Gravel Driveway Advice Needed

We've got a gravel driveway that's about, I don't know, a few hundred feet. It's a mess, and we're going to get it redone, you know, levelled, packed, new gravel, etc. We looked into getting a concrete curb poured and it's a FORTUNE. Does anyone have any lower cost ideas for separating the driveway from the grass? Forget Railroad ties--we've got them from 15 years ago and they're a wreck, rotten and not in a line anymore....
 
We've had the same sort of discussion here from time to time Cynthia. We put in an engineered gravel driveway a few years ago after a big renovation job. It's a mix of 3/4 inch crushed granite and crusher dust, which locks the material together very well.
I've thought about a concrete edge and may do that yet, but it's way down the list. The driveway per se is only about 100 feet long though, then opens up into a bigger yard.
I maintain the edge with an annual application of Round-up, following a mason's line with a hand garden sprayer. Works great and it's very innocuous stuff, non-residual.
I have been accused (unfairly!) of being anal about keeping mud and organic material (manure) off the gravel driveway, but I think this keeps it from becoming progressively muddy over the long term. I also keep a couple of buckets of crusher dust around for winter grit purposes.
Good luck.
Peter
 
A good part of mine is done using crusher run, a mix of course and fines. Some of the older parts with the loose gravel I have grass issues, but not with the area that has the crusher run.
 
Mine is crush and run. Little over an 1/8th of a mile. Grass grows up the middle. Have a couple of sink holes that I continually fill. Have been reading about the geo textile stuff that is supposed to work miracles. About six years ago I put $1,000.00 worth of grave on top and built a parking area. Have been doing some research on the ground up black top. Have a student on my bus route his family put up a modular home and with little to no base put their ground up blacktop drive down. I guess it is going on three years and no problems. Mine I have a lot of horse travel, heavy tractor, heavy trucks so a little maintenance is to be expected. It is a constant issue that if handled when the holes start they don't grow. My problem is people wanting to drive fast. Fast starts and stopping really creates washboards and holes.
 
As other have stated, "constant issue" and regular use of Roundup. I choose to let my place look quite natural. I don't live on a golf course and don't want to. Only real downside to my gravel drive are the large rocks under the crush. They migrate to the surface and can be real ankle twisters if I'm no careful.
 
I'm no expert, but I don't think Roundup is the best chemical to use. Roundup is for killing the weeds/grass/whatever has already grown into an area, but it won't keep thing from growing back. You can spray with Roundup and then replant in a couple days. You want to get a weed killer/soil sterilizer for a driveway or anywhere you do not want anything to grow. There several brands available. Your local farm supply store will sell some.
 
Roundup only works on growing things and dissipates quite quickly. In order to keep things from growing, you need a 'pre-emergent' weed preventer.

If anyone has any tips on a good granular pre-emergent, I'd be interested. I've used some spray stuff in the past, it's a bit expensive, but it really seemd to help keep the weeds down last year on our drive.
 
Jonathan, I used the Geotextile as a barrier between the earth and the gravel. I noticed at work whenever the track department replaced a RR crossing they would lay the geotextile fabric a 100 ft either side of the crossing, and then proceed from there to finish the road crossing. I ask the civil engineer for that department why the fabric. He stated it acts as a barrier between the earth and the ballast and keeps the track from pumping the mud up through the stone, hence a smoother crossing and track bed. Next time you go over a crossing look for mud pumped up between the ties, if so no fabric undrneath and a rough crossing.

Also one benifit is you can get by with a lot less stone/gravel base. Have a great day. Michael
 
As other have stated, "constant issue" and regular use of Roundup. I choose to let my place look quite natural. I don't live on a golf course and don't want to. Only real downside to my gravel drive are the large rocks under the crush. They migrate to the surface and can be real ankle twisters if I'm no careful.

Another Round-up user here. I usually have to hit it several times a Summer.

Mine, like yours - and Steve's - had the topsoil removed, and a larger rock (call 'em "goonies" here) underlay, with the gravel on top. Mine is a mix of 3/4 minus and 1/4 minus, so it's compacted pretty well. I can even plow it in Winter with minimal damage.

The frost heave, after 20 years, is bringing the goonies up to the surface, though, and you're right - they're ankle twisters/busters. One got the wife this July, and she was hurting for pretty much the rest of the Summer as a result.
 
With the weather that we have here on the island Cynthia there isn't much that can be done at this time of year. next summer you could get pitrun ( it is a good road base mix that all gravel yards sell it) and then run a plate compactor over it and that might help but with the rain and the cycles of cold and hot you have in your area it will not stay without potholes for long. Wish that there was an easy answer.
 
I use Roundup for a very good reason. I get the concentrate free. :D
A relative is in the professional, large scale, herbicide business and gives it to me by the gallon.

Now that's a good deal. We buy the big jugs of it at Costco, and it aint cheap... :thumb:
 
Now that's a good deal. We buy the big jugs of it at Costco, and it aint cheap... :thumb:

Brent,

There's a low cost long term solution. Most plants need some Boron, but if they get too much, they simply can't grow. Ever wonder why clay tennis courts don't grow weeds? Back in the day, they mixed boron into the clay, and never had a problem (not sure what they use now). And there's a super cheap source: 20 mule team borax. You may be able to find big boxes of it at costco.

Word of caution: the stuff works a little too well. Once you get the right concentration, nothing will grow there for years. Seriously, years. And if tree roots find it, the trees are done. Unless, of course, you don't have enough Boron in the soil. Like, say, if you lived in New Zealand. There's an old story that says they tried to use Boron to kill some trees there. They got the chemical balance just right, and the trees grew like weeds! ;)

Thanks,

Bill
 
Interesting. Been to the old borax works in Death valley several times. The amount of work those guys went through to get that mineral is pretty overwhelming.

I'll have to check on it. Our main problem is things like tumbleweeds and sagebrush. Pretty hardy plants. I can't remember the stuff we used last time, but it seems to have done a pretty good job so far. I've got a 15 gallon tank with an electric sprayer mounted on the back of the garden tractor. I use that to do a couple of roundups a year, along with a pre-emergent right before spring...

With the amount of gravel we have, it can take several tank loads to get every thing taken care of.

Brent,

There's a low cost long term solution. Most plants need some Boron, but if they get too much, they simply can't grow. Ever wonder why clay tennis courts don't grow weeds? Back in the day, they mixed boron into the clay, and never had a problem (not sure what they use now). And there's a super cheap source: 20 mule team borax. You may be able to find big boxes of it at costco.

Word of caution: the stuff works a little too well. Once you get the right concentration, nothing will grow there for years. Seriously, years. And if tree roots find it, the trees are done. Unless, of course, you don't have enough Boron in the soil. Like, say, if you lived in New Zealand. There's an old story that says they tried to use Boron to kill some trees there. They got the chemical balance just right, and the trees grew like weeds! ;)

Thanks,

Bill
 
Brent,

There's a low cost long term solution. Most plants need some Boron, but if they get too much, they simply can't grow. Ever wonder why clay tennis courts don't grow weeds? Back in the day, they mixed boron into the clay, and never had a problem (not sure what they use now). And there's a super cheap source: 20 mule team borax. You may be able to find big boxes of it at costco.

Word of caution: the stuff works a little too well. Once you get the right concentration, nothing will grow there for years. Seriously, years. And if tree roots find it, the trees are done. Unless, of course, you don't have enough Boron in the soil. Like, say, if you lived in New Zealand. There's an old story that says they tried to use Boron to kill some trees there. They got the chemical balance just right, and the trees grew like weeds! ;)

Thanks,

Bill

Interesting. I could probably use it up around my shop, but further down I've got trees on each side of the drive, good tip though! :thumb:
 
Wow what an education. Thanks.
I am clueless to the cost but what ballpark would a 100 ft of asphalt run at?



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Not sure what it runs today Rob but about 10 years ago I put in about 230 feet of driveway plus 2 20 foot parking spots. It ran about $3500. Probably up to around $5000 today:dunno: My gravel driveway was way too time consuming to maintain.
 
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