Driveway options? Peastone gravel or similar?

893bet

Trying to assess my options for finishing my drive.

As it stands it is 804 very well compacted. Like iron. I would say a reasonable depth with a minimum of 4 inches and potentially up to 8 inches in places. Ground conditions under the 804 would also be very good. 250-300Sq metres around 3 sides of my house.

I would love tarmac or cobble lock but realistically you would be looking at 6-7K upwards and potentially multiples.

I am considering 2-3 loads of "peastone" gravel 20-30mm and spreading it at a depth of 3-4 inches on top of the 804 as is. Realistically how will this work out?

Calahonda52

Nice house, well wear etc: what are the two big grills in gable?

IMO, any sort of loose stone is a disaster for any driveway that is in regular vehicular use.
That is my experience with clients who have done it.
Loose stone is also a nightmare with kids and lawnmowers.

Cobble lock for 300 sq meters is a remortgage job

Consider how much needs to be drivable able on regularly and deal with it differently.
What is the patio are in the second picture?

Re Atlantic Dawn's suggestion: the main exponents of this in my experience have been the unsettled community and it always shows.

[http://www.thejournal.ie/annelies-ilena-atlantic-dawn-ireland-coast-1886452-Jan2015/ ]

Atlantic Dawn

Have you looked at stamped concrete...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CAyBja7X2A

893bet

Calahonda52 wrote: »

Nice house, well wear etc: what are the two big grills in gable?

IMO, any sort of loose stone is a disaster for any driveway that is in regular vehicular use.
That is my experience with clients who have done it.
Loose stone is also a nightmare with kids and lawnmowers.

Cobble lock for 300 sq meters is a remortgage job

Consider how much needs to be drivable able on regularly and deal with it differently.
What is the patio are in the second picture?

Re Atlantic Dawn's suggestion: the main exponents of this in my experience have been the unsettled community and it always shows.

[http://www.thejournal.ie/annelies-ilena-atlantic-dawn-ireland-coast-1886452-Jan2015/ ]

The two grills are the MVHR in let and outlet. The patio area is just concrete with a brush finish. There is a single story off set to the main house at that side so we "squared" it off when doing the footpaths.

Concrete, imprinted or not is pretty expensive. There would be no change 6k. Might aswell Tarmac.

We have no kids so not worried about that. My father lives next door with a big yard so plenty of space of cycling bikes if it did happen.

Why would stones be an issue for lawnmower? Migration into the grass part making the grass difficult to cut?

It is a three car house so there would be a reasonable amount of traffic on the drive I guess!

Tefral

Ill be watching this thread with great interest.. at the same to and fro about what to do myself.

I like the idea of stamped concrete and you can rent the stamps yourself and with a couple of helpers you'd do alot in 2/3 days. But i also like the idea of stone chip (decorative) http://www.gardenfit.ie/gardenfit-products/

I have also looked at the stone stabilisers which are €15/m2 but its hard to hide the honeycomb showing through which annoys me greatly.

Calahonda52

893bet wrote: »

The two grills are the MVHR in let and outlet. The patio area is just concrete with a brush finish. There is a single story off set to the main house at that side so we "squared" it off when doing the footpaths.

Concrete, imprinted or not is pretty expensive. There would be no change 6k. Might aswell Tarmac.

We have no kids so not worried about that. My father lives next door with a big yard so plenty of space of cycling bikes if it did happen.

Migration into the grass part making the grass difficult to cut?

It is a three car house so there would be a reasonable amount of traffic on the drive I guess!

Thanks for answer re grills nice and neat
Why would stones be an issue for lawnmower?
I have broken two windows in my own house from this issue with a gravel path next to lawn:rolleyes:

Pkiernan

We had gravel, on couple thousand m2. for 4 houses. Nightmare in the end with weeds, potholes and displacement of the gravel.
Ended up getting a real tarmac contractor who put down proper base and 100mm road asphalt.
Never looked back, but cost was 35k.

Johnnyhpipe

If it was me I'd consider bredon gravel. Looks good and no problems with rutting. Don't know about costs though.

If you go for standard gravel, 40-50mm is more than enough or you'll be wheelspinning. More is not better. Definitely consider the roadstone coregravel stabilising sheet along with a weed barrier.

Tarmac for residential drives doesn't do it for me..

Lumen

Gravel is good for security, drains well (in theory) and looks nice if maintained.

I have been struggling with mine since last year, potholes on the access road and then migration, water pooling and unevenness on a sloped section. And grass and weeds.

Initially I thought of taking it off, new base, stabilisation grid and then new gravel. Got a quote for something like 14k. But then the gardener spent a couple of hours going over it with a steel rake and it was fine. 14k buys 18 years of raking at an €15/hr/week, and even with a stabilising/weed suppression sheet, nature will find a way eventually (see volcanic islands).

I considered Breedon gravel but I have a lot of leaf fall and most pictures of Breedon gravel (or similar) show nothing but grass anywhere near, which leads me to think it looks rubbish on a site which isn't totally tidy.