Is it worth the argument?

[BrokenTrack]

Honestly, I am not sure either one of you are right. I think you are using the wrong implement in the first place because if the water is pooling and making potholes, then there is no crown or slope to the roadway. If someone has been using a box blade to grade the road for the last few years, it is likely that they have dragged the crown or slope out of the road and the water is just sitting there.

A person needs to re-establish that before going any further.

There are many ways to do that; from bringing in fill to establish crown/slope, to using a grader or bulldozer.

 

[gator]

Simple answer is when you do it, do it your way. When he does it he does it his way.

 

[Code54]

Yep, you have to break the bottom up, filling it in won't last. I always run the subsoiler down the middle of the pot holes, re-grade with he landscape rake and it is good for a LONG time. If you have a good base it will loosen it for a short while but it will pack back down just fine in a short while and you wont have the potholes come back. Last time I did this was last year where we had 3 smaller potholes on our road and they never came back. We have a around 800+ vehicles over the road a month and been using this system for years with very good results.

 

[RNeumann]

Simple answer is when you do it, do it your way. When he does it he does it his way.

Yep this isn’t a dirt or tractor question. It’s a neighbor question. Sounds like he will be finishing things up until the fall and then it’s your show.....unless the new neighbor has a better idea!

 

[oosik]

I get crushed basalt for driveway repair around here. For years I would just pile more basalt on the potholes - year after year. Then somebody told me to scarify the pothole area(only) first. WOW!!! What a difference - the crushed basalt stays put. Potholes develop in other areas that need fixing but once scarified, filled and compacted - they are good. I have scarifiers on both my LPGS & ROBB.

 

[GregbkH]

I maintain our gravel easement of 1/2 mile because no one else will. I only have 3 neighbors that use the easement beside myself and no one offers a dime to help pay for fuel. So I do it my way. My time, my equipment equals my way. Over the years I've learned what works for my situation.

The road (easement) was built without the use of breaker rock, just gravel spread over the surface. This results in gravel sinking into the earth. Eventually this leads to the need for more gravel.

Anyway, I have found that the best tools for my job are the landscape rake and my grading scraper. Every spring when the frost is out of the ground I start by raking the outside gravel back in toward the center. Then depending on how hard the surface is I use the grading scraper with or without the scarifiers. Then I smooth thing out with the landscape rake by turning it backward and on a slight angle and working from the outside in toward the center. This helps build a crown. Due to the nature of my gravel (too much clay in the latest topping) I have to grade in baby steps as far as depth goes. I usually do this again in the fall but it is not as bad as in the spring after winter.

It would be really nice to have a heavy roller to pack it down but that's not happening. So when I drive up and down the easement I drive a different path each time to pack it down. My neighbors give that part little thought and always drive in the same spot which will turn it into a two track.

Good luck

 

[TheMan419]

If the neighbor is moving soon there is no reason to have the argument. Wait until he is gone and fix it the way you want to fix it. If he was going to be there for years then it would be good to have the discussion or maybe even get a contractor out to "tell" you how to fix it so you guys don't argue over it.

 

[JRobyn]

I agree on waiting for the neighbor to move before you do anything different.

I am firmly in the "no scarify" camp. Our road base is river rock, mostly on top of solid rock, with a bit of soil/sand/clay/gravel to bind it, topped with a thin coat of crusher run. It is exceptionally hard. We do get a few potholes. Fewer each year. I am convinced that there are 2 reasons: 1) in spots, there is still organic matter under/in the roadbed that decays and sinks. 2) FIL just loves to wait until these get rainwater in them and then hit 'em as hard as he can in his truck, splashing out everything except for the largest rock/gravel.

If I put scarifiers down it will rip up the rounded river rocks and all their binder and I will be starting from scratch. Plus, I tried it one time and nearly ripped my 3pt and box blade to pieces when the scarifiers caught on edges in the solid rock!