Has anyone used these before for a drive?  Are you happy

I’ve had a little experiment and made a base for an asgard with them and they seem solid and once the gravel is in (20mm fill with some 10mm sprinkled on top) you can’t see it.

I have a drive area which is a mix of old in poor condition concrete and a bit of grass I want to extend onto.

I don’t have the money to spend a fortune for block or resin, plus the gravel look would be in keeping with the house.

Neighbour is adamant gravel over contrete is a bad idea and I need to break the lot up.  Its mega deep and will cause alot of mess / cost.  Can the grids be used over concrete?  Manufactures website say yes, but I’d like to hear from anyone whose done it, and if it worked ok or not

And, any ideas how you would leave access for a drain?  I’m thinking just put the grid around it, and fill over with gravel and just expect to shovel the gravel out of the way if access is needed which will be a pain, but, its not something that needs regular access

Plus point with using gravel is you’ll keep drainage. You may need to anchor the gravel grids to the concrete to stop movement. We could ideally do with extending our drive sideways, but I don’t want to lose the grass/drainage, and the interlocking plastic grass grids look a good idea and or gravel.

I’ve got a broad gravel drive, but plenty of grass and weeds that need attention.

I’ve been looking into grids (and a membrane) as a proper solution.

From what I understand:

– they need to be installed on a flat base. Concrete would be ideal, or tamped down hardcore layer.

– membrane for weed control

– good grids are cheap, can be cut, interlock, and are generally held down by the weight of the gravel. There’s no harm in securing them to the base layer (pegs or bolts), but unneccessary.

– driveway will require edging

– allows good drainage

– gravel should be a certain size and shape to interlock, inside each of the grid squares, and provide rigidity.

– you can either top up the gravel level to the top of the grid, or 25mm above it. (I’d prefer the latter)

– you can work around existing stuff like the manhole covers, mains tap inspection bits (for us) etc. As long as you remember where they are…

– as with most things, the time and value is in the preparation.

– you can resin bond the gravel, but I don’t want to. It reduces permeability, and would make any alterations a pain in the ….

– as long as the gravel level is either flush with the grid, or 25mm max above it, then the surface should be strong and stable enough to support car as well as allow wheelchair, bike, pram wheel access.

A friend had this installed years ago in front and rear garden. They skimped on preparation, and the grids quickly settled into ruts where they parked the car. They used too much large gravel, which wasn’t stable enough and a pain to push pram through.

I’m also thinking of the same for a rear patio / seating area, as it should be more permeable than patio slab. I’d need to check whether it would be stable enough for garden chair feet (which sink into grass, at the moment).

I’m also thinking about whether it would also be a good solution for our small rear lawn, which looks like the Somme because the dog is permanently digging. I understand you can sow soil and grass seed (rather than gravel) through the grids. I’m not sure of the asethetics, and whether it would dissuade the dog…

There’s a really good installation series on YT

(670) How to install gravel parking Grids part 1 – YouTube 

They take up the tarmac/concrete first though.

I guess one thing to consider is that you might have different base on parts – if you keep the concrete bits and also install over soil / lawn area as well. You might get differential settlement. It’s probably not a big issue if you prepare the new areas with hard core, but something to consider if you are going to use resin bond.

It looks like a big job, and eminently DIY able. It also looks like a great excuse to hire a mini digger to prepare and flatten the base!

that’s useful thanks!

drive is flat but sloped.  was planning on some of those cobble type mats you can get for the edging.  the grass section I was planning on digging out and mot down for a base.  for the concrete I was going to just lay straight on top.

it seems a good solution, I’ve been nosing at all my neighbours drives and so far I’ve yet to see some in the wild.  well other than my asgard base.

I’m waiting for someone to come on with a horror story now 😉

I’ve been looking at them for a 40sq Mt project not as big as it sounds. Drive on a slight slope to house but enough to think about it and plan for drainage, also putting rain water into drains is hardly super.

Locked in/ retaining rain water is ideal for me or at least slowing it down. Cheapo ones are just cheap and deflect left to right under load. 2mm thick sides are the minimum I’m going to use on a base of mot1 compacted down well.

I regularly go to a unit for work that has them down 3tonne vans all day long and the only time they pop up or move is when someone drives right upon the edge of the  space ie the end of the grid as it grass after that.

No real loss of gravel but vans push it about so it’s definitely been topped up.

I’m just looking for good quality ones that have been made with recycled plastic.  comparing them to blocks that are Permeable is a no brainer cost wise and maintaining them with weeding.

Gravel not really great for a slope, have you costed Tarmac?

Yes it’s a NO from the boss.

In her defense we won’t be driving on it ever as we both park at the rear of the property in the garage.

The slope is 130mm over 7mts so bugger all really. I just want to stay under DPC on the house by as much as possible.

We’ve used these grids and their 25mm planks / 50mm posts for slopes, paths and shed bases and they have been great. Rammed MOT or scalpings to get levels first and minimise the dearer stone. Small angular stone packs tight in the grids.

https://www.kedel.co.uk/paving-ground-reinforcement-recycled-plastic/x-grids-ground-reinforcement-grids.html

DO NOT buy the Apollo grids from Toolstation – they are flimsy garbage.

As above the gravel needs to be crushed/angular, round material will go everywhere.

No experience of grids.

You could have a look at recessed inspection covers. Fiddle with heights and fill with gravel

I know two folk with them. Both parking areas and both have gone for grass works pretty well from a distance not noticeable.
Local park made an access road using it and it’s not worked. Was meant to be invisible but they might as well tarmacced it.

We used them out the front of the house when converting some of the lawn to parking. I might have gotten a bit carried away so we have a membrane and about 450mm of compacted type 1, grids and then gravel…

Been impressed, drains well, the weeds are all incredibly shallow rooted someday to pull and we hardly get any gravel spill onto the path which was something i really wanted to avoid. You can see the grids which is something to keep in mind if you expect a totally unobtrusive solution but I think it looks ok.

thanks all, I’ll do more research.  looks like could be springs big project

Slightly OT but where is a good place to buy gravel?

depends what you are looking for a suppose.  I want fairly standard normal looking stuff, no fancy colours or sizes.  my research most builders yards are pretty much the same price per ton bag, so it will probably come down to who does free delivery