Driveway Markers

RobS · Dec 6, 2002

Hmmm, I wonder if this will be as volatile a discussion as R1 vs. R4, or Blue vs. Orange, or, or, or...

OK, here's the thing. I was looking at some of the snow pictures posted and I didn't see much in the way of driveway markers. Apparently, not everyone uses them. Around here they're as common as plowed over mailboxes in the winter /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

The commercial guys seem to use simple strapping wood sticks. The old standby is the round reflector on a metal or plastic stake and I prefer the fiberglass rod with reflective tape at the top.

At our old, subdivision house I put them at each corner of the concrete driveway and I was all set. Now we have much more driveway and it's gravel. I put out what markers I had but in our first snow found that it wasn't enough. We've got some bends to the drive and I don't want people to slip off the gravel and make ruts in the soft, muddy shoulders.

I put my markers right at the edge of the gravel but now am thinking of moving them a foot off. That will give me more room for plowing without hitting them. Does that make sense?

So, what does everyone else do about driveway markers, if anything?

/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

snowman · Dec 6, 2002

I use rebar - buy 10' sections at Home Depot and cut them in half. Drive them about a foot into the ground.

I spray painted them orange and also tied surveying tape on the top.

I space them about 20 feet from each other on each side, staggering them so that there is always one marker about every 10-15 feet. I put them about a foot away from the driveway to give me room.

They're not only for being able to figure out where the driveway is when driving in the car, but I need them when using the front mount blower because the flying show blocks out my view so I need the markers as a guide when snowblowing.

I tried using wood stakes the first year, but they split too much, and were too hard to put into the ground due to all of the rocks I have. They never stayed in good. The rebar works excellent.

Can kind of see them in the attached.

Mrwurm · Dec 6, 2002

Yes, driveway markers!! I need some. Even though I have my own tractor, my retired neighbor cannot resist plowing my snow before I get a chance to do it myself. He routinely takes out long strips of sod that I have to replace in the spring. Maybe I should get him a G.P.S. for christmas /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

RobS · Dec 6, 2002

Looks great Snowman, though I like the looks of your PAVED driveway much better /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

RobS · Dec 6, 2002

Maybe I should get him a G.P.S. for christmas 

Hey, now there's a solution I hadn't considered. I could layout the driveway in GPS, put a servo drive on the tractor steering wheel...

Smack... back to reality /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

snowman · Dec 6, 2002

Yeah - a paved driveway is great. I can tell you without question that it reduced the stress factor of snow removal by about 90% compared to a rock/gravel driveway.

A few nights ago, a long bolt that I use to hold up the rops for my night spotlight fell out; discovered it gone when I was done snowblowing. I knew it was somewhere in the driveway.

Sure enough, the next night, CLUNK goes the blower and shearpin on the blower fan auger.

Haven't bothered to mess around in the dark and cold replacing it. Have been just using my rear blade and it works great by itself. I can fly down the driveway with the pavement; couldn't do that on gravel.

You can kind of see the blade scrapemarks on that driveway picture I put up. Other than the scrapemarks, the blade with no shoes does no damage whatsoever.

By the way - the "blowing show" in my original post should be "blowing snow".

cpicton1 · Dec 6, 2002

I can fly down the driveway

If you are draging your blade at a fast pace and it does catch a hold of something then something has got to give. Your driveway looks pretty new in your picture. I would be getting that blower repaired. I hope the new shearpin makes your blower as good as new. The markers look good. Good luck. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

snowman · Dec 6, 2002

"fly" may be the wrong term; basically I can just go much quicker than if I was running the blower. "Flying" on the tractor isn't all that fast anyway!

I am actually quite careful with it, because if I break it, it's back to the old shovel.

I will get the blower back running; it only happened a few nights ago and, since it's always dark and cold nowadays when I'm home, I figured I could do it this Saturday. The augor hole is packed with snow, so I have to dig all that out too, which is another reason I'm delaying it.

cpicton1 · Dec 6, 2002

it's back to the old shovel

Yea, I know what you mean. It sure was easier to be careless when I was a juvenile and didn't have to pay for my mistakes, financially that is. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Anonymous Poster · Dec 6, 2002

"Fly" might be the right word...that's not a driveway, it's a runway!!! <G>

I'd love to have ours paved, but am concerned with the legal ramifications as it's an "undeeded right-of-way", not owned by us or the neighbor that shares it. It will never get used for the land behind us as there is other access, but...

Von · Dec 6, 2002

Before I got my snow blower I would would use T-post for markers. (see attached photo) When using the backblade to plow, the snow would snap anything other than the T-post. Now I use the orange (to match the tractor!) fiberglass post with the reflector tape on top in the same spots as the T-post. The first snow in our first winter in the house we got about 10". I looked out and had no idea where the driveway was! Had to find the edges first and then plow. I used wood at first but kept snaping them off at ground level. So next season I used the T-post. They will snap if you hit them with the blade as well ( don't ask how I know/w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif) I place them about one foot off of the drive. This is the first winter that I have been able to really use the snow blower, and its slower on the smaller snow amounts, but no banks to worry about!

Thomas · Dec 6, 2002

EMT electric pipe works good.

1.If hit by equipment etc..easy to bend back
2.Won't rust.
3.Somewhat shiney
4.Easy to remove late spring for clean up.

5' tall post w/orange marking tape thru 5/16" hole at the top of the EMT pipe..leave plenty marking tape so it can wave in the wind.

Now the mailbox would be another issue. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif/w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

hazmat · Dec 6, 2002

Now the mailbox would be another issue. 

Can't find it or Find it too "easily" Mines right next to a utlility pole, so unless we get 30' of snow I'm all set. The picket fence is another story/w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif so hard to see the white pickets in the white snow.

Wheeldog · Dec 6, 2002

We use thin fiberglass posts that are about 4' long to mark the edge of the driveway. They have rings of reflective tape along their length which makes them show up well, and being so thin they push into the ground pretty easily (If you haven't waited until the ground has frozen, that is /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif). I've found that without the markers the plowed section gets narrower and narrower with each snowfall, since I'm usually over-cautious in trying to avoid the edge of the lawn.

frank_f15 · Dec 6, 2002

iuse the plastic with reflector at the top. but the summer place down the road has some thin fiberglass post with some kind of reflective stuff on them, can hardy see them in daylight, but hit them with a light and they just magnify, sounds like what sonowhat mentioned , soo as i can find them i am going to get them.

beenthere · Dec 6, 2002

""So, what does everyone else do about driveway markers, if anything?"" 

Because you asked: I have a 600' driveway and sure don't want anything like marker posts in the way of clearing the snow. Some of the pics show how much the markers must just be in the way. I much prefer the looks of a plowed drive without the looks of markers and tape cluttering up the landscape. For people who use my drive, if it isn't plowed yet they are on their own. If it is plowed, then the driving path is pretty clearly identifiable. If the snow gets pushed high along the drive, then I have to push it back with the blade angled and raised a bit to peel it off and back. If markers were there, I would have to either plow over them or try to remove them from the frozen ground. Neither way sounds very "enjoyable".

When I plow, I can tell where I am by looking at the plowed area behind the plow blade, and then can see if I am on the gravel drive or off in the grass. In 34 years, has never been a problem knowing where I am plowing. Now a blower might be different, but even there, seems one can still see where the snow is blown away. I'm probably wierd with this outlook. Don't mean to belittle anyone who likes markers, but they are not for me (and you asked)./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

RobS · Dec 6, 2002

One thing I learned the other week about the fiberglass rods is they can hurt! I have a couple that have been run over or hit and they are a bit frayed. While pushing one into the ground I got some glass slivers in my palm. Very small slivers, and very painful. I'll be using leather gloves to put them in from now on /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Gary_in_Indiana · Dec 6, 2002

So far I haven't used anything. I know how far the drive is from the utility pole at the road and once I'm there I know where it ends so I just drive a straight line then turn left at the pine tree and arc back right to the barn door. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I know it sounds funny but it works great. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

Von · Dec 6, 2002

Rob, What I do is make a hole with a piece of rebar first, than just slide your marker down the hole. Just step around the marker to tighten up the ground around it.

ByuBill · Dec 7, 2002

So, what does everyone else do about driveway markers, if anything?

I use the natural kind. See attached.....
Just keep to the right on the way down and all is well... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif