Gravel and slab driveway - Starting from scratch

[kevjacko]

Hi Gents. I'm totally new to the site, found it whilst browsing 'how to' s' on Google.
To cut a long story short, I have just finished renovating and extending a 1950's semi. House looks great, and just completed 65 meters of side and rear fencing using concrete posts, gravel boards, and panels which looks the dogs nuts.
My problem, as is often the case, I have an 80 square meter front and side drive to build which I have little budget for. Sooooo here's the plan.
I'm going to construct the drive from gravel and slabs. That is put slabs down where cars will go, and gravel in between. The slabs are being reclaimed from a nearby demolition site, I will jet wash, wire brush, and clean them. The gravel I have someone selling a job lot for £40, The pin Kerbs for the edges I can also get from the demolition site.
I'm anxious to get the base right this is where I need help I'm planning to.
1 Scrape out land
2 whack down
3 lay sub base in line where the flags will go. (Whack down)
4 lay dolomite over whole drive area.(Whack down)
5 lay concrete bedding layer for flags
6 lay flags on top (these will be single lines)
7 Add breathable membrane to remaining are to be gravelled (is this adequate for drainage)
8 gravel remaining area this will be pedestrian only.

I'm not scared of hard work, and am pretty good with my hands. it's just taken me a year to do the house, I take my time and advice from professional's which is why I'm posting here. So can anyone tell me if I'm on the right lines or miles off course. Any more details I will happily provide.
I have had a price for the groundwork, ( no grabs needed as there is some backfilling to do) of £520 that is also to scrape out and level front and back gardens.
Cheers
Kev

[Tony McC]

What's the difference between dolomite and sub-base? They are the same thing, surely?

Why lay a "breathable membrane" on *top* of a sub-base? Waste of time and money - see this page

[kevjacko]

So am I right in thinking then. Starting from the bottom up.

1 membrane across gravel areas only on top of sub grade.
2 hard core where the flags are going to lie whacked and grit sanded
3 suitable sub base such as MOT 1 (is that the same as dolomite?) across the whole area whacked.
4 concrete bed for flags (no dot and dabbling allowed)
5 gravel straight on top of MOT1

Any helpful advice greatly appreciated.

[Tony McC]

Why are you using a "membrane"? If there is a good reason to do so, fair enough, but then it should cover the *entire* prepared sub-grade, not just patches of it. That's not how geo-textiles function.

However, if you're using one simply because you think you should, then it's probably not required.

Lay ONE sub-base covering the whole area. Dolomite of the right grading is an acceptable sub-base material.
Lay flags onto mortar or concrete bed using a bond bridge
Top-up sub-base material between and around flags to bring it up to within 25-35mm of the finished pavement level.
Cover exposed sub-base with decorative gravel.

[kevjacko]

Thanks for that Tony, I will be following your advice.
I'm really anxious to get the base right. I'm going to rethink the membrane. Dilemma I have is that there is a knackered old concrete drive to the front of the property the condition of which has to seen to be believed, and the thickness questionable. However I don't know what's underneath it as yet. Meanwhile the side is soil which is really soft underfoot. When we bought the house there was a shallow root hedgegrow some 3 meters wide and 35 meters long running down the border line. When we pulled it out the soil is really luscious and soft. To the extent I'm thinking of asking the local allotment holders if they want to come and help themselves.
It's the softness of this ground that concerns me and offers up the question of the membrane.
Cheers again
Kev

[seanandruby]

If your thinking of including the area where the topsoil is in your drive them it will all have to go. Get down to a sound sub grade. Remove any soft spots and organic matter