Muddy Driveway Problem

Q-Saw · Mar 17, 2009

I'm helping a friend fix his driveway that is currently impassable. The house was built a few years ago with what appears to be a skimpy stone base (21-AA) for the driveway. The lower section gets spring moisture and has become a muddy quagmire.

I put in about 5 ton of 3/4" crushed limestone and moved it around with the box scraper, but it's still soupy. Should I switch to larger (3"-4") crushed concrete, or throw a few bags of portland in the stew, or put down fabric with stone on top, or....?

Anybody have any luck stabilizing a situation like this?

(the photo is before the stone was added - but it's not too much better)

Thanks - Marty

plowking · Mar 17, 2009

Looks like there should be some kind of culvert,ditch or swail to carry off the water away from the driveway. Up here we would put down some 3 or 6 inch minus or riprap as a base and fill over it. The geo fabric would have been good before driveway was filled in to keep the base and top material from mixing. plowking

coldkubota · Mar 17, 2009

From the picture the drive is several inches lower than the surrounding yard. You need to get the grade of that driveway above the surrounding drade or find some way to "crown" the drive and prevent any standing water. It might be a little late to take any real action until it dries out. A lot of people are stong supporters of geo textile but I've never used it myself.

skidoo · Mar 17, 2009

Like the other have said, just put down enough 3 to 6" rock until it is about level. You may need to keep adding until it quits sinking. Then add enough 3/4 crush to get the grade above the grass. Then crown it and cut a path to somewhere else lower for the water to go.

Eightpoint · Mar 17, 2009

I would tend to agree with the other posters - I think you need to figure out a way to get the water off the driveway first and then address the gravel situation. It is hard to tell how the rest of the land lays but you may need a culvert and some fill, fill only or just a crown.

Q-Saw · Mar 18, 2009

Thanks for the replies. I already told my friend that he needs to think long term about solving the water problem. Short term, I'm trying to get him in the driveway (he's parking on the road now).

It sounds like I should have started with the 3"-4" stone. I guess I'll try some now and see if it helps. Perhaps I'm too late for geo-textile to help.

- Marty

Egon · Mar 18, 2009

Hard to tell from the one picture but it does look like fill material will have to come from somewhere to build up the road.

With crushed gravel you may be able to build up enough so that it will be higher and solid. Depending on the length this may be the cheapest way to go when you consider the cost of grading into fixing the road.

It has to be crushed gravel though.

irvingj · Mar 18, 2009

When I built my house, I had a very talented one-eyed (no kidding!) dozer operator do the septic, driveway and major excavation. We were on a limited budget, so when he said that "the driveway was going to cost extra" I flinched but trusted his judgement-- we live on a north-facing slope, with springs uphill from my lot and a layer of clay about 3' below the surface.

What he did was:
1. Cut a drainage ditch into the slope near the top, leading diagonally away from the driveway into the woods (on rt, in photo)
2. Dug the driveway down about 3'
3. Added 350 tons (!!) of 5" stone, followed by 150 tons of "hard-pack." (Driveway is about 200' long.)

I thought it was overkill, but every spring it feels great to get off our muddy road and onto my solid driveway! I've also had to have it touched up only two or three times in 23 years- others in the same area have experienced major washouts. He did not use any fabric.

He also said we needed to put in foundation drains on BOTH the inside AND the outside of the footings, something I hadn't ever heard of... but have always enjoyed a dry cellar.

Bottom line, yes, it cost more, but was well spent money. He also explained, and I'm not sure why, that you can't fix a wet driveway by adding stone when it's wet-- stone will just keep sinking-- but if you do it in the fall, the same amount of stone will stay put. Anybody know why? It has certainly worked....

wedge40 · Mar 18, 2009

irvingj said:
When I built my house, I had a very talented one-eyed (no kidding!) dozer operator do the septic, driveway and major excavation. We were on a limited budget, so when he said that "the driveway was going to cost extra" I flinched but trusted his judgement-- we live on a north-facing slope, with springs uphill from my lot and a layer of clay about 3' below the surface.

What he did was:
1. Cut a drainage ditch into the slope near the top, leading diagonally away from the driveway into the woods (on rt, in photo)
2. Dug the driveway down about 3'
3. Added 350 tons (!!) of 5" stone, followed by 150 tons of "hard-pack." (Driveway is about 200' long.)

..

That is a nice looking driveway. Do you have to groom it often. I'm guessing the excavator isn't around anymore? Mine was not done right the first time and when I win the lottery I plan on tearing it up and starting over.

Wedge

Q-Saw · Mar 18, 2009

He also explained, and I'm not sure why, that you can't fix a wet driveway by adding stone when it's wet-- stone will just keep sinking--

That's what I'm afraid of - dumping a bunch of crushed stone (and money) an it still being not driveable.

Irving - great looking driveway, it looks like you've got a great location too.

- Marty