We have moved into a new (to us) house and I have cleared a huge space for a drive. There is an existing drive that runs to the front of the house, which is big enough for two cars one behind each other.
I know have a space about 6 times the size. The current drive is concrete and gravelled over and all of the surronding area is gravelled over some sort of fabric.
So do I harcore before gravelling? Or do I concrete and gravel over?
What is the cheapest way to gravel this area? All the work will be done by me, with help from a few friends.
And show me your self made drives…

I’m not quite sure of what you’re describing? The fabric you are on about will no doubt be teram or similar which allows moisture thro but keeps the substrates seperate. Was this already down on the area you have cleared?

Unless one of your mates lays driveways for a living, sounds like you ought to have at least someone who does helping out. Not saying you will, but it’s possible to make a total pigs ear out of a driveway and you will waste a crap load of money and time. 😀

It depends what you want to drive on it, how firm the soil is and how much you are happy to spend to be confident you won’t have ever a problem, or whether you’d prefer to save now and patch it up if an when it was a problem.

The fabric will be a geotextile like Terram, designed to stop the soil migrating up into the gravel. Hardcore will do that as well but isn’t necessary if the soil is firm any you’re only running cars on it.

If you’re in England (there may be similar rules elsewhere), bear in mind the planning rules for drives – you have to make sure water will drain away and not onto the road:

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/pavingfrontgarden/

I have cleared a huge space for a drive.

I do sometimes wonder why I bother posting!

My advice would be to put ANYTHING but gravel down, and to get it done properly and done once. Gravel is a hateful material to have as a drive. People use it for one reason only – it’s a cheap, quick bodge.
It gets in the house, in the car, all over the road. You can’t stand a thing on it solidly, it attracts weeds, and anything small you drop on it disappears forever.

Double post

Personally I’d go for Block pavers, just because I like them. Hardcore base, sand and cement mix bed with the pavers laid on top. Two of us did a patio consisting of 2000 pavers (4 palettes) in a week.

Foot”overkill”flaps ? Or were you parking heavy trucks on it

😀

Each to there own we never ever had issues doing sand – whackerplate . Sand screed level lay.

Fudding hated laying them . Couldnt wear gloves and lay quick enough ( payed per sqm) so if it rained you lost your finger prints and looked like you were planning a heist !

Take her out for a drink…talk to her, make her feel like the most important human being in the world…

And phone her the next morning.

The advantage of the screed is you can stop halfway and still use everything you’ve laid (except for the very edge bricks), plus you can do 3D stuff eg ramps / dips for drains etc. I laid my patio with a 3 degree tilt so it drained onto the lawn (it was 5x5m, so a drainage was a concern).

EDIT: But yes, you could park a tank on my patio and it wouldn’t sink a mm!

Tried your local pikeys?

agree try your local pikeys.

Don’t go near the pikeys- have heard some horror stories from proper builders!
Our driveway has two runs of slabs on a sand/cement base. Added another 6 slabs where the car sits so when you get out its dry.. Laid them on a gravel base with sand on top. I was dubious about it but FIL said it should be fine.
After a month of heavy rain and the car too-ing and fro-ing its still level and secure..

Gravelling a drive,to drive on can be just as expensive has paving it.your gonna need at least 8inch of mot stone down and vibrated to stand the weight of cars,plus your gravel wich aint cheap,i get my blocks on trade at travis perkins from £9.50 a sqm,

your gonna need at least 8inch of mot stone down and vibrated to stand the weight of cars

My gravel is half on Terram (the bit I did) and half straight on the soil (done before I moved in) and in 20 years there has been no noticeable settlement. Of course, an inch or two and the gravel just levels itself with use. If I was using blocks or slabs I’d put stone down as any movement will be obvious / damaging.

Gravel is a hateful material to have as a drive. People use it for one reason only – it’s a cheap, quick bodge.

I like the noisy nature of it; always know when someone’s approaching. Gravel + security lights= opportunist burglars go elsewhere. Drainage is a lot better than dealing with paviour run-off on large areas/long drives.