Driveway/sidewalk options other than concrete or asphalt? What border?

[Gary Fowler]

This is how it looked after putting down the shale around my shop which was built first then house a year or two later. Sorry, don't have any of the final product.

If you cant afford asphalt or concrete, then all this advice about pavers is for sure out of the question due to cost. Lots of folks gave advice on sidewalks which while looking good don't work for driveways.

I couldn't afford that so I just went with base of crushed shale topped with crushed limestone after a few years of settling. My first loads of limestone that I put on the driveway in 2008 (25x 50) for access to the building site was pure white and looked very good but 3-4 years later the delivered crushed limestone was white with brown spots so not the pretty white of the first stuff. It still works for mud and dust control though.

I first put down about a foot of shale on clean surface (no grass or weeds) since the whole area was cut down to level a hill. I just spread it with a dozer and he walked it in a bit to settle it. Not even a fully loaded concrete truck makes a dent in it when dry but would when wet. After about 3-4 years of weathering I found that the shale was turning to dust on the top 2 inches from sun and rain exposure..
The crushed shale is great for a base but it has to be sealed from the elements because sun and rain will convert it from rocks to powder in a few year which is why I had to come back with about 3-4" of crushed limestone on top. It has held up fine since covering it over with the limestone.

Crushed limestone was my cheapest option since I didn't want to spend the money for concrete and would never do asphalt which requires yearly maintenance to prevent or fill cracking with asphalt topping. It is never ending maintenance for asphalt. It may not look as good as concrete, but it serves the purpose of keeping me from travelling thru mud when it rains and no dust when the wind blows.

 

[polo1665]

I recently had my 1/4 mile drive "chip and sealed". I'm guessing about 1/3 the cost of paving. So far I am very pleased.

 

[joefromga]

Pea gravel works well with a stabilizer grid like core grid. You can drive on it and it won't flatten out or develop holes.

It's also probably the cheapest and most forgiving of imperfect grading. It drains well also.

 

[Clay45]

I have about 900' of asphalt millings. We live in a dusty area so without frequent rain our vehicles get dusty as does our house. The gravel millings drive isn't the problem. Due to the grade heavy rains will cause some to migrate and I periodically dress it up with my landscape rake. Beats the heck out of mud and it what I was willing to spend.

 

[RalphVa]

I live txdon's pavers. One could also do brick in a bed of sand. You could also do what they do many places in Singapore around trees is to put in those patterned concrete pieces with a lot of open area in the pattern. Don't know what they're called. Pavers, bricks and this pattern thing would be a lot more eco friendly than paving because some rainfall would absorb in and not run off. Gotta wonder over the years how they'd be to plow. Guess you could plow like you do on gravel, with some skids along the back and bottom of the plow. Just cannot scrape it clean like you can with asphalt and concrete.

Ralph

 

[RalphVa]

Pea gravel will wash out unless the driveway is dead level.

Ralph

 

[joefromga]

If you use stabilizer grid it has no way to wash out.

 

[Paddy]

Showroom,

No mater you end up with, you will be using a gravel base. But before we ahead of ourselves, having a dozer make a good road bed is critical. By this I mean swales on both sides or a road bed that is elevated above the surrounding area.

Here we start with what we call No 2's (crushed limestone). This is one size range stone about the size of golf balls and plus. There is no If you can put down 8" your road bed will drain for life. Then we top it with what we cal 53's. Might be called crusher runs else where. Full range of stone from 1-1/4 in to dust. Packs in like concrete.

But you are building, for now you need the dozer work and the bed of big stone. After the trucks destroy that, you be glad you did have the final topping!