Gravel driveway - what type and how much of it..

[danp]

Just moved house and the new driveway is rather mucky, doesn't look like it's been had any gravel on it for a while...

I've just looking at either pea shingle (10mm) or the bigger stuff (20mm)... suspect 20mm is better as:

- more likely to stay put
- won't get stuck so easily in tyres/shoes
- leaf blower/sucker won't affect it so much (there are lots of trees surrounding)

I have calculated the area at around 300sq/m

Don't want it to look like a beach/have big ruts where the cars plough through.

A quick google indicates should be around 5-6cm deep (which seems too deep to me - but that was a gravel shop!)

I'd reckon on an inch and a bit?

So how much do I need? (I have a number but would quite like some second opinions!)

(Wickes/local supplier do 850Kg bags for around £45)

Thanks, Dan

PS I'll probably stick with gravel as it would be a big job to put in tarmac/something else, and not sure it would suit the situation as much.

PPS No there is no membrane underneath, a "friend" did suggest I scrape up the existing gravel and put one down first, but I don't fancy that ;-)

[blueg33]

In my experience

The bigger stuff is better
5-6 cm is about as thick as you want to go, power steering is good a digging it up
Buy from a quarry, Wickes is an expensive way to do it

Edited by blueg33 on Tuesday 31st January 15:36

[Happy Jim]

Membrane is pointless over that sort of area, hose pipe weedkiller attachement twice a year will take care of that stuff.

If the base is solid then 1 to 1.5" of Gravel (I'm going for 14-20mm currently over a similar area.

You might want to work out the volume of Gravel you need though - I'd guess you would be getting on for 18 Tonne...which would be a grab load and therefore considerably cheaper than 1 tonne bags.

[cuneus]

As said ~20mm

If you get a nice lorry person they will tip as they move - saves a lot of effort!

Bacon sarnie and a coffee helps with the above.

[UnderTheRadar]

My gravel driveway is a muddy mess. It's a bit more tricky because the previous owners did top it up regularly but the level is now up to the top of the retaining curbs. Because of clay and no membrane the clay just seeps up. One of the guys I had out to look at it said that also the problem was that the gravel was local soft stone that had crushed (looks to be true) and he reccommended granite gravel that didn't crush.

I'm bookmarking this so I can work out what to do with mine

Edited by UnderTheRadar on Tuesday 31st January 18:06

[timbobalob]

We're looking at replacing our knackered old concrete driveway with gravel this year - definitely go for the larger gravel option as small pea shingle will get caught in your car tyres and fall out all up the road! Also ladies heels/bike wheels will dig in.

These guys seemed quite competitive:

http://www.onlinegravel.co.uk/gravel-driveways.htm

Our driveway is also on a slope, so we'll be using this stuff:

http://www.gridforce.co.uk/ground-reinforcement-us...

Also the below is always worth a read!:

http://www.pavingexpert.com/

Hope these help

[bigee]

Make sure you choose a 'hard' gravel,not one likely to be crushed with use (such as Cotswold gravel..) also try to choose an 'angular' gravel and not 'rounded'....angular (like granite) will tend to lock together whereas rounded gravel will tend to be more fluid.

[Jonnas]

I've just put down 20t of 20mm on my drive. Worked out at £19.80/t from the local aggregate place.

I'm also now paying for it with a very very sore back.......

[danp]

Thanks for the replies.. so sounds like I want:

- 20mm gravel
- angular
- an inch and a bit deep... lets say 3cm
- to ring round a few suppliers (£20 a tonne is well under half of Wickes)

So does 16 tonnes sound about right?

http://decorativeaggregates.com/gravel_calculator....

Think I'll have a gravel spreading party, bring your own rake.

[m3jappa]

The right way to do the job is to excavate to around 8-10" put down and compact well proper m.o.t type 1. Crushed concrete will suffice but type 1 will stay put much better. Then put down you 20mm gravel at around 30-40mm deep. If its very light traffic over it and the ground is good underneath then you will get away with maybe 5-6" excavation.

Trust me its much nicer to drive over that that 6" of stone.

Just continually going on top will initially tidy it up but will end up like a sea of stone that the car and you sink into everytime you use it. If its clay underneath too its even worse, and the weeds will be more of a job to maintain as well.

The really nice and right way is to do what i initially said but have a nice block border to retain the gravel so its not flowing into beds and the road, but obviously that more work.

As a guide 1 ton of aggregate will cover 10m2 at 2" deep.

[pikeyboy]

Try granite chippings instead of the gravel and a sub base is a very good idea

[wolf1]

I did roughly 250m2 and used 20 tonnes

[Spudler]

Dont dismiss South Cerney Stone, works very well on drives.
http://www.stonesupplies.co.uk/Product_Detail.php?...

50-60 is more than enough, i'd go less.

[Henry-F]

Absolutely essential to sort out the sub base. If its soft then all you're going to do is push gravel into it and the mud will rise up again in no time. One trick is to mix some cement into the type 1 as you lay it (having first removed the soft top layer).

I'm actually a fan of 10mm pea shingle (gravel). A lorry load is 20 tonnes. If you order less you'll probably still pay the same as a 20 tonne load. I think Hansons did my last lot for somewhere around 12-14 a tonne. Price will vary with location and what's quarried locally. Be lead by the surroundings. Granite chippings will cost blood in some parts of the country and be free with cornflakes in other places.

You definitely don't want to buy in bags. A 1 tonne bag goes nowhere on your sort of area!

Finally think about hiring a digger driver for the day and a vibrating roller if you need to do the type 1 sub base.

All the best

Henry

[markbigears]

I'm with Henry. I've just laid a long gravel drive down, only way to do it is dig out, type 1.compact and thin layer of gravel on top. I also layed thick industrial weed barrier down before the MOT. I have 10mm gravel and it dosen't get stuck in the treads and looks by far nicer than the larger 20mm stuff, less council estate and more country manor

Edited by markbigears on Wednesday 1st February 10:23

[MOTORVATOR]

UnderTheRadar said:

My gravel driveway is a muddy mess. It's a bit more tricky because the previous owners did top it up regularly but the level is now up to the top of the retaining curbs. Because of clay and no membrane the clay just seeps up. One of the guys I had out to look at it said that also the problem was that the gravel was local soft stone that had crushed (looks to be true) and he reccommended granite gravel that didn't crush.

I'm bookmarking this so I can work out what to do with mine

Edited by UnderTheRadar on Tuesday 31st January 18:06

Oolitic limestone at a guess. Looks great when you first put it down but frost will destroy it and the hardness isn't sufficient to stop it grinding itself up. The more it grinds up into silt fraction the more water it soaks up and around the cycle you go.

I won't explain the mess it ends up looking as I think you already know.

[tim0409]

We used a product called cedagravel - the grid system with its own membrane as previously mentioned - it works really well and cars tend to "sit" on the gravel rather than sink in. Not cheap, but worth it.

[BuzzLightyear]

We used "Nidagravel" system which is like a honeycomb design on a porous membrane.

It does add to the cost at first but is very low maintenance (weeds grow on top a bit but pull out easily), the gravel stays put and you can walk or wheel things (wheelbarrow, wheelie bins etc) over the top of it without getting bogged down.

Definitely worth the investment IMHO.