# Extend Driveway with rocks



## greentrees (Apr 28, 2012)

I have some dirt on the right side of my driveway. It is located next to some larger boulders. I was thinking of removing the dirt up to the bottom of the large boulders and placing some small rocks/pebbles that I could drive/walk on if needed. During the winter, there is basically mud in that area so it doesn't help if someone is in the passenger seat and needs to get out of the car. 

What is the best solution for a DIY, other then laying concrete?
What should I put in the cracks between the boulders where there is currently dirt, as the dirt will not hold without support.?

Thanks


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

I would just use plastic edging, heavy landscape fabric under the gravel and a mixed gravel that will back down for a harder surface.


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## greentrees (Apr 28, 2012)

Would I use the plastic edging on the right side and use the driveway as the other edge for the gravel?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

greentrees said:


> Would I use the plastic edging on the right side and use the driveway as the other edge for the gravel?


That is what I would do.


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## chiraldude (Nov 16, 2013)

Just dumping rock on the dirt will only work for a while. Walking and/or driving on the rocks will push them down into the mud. 
You need to dig out at least 4" of dirt, put down a fabric barrier then fill up to the driveway with rocks.


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## greentrees (Apr 28, 2012)

Nealtw said:


> That is what I would do.


I might buy some of those wooden stakes since there isn't much gap between the rocks and the flat area. I tried using the plastic edging but it doesn't seem to sit down easy (though would provide a nice water barrier). I'll see how the digging goes and decide. 



chiraldude said:


> Just dumping rock on the dirt will only work for a while. Walking and/or driving on the rocks will push them down into the mud.
> You need to dig out at least 4" of dirt, put down a fabric barrier then fill up to the driveway with rocks.


I'll try to dig out 4 inches. Some areas might have solidified a bit, so might need a hammer and chisel. I'll water it down to see if that helps.


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## greentrees (Apr 28, 2012)

chiraldude said:


> Just dumping rock on the dirt will only work for a while. Walking and/or driving on the rocks will push them down into the mud.
> You need to dig out at least 4" of dirt, put down a fabric barrier then fill up to the driveway with rocks.


I starting digging and noticed there are a lot of rocks already laid down just below the dirt. My shovel was hitting a lot of rocks. I think the prior owner already put down rocks and over time the dirt accumulated from rain run off from the hill. The front area wasn't maintained for many years as there was a lot of overgrowth which I removed. 

Would a power wash help remove the dirt from the rocks? If so, should I buy one that hooks up to a hose, or would I have to buy a more powerful one that is stand alone?


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

*would seem there's your answer - omit week blocker cloth & gravel disappears*


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

I’m not a mason, but here’s what I would do - run a row of cobblestones
along the driveway. The cobblestones are put down by running a trench and cementing in
between the cobblestones. They even have a little tool that they place
between the cobblestones - when they fill in the cement so that the cement 
fits perfectly and the cement is rounded. 

Then as suggested - dig down a few inches lay down a fabric and fill with
rocks/pebbles for about 18” wide then plant some ground cover behind 
the pebbles with ground cover plants.

That’s what I would do. Make it attractive as well as practical. 
You could also put cobblestones on the other side of the driveway. 
If cobblestones aren’t available you could always use bricks.


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## greentrees (Apr 28, 2012)

stadry said:


> *would seem there's your answer - omit week blocker cloth & gravel disappears*


I think there is some weed blocker (I saw some felt in one small area). I think the dirt came from the hillside, so I would need to put some stakes to try and limit the flow of dirt between the boulders. Not sure if stakes will do the job, but it will be easy to pound them in the ground.



Two Knots said:


> I’m not a mason, but here’s what I would do - run a row of cobblestones
> along the driveway. The cobblestones are put down by running a trench and cementing in
> between the cobblestones. They even have a little tool that they place
> between the cobblestones - when they fill in the cement so that the cement
> ...


That sounds nice. A bit of work, but it will probably last for some time. I will clear as much of the dirt I can and then do the stakes, and see what happens over winter. Then next year I'll see if the dirt still flowed down. I think we are looking at 10 years of dirt accumulation. The original owner probably did a nice job with the rocks, but the next owner let it just accumulate. I'll consider the cobblestones as a long term solution, if the stakes don't do much.


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## Gaharit (Dec 8, 2020)

I advise you to lay asphalt tiles. This option is reasonably practical and will also look beautiful. So we have a house in the countryside. We are still doing renovations both inside and outside of the place. At first, we thought we could do it ourselves. Eventually, I insisted that we finally turned to professional designers. They are currently doing the outside, and we love the results. They designed not only our future garden but also our driveway. It will be convenient for us to drive in and leave our car in the parking lot. If you look for landscapers and paving services, be more attentive because many cheaters scam people out of money.


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