Driveway surface

[silentC]

We're going through the throes of getting quotes and working out what to do with our driveway. It's a rural block and the driveway is about 100 metres long and about 3 metres wide (or will be). We have four options (not including the fifth which is to leave it as dirt and clay):

1. Crushed rock - $6,600
2. Spray seal (cold emulsion) - $8,500
3. Hot mix (asphalt) - $13,500
4. Concrete - $17,000

Obviously concrete would be the Rolls Royce surface, but it's a lot of dough (that we haven't got). I think the crushed rock is out when for another 2k we can have something that won't wash out.

The spray seal and the hot mix both need something done with the edges, so there would be extra materials and labour required over and above the quotes I got. But we would probably use a lot of bush rock that we can get for free and do it ourselves. Would maybe need a few pavers for where we need level access to paths etc.

My neighbour has the spray seal and he's happy with it.

Anyone got any comments? The drive is fairly flat, about a 1:40 fall across and about the same back to the house. If we use hot mix or spray seal, we'll do the entry ways (2 of) and a ramp in front of the garage with concrete.

[HappyHammer]

Are you suggesting 200 metres of bush rock to contain the seal or hot mix?

HH.

[silentC]

Give or take. We've already laid at least that much on garden borders around the place. My sister has a rock farm in the hills!

[HappyHammer]

Will the hot mix need to be rolled? If so how will you handle the uneven edge?

HH.

[silentC]

I'd do it after they have gone. They box it up, roll out the roadbase and spray or lay the surface, take away their boxing and then I finish the edges.

[SilentButDeadly]

Silent, ask your supplier if they can source recycled ashphalt. This is the old hot mix that is stripped off roads before they are resealed. Starts out looking like clumpy crusher dust but it compacts quite quickly and finishes up like a sealed road......it's good stuff.

[silentC]

OK I'll give them a call. They get their asphalt from Bairnsdale, which is about 4 hours away from here in Victoria. Not many people around these parts that do it, so it might be a tall order asking for something outside their normal range but it can't hurt to ask.

[SilentButDeadly]

Try asking Bega Shire Council who their road base contractors are. They have to get rid of this stuff somehow and someone local will know what they do with it. Perhaps Eden Quarries knows....?

[silentC]

They have to get rid of this stuff somehow

You're assuming they ever rip up and reseal! They bought a million dollar pothole fixing machine to replace the two guys with the shovels who used to do it. Some of the roads around here are 95% patched potholes....

[TEEJAY]

Concreting the length in 6 x 3m panels yourself is an option.

Seventeen panels required.

Costing:

Concrete say 6m x 3m x 0.1m conc at $150 cub = $270

Reo 6m x 3m x SL72 x $1400/t = $60

Edgeboard 3 x 90mm x 60mm laminated form timber + plastic + reo chairs + bobcat to prep site + compressible filler between panels + screed + broom (for finish) and a float - say $1000

EQUALS 17 x 330 + 1000 = $6600 say $7000.

Placing concrete is easy inside a well boxed edgeboard if your truck can back right up to the site.

Making this driveway would be a doddle if you are happy with a broom finish. To be honest I think the amount of work you would put into bushrocking the edge of a bitumin driveway would exceed the amount of work needed to level out the wet concrete and broom finish it by a fair bit.

I did my driveway here in 3m square panels (unreinforced) my driveway is 7m wide and 18m long - but insanity prevailed and I mixed mine onsite with an electic mixer - I don't recommend that - but just pushing the stuff around and screeding - bit of a trowel then broom finish is child's play. Yes my panels are small and it looks like a checkerboard but that is unimportant because I knew it would be largely damaged with the major works to follow (pool building - reshaping yard) and I will now do a topping skin and pave over mine.

Even if you did 2 panels a weekend - be done before you know it and only a few hours each morning taken up.

Personally I would do all the regular box shaped units myself then once at the house get a pro in to sort out this irregular shaped bit if I wasn't 100% satisfied with my work.

Recommend starting the driveway half way and working towards the road - by the time you reach the road you should be a concreting legend even in your sleep - then back to the middle and work towards the house.

Maybe this gives you one more option to at least consider.

[TEEJAY]

Silent, ask your supplier if they can source recycled ashphalt. This is the old hot mix that is stripped off roads before they are resealed. Starts out looking like clumpy crusher dust but it compacts quite quickly and finishes up like a sealed road......it's good stuff.

Maybe they do a better job these days, but 15 years ago, no make that 20 years ago we had 300 metres of this stuff put onto a track we had on our farm - it never looked better than aweful - yes some parts of it held together and looked okay (maybe10%) about 20% washed away as if it were lose gravel and really it stopped us getting bogged on the track, BUT . . . I can only say it would have to have improved alot since then to be anything worthwhile . . . maybe it has ??? Lose stones were easier to relevel than this stuff because it had the benefit of sticking together when you wanted to scape it flat and had the loseness of gravel when rain displaced it.

Another problem with it especially on clay was when it rained and you drove on it the soft clay would gobble up the bitumin leaving potholes - it was a pain for years - we tried solving it by getting more of the stuff and building up the layers with some success, but limited.

[silentC]

I poured my own drive in Sydney but it was only 6x6. Did it in 4 squares over two weekends and mixed it all with the mixer.

You're right, I hadn't really considered that option, probably for two reasons - one that I really need another major job to do on the weekends like I need a hole in the head, and two that I really, really hate concreting!!

But, yes I suppose I should consider it. I think our concrete prices down here are a bit more than $150 per cube but I suppose I should ring Boral and get a price.

But I really, really, really hate concreting.

[TEEJAY]

I poured my own drive in Sydney but it was only 6x6. Did it in 4 squares over two weekends and mixed it all with the mixer.

You're right, I hadn't really considered that option, probably for two reasons - one that I really need another major job to do on the weekends like I need a hole in the head, and two that I really, really hate concreting!!

But, yes I suppose I should consider it. I think our concrete prices down here are a bit more than $150 per cube but I suppose I should ring Boral and get a price.

But I really, really, really hate concreting.

You hate it because you mixed it yourself - when you don't have to shovel lift it but just push it around a bit and the stuff you get from a ready mix place is easier, normally smoother than home made stuff it is a lot easier.

One really big tip I have found concrete 3 times easier to place if the aggregate is 10mm max rather than the 20mm stuff - it's like icing a cake.

A lot easier than hauling bushrocks

[silentC]

A lot easier than hauling bushrocks

Ahh but I get my old man to do that!

[TEEJAY]

I'm presently about 2/3 of the way through my third 10 cubic metres of concrete blend for this place - all put through my electric mixer - makes about 95 tonnes of concrete - should be finished soon - well no later than end of next year anyway - got 100 sq m of paving to do too - I know what you mean about busy weekends . In your case near $10K is a lot to save.