shoulder for concrete driveway?

Jenn · #1 02/19/12, 06:54 AM

It's been a year since the UPS man would drive up our gravel driveway. Cement is drying now and I see once the forms are off we will have square edges raised 4" or whatever above ground which slopes away quick- it was already raised above our wooded/damp area.

ADvice on easy way to protect those edges from the inevitable folks who will drive off them? (DH says 'drive right!' but we got teens and he hasn't been retired long enough to know how varied the skill of delivery folk are- they're the ones who rutted the gravel to start with).

Do we need cement sloping away? How to attach? Grass'd be great but tough to keep alive- wouldn't gravel just fall away? Would our local red clay do much good?

Thanks for ideas and comments.

**Ross** · #2 02/19/12, 07:35 AM

How about two or three rows of reclaimed red brick sloping away?

"SPIKE" · #3 02/19/12, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jenn

It's been a year since the UPS man would drive up our gravel driveway. Cement is drying now and I see once the forms are off we will have square edges raised 4" or whatever above ground which slopes away quick- it was already raised above our wooded/damp area.

ADvice on easy way to protect those edges from the inevitable folks who will drive off them? (DH says 'drive right!' but we got teens and he hasn't been retired long enough to know how varied the skill of delivery folk are- they're the ones who rutted the gravel to start with).

Do we need cement sloping away? How to attach? Grass'd be great but tough to keep alive- wouldn't gravel just fall away? Would our local red clay do much good?

Thanks for ideas and comments.

It sounds like this should have been addressed with the person who just poured the drive. The forms at the edges could have been dug into the ground, so the edges tapered into the ground without the concrete being poured thinner there. You can still come back and pour concrete if you wish to. If you do, there should be rebar pins drilled into the existing concrete that will stick into what you pour new at the edges. That would help insure they did not seperate in the future.
I can not see what you are working with, so I can not say for sure.
But it sounds like you need to do something or the edge will for sure get damaged.
You could add rock, but it may wash away some and it will for sure get into the grass and be a problem when mowing.
You could add dirt and then sod over it.
You could add a short decorative fence that you know for sure will be damaged sooner or later. LOL
You could install bricks or pavers at the edge.
I guess it depends on the look you want and the money you have to spend.

SPIKE

fordy · #4 02/19/12, 09:40 AM

..................I can't see it either , but it sounds like the concrete was formed too control the flow of the runoff from rain storms ! Rather than form a "curb' on the outer edge I would have lowered the center of the drive which will increase the the velocity of the runoff , and then deal with the runoff at the exit point .
..................I've never understood why folks will pour a driveway up too their home and not build extra wide places where it is obvious that a vehicle needs extra width too execute a turn without running off into the grass . , fordy

jwal10 · #5 02/19/12, 04:31 PM

Sounds like the shoulders are too narrow, Now is the time to build them up and widen them with gravel just like any paved road. It will pack in....James

Ozarks Tom · #6 02/19/12, 06:54 PM

Lots of workable ideas given here. If it was me, I'd just put a small sign up saying "Stay On The Concrete!"

rambler · #7 02/19/12, 10:50 PM

A picture would sure help, hard to understand exactly what you have going on there, but the side lip of a concrete driveway would typically be filled with gravel like any good county road, a bit of a gravel shoulder.

Dirt is ok esp if you can get grass growing on it, but it will get pounded away quickly if many drive on it, an assuming you have a nice crowned driveway or any hills it will wash away even quicker then it becomes a poor choice.

The paving brick isn't a bad idea, but probably spendy and they will want to move a bit too....

If this is a rougher area not pretty lawn, and you are concerned about water washing things out, some crushed rock or crushed concrete (2 or 3 inch) will end any erosion problem you have, if those are kinda big or ugly for your liking then top it off with an inch or 2 of regular gravel. The big pieces will stop erosion, the gravel will lock in it and last a long time as a nice smooth cover.

I'd not think you need to pave a wider shoulder, thet's what the driveway pavement is for.

--->Paul

wheeezil · #8 02/19/12, 11:02 PM

railroad ties,used telephone poles

Coloneldad5 · #9 02/20/12, 12:14 AM

Probably the cheapest way would be to bring in "road base" material. This is a gravel/dirt mix that is often used for the foundational road base when building roads/highways. When packed down it will stand up to a lot but depending upon the grade and such could be susceptable to runoff issues.

More expensive approach would be the 'bricks' as suggested above. You can get old used bricks or purchase landscaping bricks that will work find for this purpose.

The cheapest is to just pile up the dirt and go with that. It'll work fine in most cases. Letting grass grow as it can/will can help keep the runoff issues minimal. You just might have to acknowledge that it won't grow great, but is that really an issue?

blooba · #10 02/20/12, 07:15 AM

This will keep them on the driveway.
shoulder for concrete driveway? - Homesteading Questions

Bentley · #11 02/20/12, 08:51 AM

Are those spikes
little warheads?

he he

B

Jenn · #12 02/20/12, 09:26 AM

We were thinking of the wood like railroad ties next to the drive- have some fallen trees on the property we can carry, can bring in more. Thanks all- will see if DH can get a photo but think you all understood the main issue.

dirtman · #13 02/20/12, 09:35 AM

I would spread crushed limestone about two feet out from the concrete. hand tamp it. It will kind of lock together and not wash away. If you have clay it will eventually work its way in and may have to be touched up every now and then. The thing about getting gravel or sand or stone delivered is that alot of the cost is in the trucking so get the largest load you can, typically 10 yards, and have some in reserve.

"SPIKE" · #14 02/20/12, 09:51 AM

If you get anything delivered by truck, make sure to tell them to stay off the new drive until the concrete cures a bit! Do not want any "OOOOOPPS"

SPIKE

farmerj · #15 02/20/12, 10:10 AM

whoever installed the concrete should have finished it to grade. You never said if you did it yourself or what.

If you put in road gravel, it's likely you'd never get grass to grow. We just backfilled with dirt from the yard from the high spots to edge the driveway. Yeah, they did the work, but after the first winter, it's amazing how much things settle with rain/freeze cycles.

mfranch · #16 02/20/12, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jenn

It's been a year since the UPS man would drive up our gravel driveway. Cement is drying now and I see once the forms are off we will have square edges raised 4" or whatever above ground which slopes away quick- it was already raised above our wooded/damp area.

ADvice on easy way to protect those edges from the inevitable folks who will drive off them? (DH says 'drive right!' but we got teens and he hasn't been retired long enough to know how varied the skill of delivery folk are- they're the ones who rutted the gravel to start with).

Do we need cement sloping away? How to attach? Grass'd be great but tough to keep alive- wouldn't gravel just fall away? Would our local red clay do much good?

Thanks for ideas and comments.

look for 1/2 or 5/8 cruched granite, it packs nice and allows moisture to seep away.