Gravel Road Dust Control

[GaryM]

So this might be a new plan.

55 gal plastic barrel with top removed.
A fitting and valve installed hooked to a piece of pic hose tee'd into a 6' piece of pic pipe with drip holes and capped ends.
Mix the solution in the drum which is strapped into my fel.
Open the valve and drive down the road.
Profit!

 

[greenmojo]

So this might be a new plan.

55 gal plastic barrel with top removed.
A fitting and valve installed hooked to a piece of pic hose tee'd into a 6' piece of pic pipe with drip holes and capped ends.
Mix the solution in the drum which is strapped into my fel.
Open the valve and drive down the road.
Profit!

I like that.

 

[Citydude]

So this might be a new plan.

55 gal plastic barrel with top removed.
A fitting and valve installed hooked to a piece of pic hose tee'd into a 6' piece of pic pipe with drip holes and capped ends.
Mix the solution in the drum which is strapped into my fel.
Open the valve and drive down the road.
Profit!

Go for it. Sounds perfectly doable to me!

 

[ZAR2USA]

We've used discarded/used cooking oil on short sections of gravel road. It eliminated dust completely for several months and we found it bonded the dirt real well for a better base.

 

[GaryM]

Hey, use bacon grease. Smells good too!

 

[KiotiKowboy]

All this sounds interesting ...

I've got about 300 ft of dirt/gravel road in front of my house where I would like to control the dust.

Am I correct in assuming the calcium chloride is basically rock salt, or ice melt? How much would need to be dissolved per gallon for effective control, and how many square feet per gallon would this treat?

Thanks

 

[jeff9366]

When I worked in the wine industry in Mendocino County, California, we had a Masonite particle board plant nearby. They gave us, free, a liquid waste product that smelled like molasses, which we spread for dust control. It took several layers, applied from a tank truck by gravity flow, before it was really thick but held nicely for about a year before it required a maintenance coat.

Check for similar products near you.

 

[jeff9366]

All this sounds interesting ...

I've got about 300 ft of dirt/gravel road in front of my house where I would like to control the dust.

VATICAN CITY?!!

I am hugely impressed.

Are you trying to lay down marble dust? I am surprised you do not have a bi-directional Italian tractor for what must be tight quarters.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

VATICAN CITY?!!

I am hugely impressed.

LOL ... What? You think we aren't plagued by dirt roads here in the Vatican? Every time that blasted Pope Mobile goes by, the clouds of dust are almost unbearable.

 

[super55]

So this might be a new plan.

55 gal plastic barrel with top removed.
A fitting and valve installed hooked to a piece of pic hose tee'd into a 6' piece of pic pipe with drip holes and capped ends.
Mix the solution in the drum which is strapped into my fel.
Open the valve and drive down the road.
Profit!

I've spread Calcium Chloride on my dirt drive before and it does work well for keeping the dust down. I usually have mine sprayed professionally every other year or so because they use some type of compound that once soaked in almost creates a type of chipped asphalt surface that is much more durable to plowing.

Anyways back to the CaCl. They say the general recommendation is to use 3# of salt for every gallon of water. While the stuff does dissolve quite well it does take some work. I had issues with the stuff caking together. After mixing up about 5 gallons and not particularly happy at my progress I gave up on that venture.

I found my best results were to use a drop spreader instead of a broadcast since it allowed me to lay a heavier coat more evenly across the drive especially on the edges where most of the dust was without getting a bunch of salt on the lawn and killing the grass. I waited for a day that was going to just have a light/moderate rain for the better part of the day and spread it out. It worked quite well. I ended up using 5 bags of CaCl on a about a 150 yard drive.

I looked at that professional dust control products but the price and more so the cost of getting it shipped did not make it economical for me to go that route.