Gravel Driveway Do-Over Advice

[Cord]

Knowing the look of your property and your region; I'd recommend using granite edging over the timber. The granite will last way longer and withstand the plows better. If you could find reclaimed curbing, that would be perfect.

 

[jadefox]

I have to assume your 3/8 crushed and 3/4" crushed stone options are uniform size and dont contain fines. (your 1" minus would have fines and pack well).

the stuff with fines and packs well is typically a "dusty" surface and tracks in on your boots. But packs in and once rained on a few times becomes like concrete.

The 3/4" and 3/8" stuff is not a compacting gravel, and is ever moving/loose. Nice for re-grading and maintaining, but sucks for plowing.

Based off the single pic, the drive dont look bad at all. If it was mine, I'd spray to kill the green stuff, give it a few weeks, then top dress the drive. Either LIGHTLY with the box blade/rippers, or with a landscape rake. If at that point, you so desire a top coat, Then top coat it with a THIN layer of whatever you choose.

I'd forgo the landscape timbers. Almost like they arent treated lumber, as they are usually rotten to nothing in just a few years. And really look like crap after a year or two.

Thanks. We're committed to some barrier between drive and lawn. What do you suggest?

 

[jadefox]

What LD1 said is exactly what I do. A 1.5 gallon weed sprayer with 3 oz. of Glyphosate (roundup) at 41% concentration works great. Walk a straight line spraying the edge on a calm day. Set up a string line if you need to, to help get that straight edge and forget about the wood boarder. I spray every month during the summer to keep the white rock from turning green.

I think we're committed to the edging in order to separate lawn from drive (both from standpoint of keeping rock out of the lawn and for the purpose of defining new flower beds. If not landscape timber, what would you suggest?

 

[jadefox]

Knowing the look of your property and your region; I'd recommend using granite edging over the timber. The granite will last way longer and withstand the plows better. If you could find reclaimed curbing, that would be perfect.

That was our first thought, but budget. :-(

 

[jadefox]

Pave it and be done with it! But then you won't be able to "play" with your tractor.

Regards, Fred

We already decided paving was out.

 

[bigtiller]

I think we're committed to the edging in order to separate lawn from drive (both from standpoint of keeping rock out of the lawn and for the purpose of defining new flower beds. If not landscape timber, what would you suggest?

Sorry, I got nothing, short of a concrete curb with some rebar to try to hold it together. I think the snowplow or mother nature will destroy just about anything else.

 

[Cord]

I've seen curbs built using bricks positioned in the soldier position or laid down at a 45 angle with good results. Building a good base is critical and setting them is labor intensive, but they look great.

 

[joeyd]

I used basalt rocks about head size and smaller as a border. I followed the contour of the driveway, I think it gives the border a natural look, my way of not having to place them exactly in line. My gravel stays out of the bark and visa versa. I stay a foot or so away when plowing in the winter and if I move them (another reason for the natural look) they are easy to move back in the spring. The small amount of gravel I do get in the bark is easy to hide by raking the bark over it. It would be a little different for grass but much better than what you have now. I would recommend a shallow trench about 2" (round pt shovel wide)along the driveway to set the stones into to help hold them in place. Granted I am not a professional landscaper or mason but where I live only my wife and our visitors see it.

 

[jadefox]

I used basalt rocks about head size and smaller as a border. I followed the contour of the driveway, I think it gives the border a natural look, my way of not having to place them exactly in line. My gravel stays out of the bark and visa versa. I stay a foot or so away when plowing in the winter and if I move them (another reason for the natural look) they are easy to move back in the spring. The small amount of gravel I do get in the bark is easy to hide by raking the bark over it. It would be a little different for grass but much better than what you have now. I would recommend a shallow trench about 2" (round pt shovel wide)along the driveway to set the stones into to help hold them in place. Granted I am not a professional landscaper or mason but where I live only my wife and our visitors see it.

View attachment 473862 View attachment 473863

Looks nice!

 

[jadefox]

I've seen curbs built using bricks positioned in the soldier position or laid down at a 45 angle with good results. Building a good base is critical and setting them is labor intensive, but they look great.

Thanks!