Rebuilding small stone road

[BackRoad]

Mr. HayDude what specific ground fabric were you recommending and where do you source it? I've searched, but not sure what is needed for a driveway, nor what product is Good, Better or Best.

I'll be in need for at least 12' x 600' in the next ~6 months for a new driveway...and maybe double that if it really works well.

 

[Hay Dude]

”MR. HayDude”!!!! I like it! LOL.
BackRoad, in my years of doing these types of jobs, I never paid attention to the brand or type, although there are many brands and sizes. I buy my rolls of it from my concrete and paver supplier.
Sorry, cant help you much, but I’d try local suppliers of pavers, concrete supplies and stone.

 

[m1garand762]

Every time someone tells me that fabric is out of the budget I tell them about my driveway at home and how it had 12 inches of 1&2s above fabric and then locked together with 57s. The septic truck is on it every 5 years or so the fuel truck is on it all the time the gas well tender and brine trucks are on it all the time and my work truck weighs 16000 pounds. I have not put a single stone on it in 15 years and there are no potholes or low spots. They always decide to invest in fabric after that

 

[Mooseman1616]

Ya'll sound like you know what you're doing so here's a question for ya. I'm in central PA and have a steep driveway that goes up to the garage and then wraps around the house. The area to the side of the house and around back is easy to maintain since there is no grade, but I lose A LOT of stone every year over winter with plowing and such. Is there a good buildup of layers that would help solve this issue? Also, what kind of fabric are you all referring to? Thanks.

 

[Hay Dude]

In your situation, you are losing stone due to the nature of objects wanting to roll downhill and erosion. The fabric is more intended to prevent stone from compressing down into the soil below. Its like a safety net.
If youre losing stone to steep hill erosion, the cheapest/best solution is a series of culverts running across your driveway to break and slow the momentum of the water flowing down the driveway. Snowplowing up rather than down, although much more difficult, may also help.
If I have the opportunity to construct a driveway, rather than repair one, I prefer to start with a larger stone base (3-4”) and fabric compacted, smaller stone on top. Usually we find ourselves repairing driveways that have been around for many years. If you have a large muddy area that seems to swallow stone over the years, might try digging that area out, maybe the top foot or so, lay a piece of fabric, then refill with large stone layer on the bottom, and smaller stone on top.

 

[Mooseman1616]

Thanks for the reply. How pronounced of a culvert are we speaking here? Also should something like this run straight across the driveway? I imagine the ultimate solution would be tar and chip or get it actually paved...

 

[bdhsfz6]

I have the exact same issue here in northeast PA. I've been fighting the problem for many years and use the following approach. I put down 12" of what we call 2RC modified, which is a mix of 1" stone down to stone dust. I put a crown on the road and roll it using the truck & tractor tires. I add about 1" of stone dust to choke it off and then roll again.

It isn't perfect but it does minimize the stone loss due to running water since the crown channels it into side swales. When plowing in the spring & fall with no frost, I usually leave about an inch of snow to avoid plowing up the surface. It's tricky to do but it can be managed using a FEL plow. When the road gets slick from packed snow & ice, I spread cinders for the mail and delivery vehicles.

I don't use fabric since the road is laid on top of red shale ledge.

I still spend a bit of time raking material back into place and reshaping the surface each spring. It's less time and $$ than I used to spend rebuilding the road every couple of years though.

It's pretty basic and far from perfect but it's the best solution I've found so far. I'm always open to new ideas though and will continue to follow this thread.

 

[Hay Dude]

Thanks for the reply. How pronounced of a culvert are we speaking here? Also should something like this run straight across the driveway? I imagine the ultimate solution would be tar and chip or get it actually paved...

Paving would be night and day difference. Even if you only pave the steep part. Tar & chip is usually laid over existing pavement.
My stone driveway culverts are usually 8-12” deep, but it depends on what your vehicle ground clearance is and how severe the water flow is. They help a lot, but the driveway still washes out, just not as severe.
I prefer to angle my culverts from the high edge of the driveway, downwards at an angle to the low side, so water runs along them and exits on the low side.

 

[Mooseman1616]

I have the exact same issue here in northeast PA. I've been fighting the problem for many years and use the following approach. I put down 12" of what we call 2RC modified, which is a mix of 1" stone down to stone dust. I put a crown on the road and roll it using the truck & tractor tires. I add about 1" of stone dust to choke it off and then roll again.

It isn't perfect but it does minimize the stone loss due to running water since the crown channels it into side swales. When plowing in the spring & fall with no frost, I usually leave about an inch of snow to avoid plowing up the surface. It's tricky to do but it can be managed using a FEL plow. When the road gets slick from packed snow & ice, I spread cinders for the mail and delivery vehicles.

I don't use fabric since the road is laid on top of red shale ledge.

I still spend a bit of time raking material back into place and reshaping the surface each spring. It's less time and $$ than I used to spend rebuilding the road every couple of years though.

It's pretty basic and far from perfect but it's the best solution I've found so far. I'm always open to new ideas though and will continue to follow this thread.

So if I were going to go this route, I'd probably be looking at some serious excavation...way more than I could handle with my old Yanmar...I was able to crown the driveway nicely two years ago....which led to major washout on either side of the driveway...one thing always leads to something else.

 

[DGZRT]

What type of stone does everyone like to use to top dress a driveway like this one ??