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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 11:55 am
by brett_sinclair
Hi

Apologies in advance if I sound like some idiot that has no idea what I am doing.... that's because I am!!

My old gravel drive has become really muddy over the years and I am going to dig it all up and some lawn to make it a bit bigger.

It will be about 140m2

This site is really useful so I've got the basics, I'm going to put down 100mm of compacted type 1 (25 tonnes) and then about 50mm of 20mm gravel (12 tonnes)

We like the look of some granite kerbs for the edging and so from here it looks like I should dig down to a similar level (150mm ish) and set the kerbs in concrete

But we'd like to set some granite setts over the entrance of the drive as well, where the tarmac from the road meets our gravel drive (to stop the gravel from going all over the road and to look good) these would be driven over so I'm not sure how to bed them in so:
- do I put them in the same depth of concrete as the kerb but push the sett in so it is only slightly raised off the surface like a rumble strip?
- Or do I create a concrete base but set the setts on top of that with mortar?
- What about pointing between the sets, mortar again?
- if mortar what mix should I use to be strong enough?

Thanks for your help

Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 2:28 pm
by Tony McC

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 12:54 pm
by brett_sinclair
That's great thanks I think I know what to do on that part now then.

One other thing I'm not sure about though is that I was going to lay a membrane under the type 1 in the hope that over the years I won't get all the mud mixing up as it has now (although the drive has been there for 40 years so it has done pretty well!)

I was going to drive some pegs in marked With the depths of the type1 and gravel etc adjusted for the fall etc.but how does that work if you use a membrane? Obviously its ok while I'm excavating but then I'll have to take out all the pegs to lay down the membrane won't I? Or do I cut slits in the membrane for the pegs (kinda defeats the object though doesn't it?)

Any ideas? Thanks in advance...

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 1:28 pm
by lutonlagerlout
use the pegs for digging out
once you install your membrane use either a string line or laser level for your type 1 etc
cheers LLL

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 8:16 pm
by brett_sinclair
Thanks for your help, thats much appreciated!