Should I use gravel or road base...

"VincentMalamute-Kim" (VincentMalamute-Kim)
11/12/2020 at 20:23 • Filed to: None

or recycled concrete or recycled asphalt? I have 400' of dirt driveway going to and around my shop. It’s a heavy clay dirt which is fine when dry and an unholy mess when wet. I can’t drive on it until it dries out after a rain or snow and for weeks/months in the spring.

I would like something that doesn’t track in dust/rocks/toxins. Recycled asphalt sounds nice but I read it’s best put down in the summer and I worry about toxins on my dogs paws.

I’m thinking I could level out road base or gravel by hand with a steel rake after the delivery truck does a rolling dump. I calculate about 70 tons so it’d be my upper body workout for the next 6 months.

I wouldn’t do any prep. Just have him rolling dump on top of the dirt. The driveway gets used maybe 30 times a year so I figure the proper base prep isn’t needed. I feel like paying someone to lay down a proper driveway is overkill for my use case.

My question is: what type of material should I use?

Secondary question if you think I’m being an idiot is “should I pay someone to do a proper job?” Which I think is overkill. I can’t imagine the cost of that. Road base is going to be over $3000 for materials only.

DISCUSSION (26)

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/12/2020 at 20:48

We just use a crushed basalt roadbase that is spread roughly 2" thick. Main thing to ensure is that any water that lands on the track has the shortest possible pathway to run off it rather than tracking along it...

shop-teacher > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/12/2020 at 20:50

I don’t really have an opinion as to which material you should use, but spr eading it all by hand seems insane. If all you want to do is spread it out rough ly level, you could probably get somebody in there with a bobcat for a few hundred bucks, and it’d be done in less than a day.

Alternative idea: rent a bobcat for a weekend and have some fun!

VincentMalamute-Kim > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
11/12/2020 at 20:50

I like your answer. I was going for 4" thick but I like the 2" answer better.

You just dumped it and spread it out? No prep of the dirt?

Doable by hand?

VincentMalamute-Kim > shop-teacher
11/12/2020 at 20:51

OK, I should hire or rent a bobcat. I’ll do that. My decision making is often suspect in these situations.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/12/2020 at 20:52

I would recommend recycled asphalt, and I wouldn’t be concerned about “toxins”. It’s just heavy oil, aggregate and maybe some lime or Portland cement. It works best if you can compact it with a real machine like a steel drum roller. I’d price out compared to road base, the recycled asphalt may be cheaper. The thing I really like about the recycled asphalt is that it compacts super hard almost like an asphalt road.

Also be careful with the clay base, you might want to put down some filter fabric over the clay to prevent the new material from sinking into the soil.

VincentMalamute-Kim > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
11/12/2020 at 20:55

I was concerned that I missed the best hot summer time for laying down recycled asphalt.

And the super hard could actually be a disadvantage. It sounds like I’d then need to do a proper prep and 4" of the material otherwise it’ll crack and not do well?

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/12/2020 at 20:57

Pretty much. It’s doable by hand but having done it...the local bloke with a skid steer and a couple of hours wet hire makes much more sense. Personally, I’d ask an earthmoving contractor for a quote before going DIY on this...

VincentMalamute-Kim > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
11/12/2020 at 21:03

Getting a quote makes sense.

shop-teacher > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/12/2020 at 21:09

It happens to the best of us.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/12/2020 at 21:23

It won’t crack. It really doesn’t reform into asphalt it just compacts really well and wears much better than a gravel road.

barnie > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/12/2020 at 21:28

Here in the boatyard we used bleached seashells. Roll the sand flat and spread 3 or 4 inches of shells on it and roll that flat. Eventually, it kinda cements itself together and makes a hard surface. Can be dusty over time but that’s the silt coming through. Lots of watering helps. Silt and shells mix to make an even better hardpack. You may not have this alternative available though. We’re already on the coast and shells are easy and cheap to get from the local dredging co. The sand here doesn’t drain from rain well ‘cause the water table is 6" down but does not make a sticky mess like clay. M aybe not the best alternative for you unless you make it thick enough or level it above the surrounding yard .

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/12/2020 at 21:39

Skid steers are tremendous fun. Your inner twelve year old will deeply enjoy renting one for an afternoon. They’re also super easy to operate, especially if you’re going to just pushing piles around or picking up a bucket of gravel and dumping it where you need it. Loading fill up into a dump truck is the kind of activity where they get tricky (and tippy).

Brickman > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/12/2020 at 23:51

Why the road cant be where I made the red lines?

I’d say do it right and concrete, but your current curve is way too costly. It cost me 10k for a 150' driveway. Maybe expensive, but worth every cent. Other than that, limestone or peagravel would be best.

Might have to remove a tree or two, but could always plant more.

Kinja'd!!!

Thisismydisplayname > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/13/2020 at 05:59

Recycled asphalt is nice and so is crusher sand. Or crusher run depending on what part of the country you’re in. But it’s a limestone that’s got lots of fines in it and it will harden up damn near as good as concrete. It typically pretty cheap too, as it’s more of a byproduct than a product from the quarries.

Sovande > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/13/2020 at 08:00

You don’t need summer for asphalt or concrete. I would price out doing it right vs doing it the easy way and see what the price comes to. You will need a substrate of some kind (gravel) and you will want the g ro und to be graded to avoid ponding. Ideally you would grade and compact, lay down a weed barrier/filter fabric, substrate of something like crushed aggregate and then a top layer of gravel.

The company we use frequently for gravel and road prep quotes $53 a ton for #57 gravel (pretty typical road-bed size) . I would get that and rent a bobcat for the day to spread it . You aren’t going to get that much gravel spread for much less than $3000, at least over in my neck of the woods.

It looks like y ou could also cut the amount of driveway in half if you ran it in a straight line to the right of the front of the house (top of the pic) to the garage. You would, at the very least, tear up less of the yard that way.

Sovande > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/13/2020 at 08:01

2"thick is not better, it’s just less substrate. You may be able to get away with 2" of substrate, but you will need something on top of it. The gravel you will likely use is about 3/8".

sn4cktimes > barnie
11/13/2020 at 09:59

I saw some of that when I was in Newfoundland. Many of those crushed drives were older than my Calgary house.

TheRealBicycleBuck > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/13/2020 at 10:53

Piling rocks on top of the dirt is a great way to create a dam. Dams are great for holding water. Water is great for making mud. Rocks on top of mud sink into mud.

Be sure that your prep work, whether you do it yourself or hire it out, includes proper drainage.

VincentMalamute-Kim > barnie
11/14/2020 at 16:21

I’m in Colorado. Water table is about 200 ft down. Delivery of bleached seashells could be expensive ;)

VincentMalamute-Kim > Sovande
11/14/2020 at 16:22

I like the 2" better meaning easier to rake by hand. I’m thinking it could be enough just because it gets very little use. And I could get another dump truck load next year if needed. Thanks for the 3/8" number.

VincentMalamute-Kim > Brickman
11/14/2020 at 16:25

I figured someone would ask that. It would be more work and expense taking out the trees and would need some grading. It could be done but I’m thinking just easier to have gravel dumped on the long existing driveway.

I don’t understand why the original owner’s didn’t do what you suggested when they built the shop. I think they were generally idiots which would explain it. He’s an engineer at Hewlett-Packard FWIW.

VincentMalamute-Kim > Sovande
11/14/2020 at 16:32

I just looked. Gravel here is $25 /ton. Thanks for the how to do it right. I think I answered that this gets so little use, I’m thinking I can get away with the easy method?

I replied to Brickman about why not cut in a new direct driveway. The current path already exists so actually tears up less of the yard. I’ll get some professional opinions.

VincentMalamute-Kim > TheRealBicycleBuck
11/14/2020 at 16:35

There has been so little rain/snow in the two years I’ve been here. It’s been extreme drought conditions so I shouldn’t consider those two years normal.

I’ll get professional opinions on the prep work needed. I’m thinking this gets so little use that I can get by without it but I’ll see what they say.

Brickman > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/14/2020 at 16:37

HP engineer... yep that explains it. lol

barnie > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/14/2020 at 22:09

Dang. Yea, that was my worry. Didn’t know where you were so I just tossed seashells out as an alternative. Plenty alternatives. Good that you’re doing the research.

VincentMalamute-Kim > barnie
11/14/2020 at 22:10

No worries. I was amused and learned a weird (to me) fact. Although all that brown in the photo should tell you there’s not much water around these part s.