Holy cow! Thank you guys! I apologize for the delay in my response (life, working late and a new puppy).
We were planning to start building on our dream home this year, but lumber prices are insane. We will probably need to wait until next year before we can start and don't want to sink a ton of money into this driveway, but we do want to make it right.
The previous owner had gravel that was about 1" or less and we used to watch the small pieces run down the driveway, along with the rainwater. A contractor recommended that we put in surge stone for the base, which we did, and the plan was to live with it and decide what to do next. The surge stone (3-5") fixed the run off and we needed to add more stone to top it off. This is when the professional occurred.
There is too much gravel right before and right after the curved part of the driveway and the excess gravel needs to be pulled out of there because this is where the UPS / FedEx / Amazon / Me can get stuck. Husband has that 4x4.
Based on everything I'm reading from you guys, we really do need either a land plane or box blade with scarifiers to pull up/level out the surge stone, gravel, dirt, etc. I am leaning towards a box blade because of it's versatility, ability to move dirt, ballast, fix a driveway and it's more mobile at 1/2 the depth of a land plane with about the same amount of weight. But the majority of you guys are saying land plane w/scarifiers. Isn't the land plane primarily for driveways? Wouldn't a box blade do an acceptable - good job and still be useable for other things?
@deezler,
Yes, I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the answers and some of them seem to tell me to go in different directions back blade instead of land plane or box blade.
We don't have any run off or ruts caused by water and it's mainly the delivery trucks.
Please let me know if this will work. I think I'm following your advice:
Buy a box blade or land plane w/scarifiers. Is 700lbs sufficient?
Hubby nixed the back blade, but he's open to getting a landscape rake depending on it's price.
Scarify.
Spread out the loose gravel.
If we get a landscape rake, get at least an 7' rake and use it to pull gravel back into main driveway.
Make a crown and smooth the drive.
Expand the ditch on the right side of the drive.
Compact it with the tractor.
Lengthen the ditch on the right side of the drive.
Check on what the driveway looks like and decide if we should get crusher run or something in between.
Compact it again and wait for a rain.
Finish off with crusher run.
Compact again.
Don't let UPS or Fed Ex or Amazon drive on it until after the crusher run is spread, it is rained on and has been well compacted.
Maintain after that.
We were planning to start building on our dream home this year, but lumber prices are insane. We will probably need to wait until next year before we can start and don't want to sink a ton of money into this driveway, but we do want to make it right.
The previous owner had gravel that was about 1" or less and we used to watch the small pieces run down the driveway, along with the rainwater. A contractor recommended that we put in surge stone for the base, which we did, and the plan was to live with it and decide what to do next. The surge stone (3-5") fixed the run off and we needed to add more stone to top it off. This is when the professional occurred.
There is too much gravel right before and right after the curved part of the driveway and the excess gravel needs to be pulled out of there because this is where the UPS / FedEx / Amazon / Me can get stuck. Husband has that 4x4.
Based on everything I'm reading from you guys, we really do need either a land plane or box blade with scarifiers to pull up/level out the surge stone, gravel, dirt, etc. I am leaning towards a box blade because of it's versatility, ability to move dirt, ballast, fix a driveway and it's more mobile at 1/2 the depth of a land plane with about the same amount of weight. But the majority of you guys are saying land plane w/scarifiers. Isn't the land plane primarily for driveways? Wouldn't a box blade do an acceptable - good job and still be useable for other things?
@deezler,
Yes, I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the answers and some of them seem to tell me to go in different directions back blade instead of land plane or box blade.
We don't have any run off or ruts caused by water and it's mainly the delivery trucks.
Please let me know if this will work. I think I'm following your advice:
Buy a box blade or land plane w/scarifiers. Is 700lbs sufficient?
Hubby nixed the back blade, but he's open to getting a landscape rake depending on it's price.
Scarify.
Spread out the loose gravel.
If we get a landscape rake, get at least an 7' rake and use it to pull gravel back into main driveway.
Make a crown and smooth the drive.
Expand the ditch on the right side of the drive.
Compact it with the tractor.
Lengthen the ditch on the right side of the drive.
Check on what the driveway looks like and decide if we should get crusher run or something in between.
Compact it again and wait for a rain.
Finish off with crusher run.
Compact again.
Don't let UPS or Fed Ex or Amazon drive on it until after the crusher run is spread, it is rained on and has been well compacted.
Maintain after that.