Replacing or refurbishing a gravel driveway?

Brendan Burgess

Brendan Burgess

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I have a small driveway. Enough room for one car but plenty of space to walk around the car for example, to bring my bike in or put the bins out.

I got gravel put down on it a few years ago (10, maybe 15?). I have done no maintenance apart from weeding occasionally. But now it's very weedy and mossy. I get a burst of energy every so often and clear the biggest weeds, but the moss is difficult. It's particularly bad at the gate where there is a mix of weeds, moss and grass. When I pick up a piece of grass, a lot of the gravel comes away as well.

I was thinking of replacing it with concrete. But I had a look at some neighbours' driveways on my walk this morning, and they were nearly all cracked and often quite dirty.

The cobble lock and paved driveways (what is the difference?) look great when they are new but most of the older ones seemed weedy as well.

The tarmacadamed ones were horrible. Look terrible and very mossy.

So my current thinking is
1) Remove the current gravel and whatever is underneath - some large heavy duty membrane to keep weeds at bay.
2) Replace both.

Or should I just go mad with the Roundup and then top up the gravel?

An Irish Times piece on it doesn't even mention concrete and considers tarmac a good option.

www.irishtimes.com

Make an entrance: choosing the best surface for your driveway

Whether it’s tree-lined or a pocket-sized patch, picking the right finish adds to the appeal
www.irishtimes.com www.irishtimes.com
 
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This is what the Irish Times piece said about gravel.

Gravel:

• The pros are that it is cheap, easy to lay, offers good drainage, there is a good choice of material available and it blends well with the environment.

• Cons include the fact that it is susceptible to weeds, it moves when driven on, will need topping up, can sink and create puddles and cats may use it as a litter tray.

The drainage is a concern. I do have a garden and don't like seeing houses where the garden is completely replaced by concrete so that there is no water run-off.

In the past I had to clear dog or cat dirt, but it hasn't been a problem recently.
 
I have never seen a gravel drive have puddles or be used as a litter tray (anymore than normal). How do puddles even form on gravel, unless it is compacted and dips allowed to form. I.e. zero maintenance.

If you put in concrete etc as part of a bigger job requiring planning permission, the CoCos have taken to require a french drain be built and rain water runoff goes into it.
 
I like gravel, well it's more I dislike tarmac and the weeding of cobble lock seems worse considering what you have to pay for it! I like the printed concrete stuff but don't know really how well it weathers.

Anyway I spray my gravel usually twice a year, around now and again later in summer, I intend topping up one side of L shaped drive shortly as it's very compacted and needs a bit extra, the other part of the L was done last year when I took out a sticking out grass bit of neither use nor ornament so had to gravel over that. I have no membrane under it and I don't know if it matters because the weeds/moss will root in the upper layer of gravel anyway.

The biggest dislike I have of gravel is the little stones with sharp edges getting stuck in people's runners and put cuts in my old kitchen vinyl, it was destroyed from them, I don't have wood floors so don't know if it is affected. When I did up kitchen I put in vinyl tiles which has solved the problem as not as soft as vinyl.
 
A good non-woven geotextile under the gravel will prevent most of the weeds occurring. A lot of the more common woven membranes you see will allow weeds through over time. Gravel retaining systems (like this or this) often have the textile bonded.
 
Spray it/remove what you can. Top it up if required with a ton bag of the same gravel, I’ve done this in my current and previous house. The fresh gravel works well but spray it and remove what you can. It’s easy enough to spread the gravel yourself. Last time I hit a ton bag delivered I think it was around 90-110 euro but prices are probably higher now
 
Hi Leo

I like the geotextile suggestion

I have seen these
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and I don't like them. I presume the whole idea is that you should not see them.

Brendan
 
I have gravel in my driveway and gravel around my raised vegetable beds and gravel on a small back garden patio area. I am a big fan of gravel.

You can get a ton or half ton delivered from the patio centre in Killiney area.

I have about two inches of sand beneath my gravel and about two inches of gravel on top.

I rake all beds about three times a year to freshen up the look.

We seldom get weeds/seedlings in it....but when we do we just give it a once over with the hoe or hand pick the deeper rooted seedlings.

The area near our gate also gets a lot of grass/weeds growing on it. We just pour some weed killer on it.
 
if you're getting a lot of moss and puddles; drainage is your main problem. geotextiles are ok, but they eventually break down; the grids get good reviews & gravel is relatively cheap and generally looks well outside most urban houses. some folks are very keen on the printed concrete, not a fan myself.
 
Brendan Burgess said:
So my current thinking is
1) Remove the current gravel and whatever is underneath - some large heavy duty membrane to keep weeds at bay.
Click to expand...

I've done this (about 4 years ago) and only have the very occasional weed. I put down 3 layers of weed block membrane (criss-crossed). Any weeds that do appear (usually at the edges), I find a kettle of boiling water the best way to kill them.
 
Hi Brendan,

You might benefit from having a read of www.pavingexpert.com as it is very informative. Found it on AAM some years ago.

You appear keen to keep the gravel which I am not a big fan of because what I see as the untidyness of it :)

We started off with concrete which cracked and was horrible.

We then had cobble lock and would have to say that it is lovely in the early days but far too expensive, high maintenance and the weeds come through when it is power washed. The extra job of then replacing the sand which can work out expensive is a pain.

Presently have tarmacadam which has been a big success and we are sorry that we did not get it long ago. It was expensive but worth it. Imperative to get the proper contractor. So far its maintenance free.

The imprinted concrete can get cracks if not done properly and needs resealing every few years so again high maintenance.
 
I had not heard of imprinted concrete.

Imprinted concrete driveways, sometimes known as stamped concrete driveways, are driveways made to resemble stone or brickwork. Instead of using individual blocks to create your finished result, a layer of concrete is poured, and the colour is applied, along with a colour hardener. To create the desired outcome, the wet concrete then has a pattern mat applied to it to form an imprint. This is where you have a choice of designs to choose from which will give your driveway the appearance of brickwork or stone, without the associated costs. Finally, a gloss or matt sealant is applied to give a hard-wearing finish to the surface.

Advantages of an Imprinted concrete driveway ​

Aesthetically pleasing ​

Perhaps one of the most significant advantages of imprinted concrete driveways is the beauty it offers. For owners of simple homes, or for those who want to spruce up their driveway, imprinted concrete can add style and personality.

Easy to maintain ​

Imprinted concrete driveways are very easy to maintain. Due to it being one uniform surface, weeds and plants are not able to find any gaps to grow out of. This means there’s no need to worry about spending your free time trying to keep your driveway neat and tidy. While imprinted concrete may require re-sealing every couple of years, it requires little to no maintenance otherwise.

It looks good new. But if it cracks the way other concrete drives crack, then I don't see it as much of an advantage.
 
I love the imprinted concrete but it has to be done well and still not sure how well it would weather. Someone I know has it as the paths around a house, so much nicer than just concrete paths. I wouldn't spend the money on it anyway as I have a very big driveway.

I'm not a fan of tarmac once it weathers either, lovely when it's nice and black but not so nice when it goes greyish and patchy looking. My father had a big drive in/drive out circular driveway all tarmac but over time there were a few repairs needed then the water meters showed up a leak somewhere so a trench had to be dug across it so it's messy looking now in my opinion.
 
I have some shore covers in my garden. I have then covered with gravel. When I need to access them I just brush the gravel off and then back on again when I am finished.
 
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