Last year I built a 20'x20' deck on the back of my house at my wife's request. I did a great job and although my Ford F-150 played no part in my deck project, my F-150 looked great the entire time I was building the deck.

Now that my wife knows I can build stuff, she has dreamed up all kinds of projects. Before I am overwhelmed with her new projects I need to finish a stone driveway. It will be bordered by treated 8x8s.

What should I use for the driveway surface? Rounded River Stone? White Stone? Gravel or Sheeting? Don't want to use asphalt or concrete. What works best and holds up?

Thanks.

TonyM.

 

Being born and raised on a farm with a built-up (3'-0") 1/4 mile driveway, my Pop tried everything.

What ended up being the best as far as traction, and not sinking into the earth and getting rutted was....................wait for it.....................cinder ash.

Every sort of stone he tried would eventually disappear into the ground.

Not as pretty as what the landscape companies sell, but worked the best.

 

Rounded river stone cobbles look cool but are pain to walk on and clean. If your wife wears heels, she will hate you for it. They are also a pain to install since they have to be set in concrete to make them stay put. They are durable, though.

Any type of loose gravel will eventually rut and scatter. It is also hard to walk on and is a bitch to clean. Imagine trying to remove snow from gravel or cobbles.

Stone dust packs fairly well and doesn't rut as readily but it still doesn't hold up very well over time

Flat stone looks nice, is easy to walk on, is very durable, and is fairly easy to clean (although snow is still a bit of a pain). The down side is it is expensive and a pain to install since it has to be trimmed to fit.

Best is concrete brick or pavers (don't use clay construction brick; it won't hold up). It comes in a variety of shapes and colors (some even emulate stone). It is durable, easy to install, easy to walk on, and is easy to clean, including snow.

No matter what surface you put down, you have to prepare the ground properly. All topsoil has to be removed. Depending how far down the frost line in your area is and how permeable your soil is, you may have to dig further down. Packed gravel goes on top of the dirt to allow for drainage and to help stabilize the surface. Some peopel also advocate using stone dust as a base because it packs so well. Screeded sand goes on top of the base to serve as a base for the pavers. After the pavers go in, sand is swept into the cracks and watered in to help lock in the pavers. There is a treated sand available that has a water activated binder that is even better than plain sand for locking in the pavers.

Your best bet is to check with several of the hoime improvement centers or stone and masonary outlets in your area for recommendations of what will work best for your area. Your local building department will also be able to let you know what you need when you apply for the permit. Permits are a pain but will prevent problems later. It would be a bit annoying to be told to rip out your work because it doesn't meet code and/or you didn't get a permit.

 

you could always do exposed aggregate concrete

 

stamped concrete!!

 

Stone driveways are a PITA if you ask me. Im a big fan of a relatively new product called pervious concrete.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScsQYHMfabU

 

That concrete looked spalled in one spot early on. I wonder how well it will hold up over time, especially if it gets wet, then freezes?

 

If your going with stone, use 21AA Limestone. It bridges well.

 

Since the concrete doesn't retain or pool water, it doesnt spawl like regular concrete. Also, any snow that melts goes through the concrete, so it doesnt re-freeze into ice on top of the concrete.

 

The water that passes through the concrete has to go somewhere. If the soil (such as clay) under the concrete and the gravel bed it rests on doesn't drain fast enough, it will pool back up into the concrete and that can freeze. Also, dirt will eventually wash into the pores, causing drainage to be blocked which could allow water to be retained in the concrete which can freeze, cracking the concrete or spalling it. I also have concerns for the compressive strength with all the voids in the concrete. Time will tell how it works out.

 

Go with thumb size crusher run material (1") and spread it thick at 4-6" roll it down with a lawn roller and enjoy.. Cheap easy thing, maybe 12 bucks a ton... and it looks good.

also the limestone was a goood suggestion... but maybe pricy

 

Also, if your on clay, you need to get the clay table right, then notch it and use perforated pipe and pea-stone to carry the water, if you have to. No place to drain ? Then dig a dry well were there's the least amount of traffic and rout drainage (No traffic is best). If you have any kind of run off or free board, you won't need that large of dry well to keep the water from building underneath. You want to get rid of organic material first of course, at least the highly concentrated type as in Top soil. There's different types of Limestone, it's rated in "wash" I believe. Depends on where your at and what's offered.

 

Thanks to all who replied.

TM