# Ribbon driveway?



## benjamincall (Apr 25, 2008)

I'm looking a low-cost driveway with good longevity for our new home build in extreme northwestern New Jersey. The driveway will be over 600 feet long.

I was considering a ribbon driveway made with natural stone of some sort. I wish I could use bluestone, but I'm told it delaminates pretty badly. Cobblestones are expensive, but they last forever. What other natural stone might I use? Any other ideas for a ribbon driveway? I don't mind if it looks "rustic" until it reaches the parking area near the house.

Any opinions on tar and chip?

I suppose I can always raise the plow a little higher than usual with either solution.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

Ayuh,.... Box it out at 'bout 1', lay down fabric, 'n backfill with the crushed stone of yer choice, compactin' in 2" lifts,....

'round here, crusher run limestone is the stone of choice,...
2" minus for the 1st 8", 'n cap it with 3/4" minus,...


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## benjamincall (Apr 25, 2008)

You a Mainer by any chance.  
So, will that be enough for the UPS guy? Think I should put this down before we start moving in the excavation equipment? What are your thoughts on tar and chip?


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

benjamincall said:


> You a Mainer by any chance.
> So, will that be enough for the UPS guy? Think I should put this down before we start moving in the excavation equipment? What are your thoughts on tar and chip?


Ayuh,.... Maineiac in exile,.... :thumbsup:
Born, 'n raised on the western frontier of Downeast,...

What I said will hold up a UPS truck, or a fuel delivery truck, without issues,...

If ya put in a finished driveway, Before ya build yer house, you'll be redoin' it again on the way out,....

Probably a Better idea to put in the fabric, 'n base stone, build the house,...
Then do a final fit, 'n finish with the finer top stone,...

Tar, 'n chip is a very thin toppin', that rarely holds up all that well, unless over other pavin' below it,...

I'm in the Pavin' Business up here in the Summer,...
I've never seen tar, 'n chip work very well, except toppin' out a town road, 'n then it's just a dollar stretcher,...
'n usually goin' over pug-mix,...

A Binder, 'n Top, blacktop driveway oughta get ya a Solid 20 year plus driveway,....
A type 6, single lift blacktop driveway, oughta get ya 15 years of trouble free driveway,...


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## benjamincall (Apr 25, 2008)

One point of clarification: you're saying the first step is to remove 12" of soil from the existing dirt track?


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

benjamincall said:


> One point of clarification: you're saying the first step is to remove 12" of soil from the existing dirt track?


Ayuh,.... That gives ya a Box, to build the driveway in,....

Otherwise, the driveway would be over a foot taller than the lawn,...
'n dependin' on the lay of the land, that could create a Dam, blockin' water flow off the lot,...

The driveway is a tiny piece of the overall Big picture,....
All the tiny pieces gotta work Together,...


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## benjamincall (Apr 25, 2008)

What about two inches of "golden gravel" or "jersey shore" gravel to fancy it up a little? How does this sound?:

8 inches of 2" minus, 2-4 inches of 3/4" minus, and 2 inches of 3/8" decorative gravel.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

benjamincall said:


> What about two inches of "golden gravel" or "jersey shore" gravel to fancy it up a little? How does this sound?:
> 
> 8 inches of 2" minus, 2-4 inches of 3/4" minus, and 2 inches of 3/8" decorative gravel.


Ayuh,.... Whatever yer heart desires,....

Compaction of each lift is what's Important,...


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## benjamincall (Apr 25, 2008)

Bondo,

Now that we can finally see the earth around here, I'm ready to get this driveway going. I'm trying to decide between Mirafi 500X geotextile and Mirafi HP570 (for weak soils and slopes?). I have a little bit of a slope toward the end of driveway, so maybe I could go half and half. The HP570 comes in a 15' width, and the 500X comes in 12.5'. I've seen some people roll fabric up the sides of the cut for the driveway. What do you think about this practice?

On a different note, I found a source for some ripped shale, which I think I'll be using for the base.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

benjamincall said:


> Bondo,
> 
> Now that we can finally see the earth around here, I'm ready to get this driveway going. I'm trying to decide between Mirafi 500X geotextile and Mirafi HP570 (for weak soils and slopes?). I have a little bit of a slope toward the end of driveway, so maybe I could go half and half. The HP570 comes in a 15' width, and the 500X comes in 12.5'. I've seen some people roll fabric up the sides of the cut for the driveway. What do you think about this practice?
> 
> On a different note, I found a source for some ripped shale, which I think I'll be using for the base.


Ayuh,.... I donno the number of the fabric We use, it's a woven fabric, that's tougher than nails,...
It looks like a plastic burlap, 'bout 12' wide,...

You can run it up the sides,... or not, yer choice,...
If ya got overlaps, go a couple feet,...

As for yer grade, I can't see how steep it is,...
But, I've never had any slippage problems,...


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## cleveman (Dec 17, 2011)

How hard is the shale?

What Bondo is suggesting is that you get some minus material in the base,s o if you go with shale, make sure it has some size to it (he suggested 2" minus) and that it has the minus (less than 2"). This stuff locks together.

You have to understand this. You can compact the stuff. You can't compact other things, like marbles or ball bearings.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

cleveman said:


> How hard is the shale?
> 
> What Bondo is suggesting is that you get some minus material in the base,s o if you go with shale, make sure it has some size to it (he suggested 2" minus) and that it has the minus (less than 2"). This stuff locks together.
> 
> You have to understand this. You can compact the stuff. You can't compact other things, like marbles or ball bearings.


Ayuh,.... Agreed,.... Up here, most All the fill stone is fractured limestone shale,...

When compacted, it falls into place like a jigsaw puzzle, 'n Locks up, Tight,...

The fines have to be in the crusher run,...
Washed stone don't lock up worth a damn,...


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## benjamincall (Apr 25, 2008)

So, we discovered pretty good sandy gravel soil on the property just a couple of feet down. We have used the native stuff as a road base over some heavy duty geotextile fabric. 

I would like to attempt something like this:










Now that I have the base mostly prepared, how would I make a ribbon drive with two gravel tracks and a strip of turf up the middle?


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

benjamincall said:


> So, we discovered pretty good sandy gravel soil on the property just a couple of feet down. We have used the native stuff as a road base over some heavy duty geotextile fabric.
> 
> I would like to attempt something like this:
> 
> ...


Ayuh,.... Quite simply, put down yer stone base, then insteada fine stone over All of it, run a strip of several inches of top dirt up the middle to support yer grass,...


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