stone down, if you have kiddies cycling on it it needs to be smooth or at least have small chip.
So cl804 will have stone chips from 25mm to dust but these stone will rise to the surface as the smaller one's settle in to the dust.
Your best option is to get a loads of cl804 put in on top of the slig and then a load of screenings to finish the job.
For a couple of weeks until the screenings settle your wife will be at her wits end with limedust but that all it will be.
The screenings can "pancake" if rolled too much when wet.

Last March I top-dressed my drive with cl804 and now it's has all the chips proud which is what I wanted.


Pencil/ Slig
580sqm x .150= 87cuM x1.8(approx stone density/ton)=156.6 ton/ 20(approx lorry load) approx equals 8 loads @€;150/ load = €1200

Cl804 & screenings
580 x 75mm = 43cuM @ €11.58/cuM = €498

excavator hire for 13ton is €38/hr = vat.
roller about €150/day +delivery and diesel.

PM me your location

sas

Hi,

For those of you that have gravel driveways, would any of you be willing to post a photo so I could have some idea what we're talking about?

SAS

stock>

Fresh laid Cl804


Pit run......