What to Put on a Gravel Road to Control Dust

[ultrarunner]

In Olympia I’m at the end of a gravel road and every spring I would wheel barrow rock and tamp pot holes…

The sad part was my BX23 was 850 miles away!

I offered to pay the owner for upkeep but he declined and that went for having some extra rock delivered but he was most appreciative of fill and tamping the potholes…

Sadly he passed last year at 85 and I have yet to meet the new owner… home was on the market one day…

 

[bdhsfz6]

Also, you mentioned property values. Unless you are actively trying to sell, you want your value as low as possible, for lower insurance and lower taxes. Then, when starting the sale plan, maybe you do spend a few hundred on the road, but until then, you're not helping yourself.

I think the property value issue varies with location. Around here anyway, property reassessments for tax purposes are done every 20 years or so. Unless it's a reassessment year, how your place looks has little to do with taxes. It does make a difference if you're trying to borrow money using the land as collateral though.

Again, I'm sure this varies depending on where you live but here, if your place looks like a dump, your insurance rates are higher. If it looks bad enough, the insurance company will refuse to write a policy.

A decade or so ago, a development across the valley had an issue with their private road. No one wanted to pay for maintenance and there were no homeowners with the expertise or equipment to do it. The road got so bad, everyone needed 4WD vehicles to get in and out. USPS, UPS and others, refused to make deliveries. Several homeowner policies were cancelled due to the lack of police, fire and ambulance access. Some moved away and took a beating on the resale. The ones who stayed eventually got together and paid a contractor to do road work.

Until the land development laws are changed in this county, anyone building on a privately maintained road does so at their own peril.

 

[paulsharvey]

"Until the land development laws are changed in this county, anyone building on a privately maintained road does so at their own peril."

Here, I believe the new max is 3 homes on an easement, and I think it's a 40 ft min width Now, I'm sure there are exemptions for private, community maintained, though an HOA, POA, PUD, ect organization.

I think they are wanting to move more towards MSTU/MSBU set up. Municipal Service Taxing Unit; IE, county, generally rural residential, but you pay additional taxes for the higher level of service, such as roads, a local fire station, increased LEO patrols, ect. You want your MSTU road paved, fine, 66% vote for it, they pave it, and you get a special assessment tax of $15,000; with the choice of paying $15,000 now; $8000 this year and next; or a tax lean and eventually forced sale... The down side; you don't want it paved, and you can't afford it, but it passes anyways, there goes your house...

The problem is many of these subdivisions, locally, where platted and all in the 70s; and nothing ever built. So, they don't have much planning

 

[LouNY]

"Until the land development laws are changed in this county, anyone building on a privately maintained road does so at their own peril."

Here, I believe the new max is 3 homes on an easement, and I think it's a 40 ft min width Now, I'm sure there are exemptions for private, community maintained, though an HOA, POA, PUD, ect organization.

I think they are wanting to move more towards MSTU/MSBU set up. Municipal Service Taxing Unit; IE, county, generally rural residential, but you pay additional taxes for the higher level of service, such as roads, a local fire station, increased LEO patrols, ect. You want your MSTU road paved, fine, 66% vote for it, they pave it, and you get a special assessment tax of $15,000; with the choice of paying $15,000 now; $8000 this year and next; or a tax lean and eventually forced sale... The down side; you don't want it paved, and you can't afford it, but it passes anyways, there goes your house...

The problem is many of these subdivisions, locally, where platted and all in the 70s; and nothing ever built. So, they don't have much planning

"Planning" is governmental control by unelected bureaucratic twits.

 

[paulsharvey]

"Planning" is governmental control by unelected bureaucratic twits.

Yeah, but its not without its place.

 

[paulsharvey]

So, forgive the AI response, I'm not posting out of laziness, I'm posting it because it brings up a product I'd never heard of, and am unfamiliar with. I dont vouch for it being effective or anything, but it might be worth doing a couple minutes of "google-fu" on.

Lignin Sulfonate:** A byproduct of paper mills, binds dust for 6–12 months. Check local availability from paper mills for bulk discounts.

# **Cost Comparison Table**
| Method | Cost per Mile (Est.) | Duration | Notes |
|----------------------|----------------------|----------------|----------------------------------------|
| Salt Brine | $50–$100 | 2–4 weeks | DIY-friendly, low environmental risk |
| Lignin Sulfonate | $300–$800 | 6–12 months | Bulk discounts possible |
| Molasses Spray | $100–$200 | 1–2 months | Biodegradable, sticky residue |
| Gravel Fines Addition| $200–$500 | 6–12 months | Requires regrading |
| Enzyme Stabilizers | $500–$1,500 | 6–12 months | Eco-friendly, long-term |

 

[paulsharvey]

Now, in my experience, something like a paper mill is unlikely to deal with a private citizen, and they very well might want to control their waste stream cradle to grave for liability reasons. I just have trouble seeing a regular guy calling Georgia Pacific and asking about getting a IBC tote or a 500 gal water Buffalo (small tanker trailer), of a digester waste product....

 

[deezler]

Sounds like some speed bumps would cut down the dust, haha.

Dust control is part of why I like to have clean washed stone as my driveway surface. The fines are the dust. Washed stone isn't nearly as dusty when dry. But I am lucky, only my own house on my 1000' mile driveway. We just keep it to 10mph.

 

[Topzide]

A 2/3 majority on paving a road that puts you in a higher tax situation doesn't fly in most areas. You would need 100% agreement on making that change. Have seen that battle take place around me. Then there is the other problem that if it's a dead-end road, it must have a cul-de-sac for the turnaround area. If that is not platted, who will lose property to make it possible? There are lots of variables on issues like that. Most issue like this have deed attachments that state owners are responsible for maintaining from their property to allow free and clear access at all times and at their own expense.
Another product for dirt lanes/roads is Perma-Zyme. Has a lot of uses beside just roads. Something else to look at.

 

[paulsharvey]

A 2/3 majority on paving a road that puts you in a higher tax situation doesn't fly in most areas. You would need 100% agreement on making that change. Have seen that battle take place around me. Then there is the other problem that if it's a dead-end road, it must have a cul-de-sac for the turnaround area. If that is not platted, who will lose property to make it possible? There are lots of variables on issues like that. Most issue like this have deed attachments that state owners are responsible for maintaining from their property to allow free and clear access at all times and at their own expense.
Another product for dirt lanes/roads is Perma-Zyme. Has a lot of uses beside just roads. Something else to look at.

In some MSBU/MSTU, it only requires a simple majority.

On easements, as always it varies a Lot, but often/i would almost say Generally, you only Allow the access, you have no obligation to maintain