Driveway Ideas?

[senecak19]

I’m looking for ideas on what to with my driveway. It’s not very long and I recently double the width of it; adding a stone wall and bringing in several triaxle of fill. The full is almost claylike and bit of a problem as it can get squish. The stone I have helps and I’m looking to add more. The question for you fine folks is, “how should I finish it”? How’s everyone’s luck with millings? Should I throw some sort of stone dust down prior to the millings? I noticed an area I worked with pea stone has now mixed in with the 3/4” stone and has created a solid surface. I don’t think I can go with pavement as the fill I have needs to settle and I’ll need several more loads of stone to make that happen. Appreciate everyone’s thoughts.

 

[Alien]

I have a problem with small gravel here in that it washes away in a thunderstorm. I have to use larger chips to prevent that. Yours looks fairly flat so you shouldn't have that problem. I personally would go with larger grade cracked gravel as it stays in place better. Less likely to sink if it gets too wet as well.

 

[treefarmerguy]

My driveway is 40 years old and still in pretty good shape. I used something called "graded base". Its made of pea stone and larger processed rock. Easy to spread and packs like cement. It does get a little soft during spring mud season. The only problem is how you plow or blow snow. If it hasn't frozen up when it snows you could be pushing it around. It is also a little dusty in the summer. I have added a little twice in 40 years to replace what I snow blow into the woods!

 

[Xfaxman]

We had good results with Crushed Asphalt, not millings, crushed.

 

[Western]

Put your bigger base material down, then add the fines. Smaller rock/fines help lock larger base rock together. If you have a cement co nearby, check on their washout material, or crushed crete for top fines.

Make sure you crown your drive so water runs off

 

[Wis Bang]

Grew up with my father working for the town highway Dept. and they would build new curbs [changing from limestone curbs to a concrete radius] and would fill the void with slag from the steel mill and grade/roll it out then spread screenings and roll it again. Often would let the last one done in the fall wait till spring before paving. After a winter of plowing snow, they would sweep it up and pave it.

Years later I was trying to dig post holes in a truck yard built in the early 60's. A rented 5 hp two man unit wouldn't cut in. traded it for a bobcat with a 12" auger. It danced and banged before biting into the rock matrix then disappearing into the sand below. It was all it could do to bust thru a good foot of the same steel plant slag mixed with fines. We used to park loaded trailers that would have sunk into the sand without the 'locked' crust.

 

[PILOON]

We had good results with Crushed Asphalt, not millings, crushed.

So have I with both crushed and millings.
Heat (hot sun) fuses them back to 'near asphalt' in a short while.
My own drive is with crushed asphalt and going on 20 years now.
Just last fall I added a 12 wheel load of millings to freshen my drive and fill in the dips and valleys that developed over that long period.

Milled is getting pricier as the city is now using it as part of their road base technique, and why not, after all it is 'experienced' quality crushed stone.

 

[senecak19]

Thank you for all the feedback. Will call around and see what’s available in my area.

 

[Thomas]

We have steep driveway and use what is call hard pack had great luck,just have to make it's in place and pack couple months before the ground freezes.

 

[oosik]

I think Alien - post#2 - has the best idea. I've added crushes rock( basaltic lava ) to my driveway. First time - screened rock. A bit difficult to get it to "bind". Second time - crushed rock including fines - much better. It packed down almost as hard as asphalt.