need some advice on a driveway fix

jack707 · May 31, 2015

I have 2 option here either dig all the old stuff out and start fresh or put down landscape cloth to keep the mud from coming up and put new gravel about 6" or so.

I put up with this driveway for two years! and everytime in Spring its a mud bog and it seems like the pot holes and ruts are in the same place year after year, There no more waiting I have to take care of this now,I rather start fresh because the people that owned this place before me did not do it right at all some places you can see the weeds and mud covered over. So what would you guys do?.

lhfarm · Jun 1, 2015

jack707 said:
I have 2 option here either dig all the old stuff out and start fresh or put down landscape cloth to keep the mud from coming up and put new gravel about 6" or so.

I put up with this driveway for two years! and everytime in Spring its a mud bog and it seems like the pot holes and ruts are in the same place year after year, There no more waiting I have to take care of this now,I rather start fresh because the people that owned this place before me did not do it right at all some places you can see the weeds and mud covered over. So what would you guys do?.

There are dozens of threads that address this issue and it might be worth your time to read through some of them. Search is your friend. The drive appears to be flat, with no way to shed water. A slight crown that lets the water roll to the sides might help. On the other hand, if the drive wasn't installed correctly, it may require a do-over.

I just looked down at the "Similar Threads" and see where I posted a problem back in 2006. Again, I'd read through the old posts.

Egon · Jun 1, 2015

Will you do it yourself or use a contractor?

BuilderML · Jun 1, 2015

From the pictures the driveway doesn't look to bad. Only thing you might want to make sure of is that your driveway is not lower then the surrounding areas.
Once your driveway is higher and you have slope or a crown to it you should be good to go. A dirt driveway will always need some tending to. I would only rip up areas if they were really soft. Once water has a place to sit on a dirt driveway let the potholes begin. Rework the area so the water can't sit and you should be fine.

jack707 · Jun 1, 2015

I think I just might start over- the other way with the landscape cloth will be almost 2gs at 300ft the drive is about 1200+!. No more dirt
gravel with granite? I want a road gravel base cover it with? granite I here is pours not good to shed water.

kevinwak · Jun 5, 2015

Hear to tell from your picture, but it looks like you lack drainage. The truck to a firm drive is to get the water off of it and away. Make a good crown in the drive. Also dig ditches so that the water that runs off the drive can flow away from it.

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jack707 · Jun 5, 2015

I have a few tons of road gravel coming, the man will grade it and pack the gravel down.On the side of my driveway it slopes down mabey I should just dig down 18" or so.