Gravel Driveway

knipex

I have a house in a rural area that was built in the early 70's. The driveway was never done correctly and over the years it has had 3/4 down and decorative gravel spread on it. However after a couple of years it potholes and mud starts to come through after rain.

I want to do the drive correctly, scrape it back, put in a proper base and finish it. I really don't want a tarmac drive, it just wont blend in and to me looks terrible in a rural area. I will pave some of it (edges and just in front of the house) but would like to put down a nice gravel drive. The problem is that the drive slopes, I don't want ruts or have to rake it smooth every couple of weeks. I have seen a job which used gravel stabilizers and its great, easy to walk on, has no moved in the year it has been installed and looks great.

A Google search found me a few suppliers but pricing is astronomical. I have been quoted everything from €16 to €32 per m2..

Does anyone know of a more reasonably priced alternative ???

JuniorB

Do a search for tar and chip. Of the top of my head there were guideline prices on other threads of around €6 or €7 a sq meter. Will only last 3 or 4 years.

knipex

Spoke to a couple of people abut tar and chip.. They all told me to forget it. There isn't much space for turning so will be alot of 3 point turns. All told me it will be potholed in 6 months to a year..

By the way the €16 to €32 a meter is just for the supply of the grid.. I will be doing the base, laying the grid and filling with gravel.... Cobbles would work out much cheaper and is one of the alternatives...

CJhaughey

I saw gravel retaining sheets at a Roadstone place, it was called Coregravel. not sure of pricing but its handy stuff, there is a membrane already fitted under the plastic wells that stops weeds anchoring when they germinate, once you have a level base you just place the sheets and fill with gravel.
Not cheap I am sure but it allows water to filter through rather then just run off which can create its own problems with flooding in heavy rain.

ponddigger

hi us could plastic pallets instead of stabelizers,cost about 5 e each.area 1m by 1.2m

knipex

I got a price from roadstone (eventually) I sent a quote request, and rang them but no luck. Eventually called in and was given a stupid price per sheet which worked out at by far the most expensive price per meter. To be fair she just rattled out the price and size and mentioned the word "about" at least 3 times but after three attempts and a stupid quotation over twice the price of similar product I just walked away...

ponddigger wrote: »

hi us could plastic pallets instead of stabelizers,cost about 5 e each.area 1m by 1.2m

Now that's a good idea..