Quote Originally Posted by /pine View Post
Materials and conditions vary by geographical areas...however the OP stated he has an existing drive....your method seems to be on creating a new drive.

The purpose of "ripping" with scarifiers is to revive a drive without necessarily adding new gravel...the scarifiers allow you to redistribute the existing gravel (including fines) smoothly...over time, weather, gravity and traffic tends to push gravel into the earth regardless of the density of the base often creating muddy spots and potholes etc...scarifiers help bring the gravel back to the surface.

I have been maintaining about a 1/2 mile drive for over 40 years and have rarely had to add new gravel (maybe 3 to 4 times in that time span) mostly due to extreme storm water damage...using scarifiers and redistributing the existing gravel every couple to three years keeps the drive very acceptable without the cost of constantly adding new gravel.

I can see ripping thru it every three years especially if you get a storm that causes damage. I was referring to ripping the driveway frequently.
Yes I did describe putting in a new driveway but my emphasis was packing the base properly and grading will increase the durability of the driveway. Being a native of New Orleans I am familiar with soft ground, the materials just keep sinking.