Clearing 2 acres for house and a 800' driveway through the woods (pics)

[Woody65]

Was finally able to get around to clearing out 2acres on a mountainside and a 30 foot swath from my lower fields to the clearing. This is the first project to eventually self build a home at this site. The pics below show the rough clearing of the location and roadway. In the next few weeks I plan on grading it, install the ditches and culverts along with seeding the site. Next spring I will build a pole barn and move my camper up to this site while preparing for the house build. It is satisfying to finally get this going. Oh well, enjoy the pics.

 

[dave1949]

Good for you on getting started! Nice pics.

Hope the flooding missed you on LI.

 

[QuasarZ]

Awesome. Im going through the same thing. I have about 950 feet of driveway that had to be cleared through woods and on a slope. That went in a few weeks ago. Luckily for me my building site was already cleared and we just poured the walls today. It feels great seeing progress and your work paying off.

 

[Woody65]

Good for you on getting started! Nice pics. Hope the flooding missed you on LI.

Thanks Dave. The record breaking rains did miss my place on Long Island. I happened to be in Syracuse during the storm and missed it. My better half kept me updated as to our predicament. All is good now.

 

[Woody65]

Awesome. Im going through the same thing. I have about 950 feet of driveway that had to be cleared through woods and on a slope. That went in a few weeks ago. Luckily for me my building site was already cleared and we just poured the walls today. It feels great seeing progress and your work paying off.

QuasarZ, I just saw your thread. It is looking real good. I was a residential builder for 20+ years and the site prep and masonry us look like knowledgeable contractors. I will be following your thread as it progresses. Happy trails

 

[bcp]

Looks good, and thanks for putting spaces between the attached photos. That makes it much easier to click on each one.

Bruce

 

[dave1949]

Thanks Dave. The record breaking rains did miss my place on Long Island. I happened to be in Syracuse during the storm and missed it. My better half kept me updated as to our predicament. All is good now.

That's a relief. I used to take commuter flights into Islip on my way to Melville. I liked that better than LaGuardia but the schedule was a little later in the morning. Looking at the pics on the news it was a real mess in some areas. Unbelievable amounts of rain.

 

[Woody65]

I was able to grade the clearing. Which turned out to be closer to 3 acres than the 2acres I had originally planned. Just more to mow later. I got the ditches in with a gentle grade off the roadway so I can seed and mow it when done. Also got the gravel down on the 800 foot uphill section. The steepest grade along the hill is 18%. The pics don't due it justice. It's steep. Next step is to seed the clearing and sides of the road along with blowing hay and rolling it all. Hope to get to it in the next few weeks. Winter is coming. Also, I was told that I cannot install the roadway culvert. The town highway dept has to come out. So a visit produced a permit application and a vague appointment of about 2 weeks at which time they will survey the location that I intend to put the driveway. They have to make sure the sight lines are acceptable and then they will install the culvert and maintain it. I can feel stress a comin. Enjoy the pics

 

[dave1949]

Very nice driveway! That does look a might steep in some sections. I hope the highway folks approve your location and lower your stress level. :laughing:

I have suggestions.

If you can, use two 20' culverts end to end at your entrance. This makes it easy for trucks to get in and out plus it gives you snow stacking room in winter. The kneeling low-boy trailer I had come here recently has triple axles at the very rear of the trailer. It makes very wide turns. 40' of culvert wasn't enough to keep it on the driveway when coming and going. Of course a lot depends on the width of the road.

You probably don't want to hear this, but when you get to using the driveway in winter you may need a thin topping of fines. Loose stone on top tends to get plowed off. Fines freeze to a solid surface, except in mud season, so no deeper than needed is the goal. You can't win. :laughing:

Think about a method for storage and spreading of sand or fines for those steep areas. A sand shed that you can access with your loader would be ideal. If kept dry, it won't freeze into a solid mound and will remain spreadable for the most part.

 

[Woody65]

Very nice driveway! That does look a might steep in some sections. I hope the highway folks approve your location and lower your stress level. :laughing: I have suggestions. If you can, use two 20' culverts end to end at your entrance. This makes it easy for trucks to get in and out plus it gives you snow stacking room in winter. The kneeling low-boy trailer I had come here recently has triple axles at the very rear of the trailer. It makes very wide turns. 40' of culvert wasn't enough to keep it on the driveway when coming and going. Of course a lot depends on the width of the road. You probably don't want to hear this, but when you get to using the driveway in winter you may need a thin topping of fines. Loose stone on top tends to get plowed off. Fines freeze to a solid surface, except in mud season, so no deeper than needed is the goal. You can't win. :laughing: Think about a method for storage and spreading of sand or fines for those steep areas. A sand shed that you can access with your loader would be ideal. If kept dry, it won't freeze into a solid mound and will remain spreadable for the most part.

Dave,
That's great advice. Today, I just received the go ahead from the highway dept to put in the culvert. They recommended 12" x 20', but I was going to go at least 30'. They seem like very nice folks there but the permit came today stating that it is good from 8/26/2014 till 8/26/2014. Obviously a typo but nonetheless, has to be corrected. Also, when I called they informed me that they would install and maintain the culvert. The permit grants me permission to install it and gives rules and regs for the install. So, I will have to call them on Tuesday to correct the typo and ask about who installs the culvert and can I increase the width to at least 30'.

The road won't be used until early next spring when I start the pole barn. My plan is to drive on the road as is. Tune it up when necessary. The home building isn't planned for another 3-5yrs. Till then just a camper and occasional car traffic on weekends. While the home is being built, I will let the concrete, lumber and delivery trucks trash it and pack it down. Then when the home is finished grade it again and put the top coat on. I will keep in mind your recommendation about the fines and sand. I can see the road getting hairy in winter.