7 Driveways and parking
The whole driveway job, from planning to upkeep, with the top layer in focus: loose gravel, compacted gravel, gravel grids, grass grids, block paving and concrete. The stone underneath is in chapter 3.
- 7.1Planning a driveway or parking spaceSize, turning room, slope, falls and drainage, ground and services. Decide them before you dig.
- 7.2Loose gravel drivewayA thin loose layer of clean angular gravel on a compacted base. Quick to build, drains, needs raking.
- 7.3Compacted gravel drivewayA path or drive without paving. 75–100 mm of 0–8 or 0–16 mm crushed stone with fines.
- 7.4Gravel grid drivewayPlastic honeycomb grids filled with angular gravel, so the drive does not rut or scatter.
- 7.5Reinforced grass parkingGrids filled with sandy soil and grass, for occasional and overflow parking, not every day.
- 7.6Block paving drivewayConcrete pavers in herringbone on sand and a stone base, held by a firm edge.
- 7.7Concrete drivewayA ready-mixed slab on a thin stone base, jointed into panels and cured for a week.
- 7.8Edging a drivewayKerbs and edgings set in concrete, spiked edging and a paved strip at the street.
- 7.9Maintaining a gravel drivewayPotholes, ruts, washboarding, crown, topping up and winter care.
Which surface? top layer
| Surface | Top layer | Good for | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.2 Loose gravel | Crushed, washed, medium size such as 8–16 mm, thin loose layer | Low cost, quick, lets water through | Scatters and forms waves; poor on slopes and for wheelchairs |
| 7.3 Compacted gravel | 0–16 mm crushed with fines, compacted | A firm, bound surface without paving | Needs a crown so water runs off; ruts if it stays wet |
| 7.4 Gravel grid | Grid filled with 2–8 or 4–8 mm washed, angular | Gravel look without ruts or spreading; permeable | Keep the slope under 5 % |
| 7.5 Reinforced grass | Grid filled with sandy soil and grass | Green surface for occasional parking | Grass dies under cars parked for long periods |
| 7.6 Block paving | Pavers 60–80 mm on 0–4 mm sand | Hard and even; blocks can be lifted and relaid | Needs a firm edge on every side |
| 6.2 Permeable paving | Pavers with grit joints on 2–8 mm grit | Rain soaks away through the drive | Deeper dig; clean stone base, no fines |
| 7.7 Concrete | Slab 100 mm for cars, cast in panels | Hard, flat and long-lived | One continuous pour; cannot be stopped halfway |
Each row is a summary of its page, where the numbers and their sources are. Downsides of loose gravel and grass from the UK government guidance on front gardens.
The base does the work
Whatever the surface, a car is carried by the compacted stone underneath: 0–32 mm crushed with fines (3.2), or clean 4–20 mm stone where the drive must let rain through (6.2). The pages in this chapter link to those layers instead of repeating them. Start with 7.1: the surface you choose decides how deep you dig.
Chapter 7
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