# Gravel driveway mud



## MattBK (May 19, 2010)

Just bought a house with a long dirt/gravel driveway. There is a thin layer of gravel that gets thinner with each snow plow as gravel ends up in my lawn and sides of the driveway (Whole different problem!). 

In the pictures you see muddy tire tracks going through some grass - that's me driving into the garage. (Not sure how that grass grew there in the past with the mud pit!)

This mud pit appears every time snow melts away over a few days.

As you can see there is no gravel between the circular driveway and the garage entrance. Should I fill this in with gravel?


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## 47_47 (Sep 11, 2007)

Just adding more gravel on top an it will sink again next year. You need to dig down ~8" and remove the mud base. Put in 2 lifts of crusher run approx 3-4" per lift. Compact between lifts. Top dress and compact your 'gravel' to finish grade. You are talking about driveway gravel (57 stone) not pea gravel. Go and talk to them at the quarry. 

Tractor with a land plane should clean the rest of your drive nicely.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

As he said , you need to build a proper base first.

Best to hire a professional road builder, they have experience, equipment, and a warranty.

How are your skills in using equipment, and doing all the manual labor needed to accomplish this?


ED


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

I agree removing the soil and installing a proper base is best! Another option is to spread bigger rock and after it gets packed into the soil, spread smaller rock. Option #1 is best.

Cutting a ditch for the water to gravitate to will also help.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

How deep you need to go can depend upon what is down there. I compacted 12" of gravel in a medium length driveway and the trucks delivering more gravel to the building pad couldn't get over one area. Turned out there was a vein of clay down there that the rains had softened up. Had to go 3' down, to bed rock in my case, to remove the clay then compact layers back to grade.

Drainage as Mark added is also important as the water at the surface and below the surface has to be directed away from collection points.

Looks like you could use some culverts as well.

Bud


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## MattBK (May 19, 2010)

Thanks guys. Most expensive options seems to be dig it up. Least expensive seems to be throw some coarse gravel on it, let it sink/compact and see what happens, adding finer gravel later, etc.

I know one of my new neighbors is an excavator with 100 acres and tons of equipment so sounds like I need introduce myself and have him come take a look.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Don't be surprised if your neighbor suggests crowning what you have as a county dirt road would be , compacting well when the moisture is correct then adding crusher run.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

MattBK said:


> Thanks guys. Most expensive options seems to be dig it up. Least expensive seems to be throw some coarse gravel on it, let it sink/compact and see what happens, adding finer gravel later, etc.
> 
> I know one of my new neighbors is an excavator with 100 acres and tons of equipment so sounds like I need introduce myself and have him come take a look.


Ayuh,..... All pretty good answers above, 'n I agree,... Get rid of the mud, possibly put down fabric, 'n backfill with stone to a well drainin' grade,...
Lookin' at this picture,....









It appears water from somewhere off to the left, is pitched right down into a pocket at the intersection,....
That water needs to be diverted to run down the left side of the driveway, 'n not sittin' there soakin' into the sub-grade materials,....

Doesn't look like it would take much to carve out a little swale, 'n fill in that corner, to pitch out over the driveway in a deluge, or run down the left side of the driveway in normal rain, 'n run-off,...


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