Gravel Driveway Construction?

[HaleYes]

There seems to be several different opinions on how to construct a gravel driveway. I've yet to speak with anyone that actually has first hand knowledge/experience with this so I thought I'd ask here. Concrete is out of the equation. Way to expensive, and higher property taxes. The ground is currently in corn stubble. It's mostly clay soil. It needs to be 150ft. long and 12ft wide. I want to not have to mess with it for several years after I'm done with it. Dig down a few inches and put black mat down, then rock? Just put it on top? 4-5" rock on bottom and 1" on top?
Thanks guys.

 

[seanR]

I read a book about this once....
You have to put at least 6" of gravel down.
The very best, dig down 6" or 8", use a road grader and move the top soil to the sides. Spread out 4" or so of clean big rock, everywhere has different names for it, "clean 3 inch", "breaker run" are a few names.
I take it this is for the house you plan to build, right?
Just leave the big rock uncovered until construction is done, the truck traffic will pound the piss out of it for three or four mouths. Then, when you are doing your landscaping and finishing, put down three or so more inches of gravel, "road rock", "road stone", "dirty one inch", etc.

 

[Wayne Sihler]

Like seanR said. When we built my house,used back hoe to remove top soil down to clay base,used large stone 2-3" limestone.Then construction trucks and concrete trucks packed it down.
Toward the end of the build had "pea gravel"put down.Its been 20 + years and have not had to add more gravel.
But it will get a new layer this year...... just because..

 

[bigalpha]

I've done some research into this as well as I have a crappy gravel driveway.

1. Pour a solid base of gravel and compact it.
2. Spread 3-4" of crushed asphalt (from when they grind up roads) on top of that.
3. Compact it all again.
4. Spray a fine mist of diesel on top of the asphalt during the summer.
5. Compact again.

The diesel fuel helps to "reactivate" the tar in the asphalt (which is helped by that hot summer day) and when run the compactor over it, it'll solidify somewhat.

If you plan to use just gravel, make sure to compact top layer - especially if you use crusher run.

 

[HaleYes]

I read a book about this once....
You have to put at least 6" of gravel down.
The very best, dig down 6" or 8", use a road grader and move the top soil to the sides. Spread out 4" or so of clean big rock, everywhere has different names for it, "clean 3 inch", "breaker run" are a few names.
I take it this is for the house you plan to build, right?
Just leave the big rock uncovered until construction is done, the truck traffic will pound the piss out of it for three or four mouths. Then, when you are doing your landscaping and finishing, put down three or so more inches of gravel, "road rock", "road stone", "dirty one inch", etc.

Thank you!

 

[r33pwrd]

I read a book about this once....
You have to put at least 6" of gravel down.
The very best, dig down 6" or 8", use a road grader and move the top soil to the sides. Spread out 4" or so of clean big rock, everywhere has different names for it, "clean 3 inch", "breaker run" are a few names.
I take it this is for the house you plan to build, right?
Just leave the big rock uncovered until construction is done, the truck traffic will pound the piss out of it for three or four mouths. Then, when you are doing your landscaping and finishing, put down three or so more inches of gravel, "road rock", "road stone", "dirty one inch", etc.

This is what we did for my dads place... but we did not dig down just did it on top of the existing ground as the driveway is 1800ft long.

 

[90XJay]

I don't have much experience making a gravel driveway but I would like to give you my 2 cents on upkeep of one. Dunno how the snow situation is where you are but having to plow/shovel my grandparents stone driveway made me go nuts. You must be very careful with a truck ploughing otherwise you spend a chunk of the spring taking the pile of rocks out of where you ploughed them and spreading them about again. If you shovel it that is also miserable due to the shovel stopping every inch as you dig into a rock top. Also don't know if you care but it makes walking barefoot a pain. Just things I have noticed that most people might not think when they do it. Other then that it is cheaper to do outright then paving and it does look nice (we had white rocks). This was about a 300 ft driveway, maybe it is exponentially easier with a smaller one.

 

[wacho4]

I don't have much experience making a gravel driveway but I would like to give you my 2 cents on upkeep of one. Dunno how the snow situation is where you are but having to plow/shovel my grandparents stone driveway made me go nuts. You must be very careful with a truck ploughing otherwise you spend a chunk of the spring taking the pile of rocks out of where you ploughed them and spreading them about again. If you shovel it that is also miserable due to the shovel stopping every inch as you dig into a rock top. Also don't know if you care but it makes walking barefoot a pain. Just things I have noticed that most people might not think when they do it. Other then that it is cheaper to do outright then paving and it does look nice (we had white rocks). This was about a 300 ft driveway, maybe it is exponentially easier with a smaller one.

You get used to it. 28 years on my family's farm, just over 1/2 mile long driveawy. And very rarely will i walk on it barefoot.

 

[Wayne Sihler]

I don't have much experience making a gravel driveway but I would like to give you my 2 cents on upkeep of one. Dunno how the snow situation is where you are but having to plow/shovel my grandparents stone driveway made me go nuts. You must be very careful with a truck ploughing otherwise you spend a chunk of the spring taking the pile of rocks out of where you ploughed them and spreading them about again. If you shovel it that is also miserable due to the shovel stopping every inch as you dig into a rock top. Also don't know if you care but it makes walking barefoot a pain. Just things I have noticed that most people might not think when they do it. Other then that it is cheaper to do outright then paving and it does look nice (we had white rocks). This was about a 300 ft driveway, maybe it is exponentially easier with a smaller one.

Thats all part of the spring clean up....raking all the gravel back to the driveway...

 

[Jeepman401]

I've done some research into this as well as I have a crappy gravel driveway.

1. Pour a solid base of gravel and compact it.
2. Spread 3-4" of crushed asphalt (from when they grind up roads) on top of that.
3. Compact it all again.
4. Spray a fine mist of diesel on top of the asphalt during the summer.
5. Compact again.

The diesel fuel helps to "reactivate" the tar in the asphalt (which is helped by that hot summer day) and when run the compactor over it, it'll solidify somewhat.

If you plan to use just gravel, make sure to compact top layer - especially if you use crusher run.

If you can get the road millings, its the way to go. It comes out hard and smooth, end even without misting it with diesel, it will last a long time.

 

[87manche]

Generally Asphalt is not considered "permanent" by the tax man like concrete is, so it may be worth looking into as it should not adversely affect your taxes.