I want to park in the grass next to my garage...

[zimm17]

I have a spot next to my house that I want to park a small vehicle on without turning it into a mess. I can't dig it out for gravel because I have power, fiber, and an underground downspout pipe going through there. I researched this once before and found there are plastic grid type tiles that can be laid down and filled with gravel or dirt and maybe even grass can grow through them. Does anyone have experience with this? Positives and Negatives?

Would I want the grid to be the full track of where the tires go, or just under the tires themselves?

 

[zimm17]

I'm liking this material as the grass doesn't have to be dug up. According to the instructions, lay the grid, soak the ground with water, and hit it with a power tamper. The ground in this location is very firm, I even had a concrete truck drive over it to pour a pad in the backyard for a shed.

ROOT Grass Paver: Specs, Load Ratings & Sizes | TRUEGRID

ROOT® - TRUEGRID Pavers

www.truegridpaver.com

 

[mikegt4]

A "grass grid" would probably be your best option. A quick internet search will get you lots of info.

 

[Steve W.]

Do you have any neighborhood (HOA) restrictions about parking off "pavement"?

I like the concept of your grids, but they may not qualify.

.

 

[txvwnut]

With those eco type pavers you still have to excavate down and put in an appropriate base for them to work properly. The ones I have need a four inch compacted base before you put the grid tiles down. I see your link to TrueGrid says to put right over the grass but if you do not have a solid base the paver tile will flex and sink.

 

[niget2002]

Do you have any neighborhood (HOA) restrictions about parking off "pavement"?

I like the concept of your grids, but they may not qualify.

.

Or city regulations.

My grandparents got yelled at for parking their boat "in the grass". It was under some large oak trees where there was no grass. Their solution was to just lay 12x12 pavers down and the city was OK with that. They didn't do any digging. They put down a crushed granite base and just tamped the pavers on top.

It kinda worked. After a few years it started to get uneven, but they didn't care. It was just to meet the city's requirements.

 

[zimm17]

My HOA doesn't have anything about parking in the grass and I can't find anything against it in county code either. The rules say you can't have a commercial vehicle, but I'm talking about a little Slate pick-up truck.

 

[Lassen Forge]

Negatives are 2 - one is the HOA you have to deal with , two is that busybody neighbor who, lacking an HOA, will STILL make your life miserable....
BTW - an HOA CAN call ANY truck (not a sedan) a "commercial vehicle". Ask me about my VW camper van.... Better yet, don't.... it was a fuggly mess.

 

[zimm17]

My HOA president is 2 houses over and has a long bed F350 in his driveway, so I should be okay (and the rules say nothing over 3/4 ton!). I'll ask him about it at the next neighborhood BBQ.

My neighbors on either side are super cool. However across the street could be an issue.

 

[Bunsen Honeydew]

Parking on grass will trap moisture under the vehicle, causing premature rusting. Yes, even in VA. Also, blocking sun will kill the grass shortly. You would be better off putting down a vapor barrier and covering the area with pavers.

 

[CraigStu]

Maybe 2 rows of those 12x12 pavers (or larger) and make the rows 3 pavers longer than needed. That way you could vary which exact pavers the wheel are actually sitting on.

 

[zimm17]

Parking on grass will trap moisture under the vehicle, causing premature rusting. Yes, even in VA. Also, blocking sun will kill the grass shortly. You would be better off putting down a vapor barrier and covering the area with pavers.

Hmm, that's something I didn't think about.

 

[GN4WHLN]

My neighbor used them to transition his motorhome from the street, across some grass, and onto a gravel side yard for storage. They worked great. He told me they were used to allow fire trucks to transit grass areas that are often used as secondary emergency vehicle entrances for some facilities and housing tracts.

 

[theoldwizard1]

A "grass grid" would probably be your best option. A quick internet search will get you lots of info.

Remove the sod. Lay down HD Geotextile. Lay down your grass grid "pavers" and fill with gravel.

 

[zimm17]

Remove the sod. Lay down HD Geotextile. Lay down your grass grid "pavers" and fill with gravel.

What kind of gravel should I be looking at that won't spill over and get thrown by the lawn mower?

 

[theoldwizard1]

What kind of gravel should I be looking at that won't spill over and get thrown by the lawn mower?

The type of gravel does not matter. I would use 3/4" crushed limestone because it looks nice. You will get some spill over no matter what you do. You can make a perimeter using 5/4" x 6" pressure treated deck boards staked into the ground.

 

[jade97]

My HOA president is 2 houses over and has a long bed F350 in his driveway, so I should be okay (and the rules say nothing over 3/4 ton!). I'll ask him about it at the next neighborhood BBQ.

My neighbors on either side are super cool. However across the street could be an issue.

He's violating the rules....F350 is a "1 ton" truck!!!!!!

 

[firebirdparts]

it would be smart, in my opinion, to remove the bio-layer and then add gravels. The grid is neater if you like neater.

 

[txvwnut]

What kind of gravel should I be looking at that won't spill over and get thrown by the lawn mower?

The ones I have say 1/2" or smaller angular stone.

 

[dcg9381]

I can't dig it out for gravel because I have power, fiber, and an underground downspout pipe going through there. I researched this once before and found there are plastic grid type tiles that can be laid down and filled with gravel or dirt and maybe even grass can grow through them. Does anyone have experience with this? Positives and Negatives?

I haven't used the grids, but I don't see why you can't dig out 3-4" of dirt, frame it with pavers (so it doesn't spill over), level it with sand, and either do it in pavers or gravel - but must be "approved surface type". Downspout is what I'd be worried about at depth.

My HOA president is 2 houses over and has a long bed F350 in his driveway, so I should be okay (and the rules say nothing over 3/4 ton!). I'll ask him about it at the next neighborhood BBQ.

Don't assume. He's the president so no one is going to issue a violation to him on the truck. The architectural review board may be a sub-set of board members or not include the board at all. I'm generally an "ask for forgiveness" guy, but with an HOA if you can see the change from the front of the property, I'm going to do the full application process. And the board MUST respond to neighbor complaints if someone complains... Some HOAs have management companies, so the board doesn't really even manage this stuff.

Are there any other "side parked" vehicles in your area? This is the primary indicator.

I didn't "ask for permission" once. Extended my fence. I got a cease and desist and a letter from the HOA making me tear down the fence extension with 30 days for "failure to submit application / violation of set-back". I tore it down. Setback was never an issue. Submitted a proper request and the let me put the exact same fence back in the exact same spot. Dumb. After that, I got on the board... And successively after that I moved the hell out of HOA hell.

It's lightly regulated here, but make sure you cover the city's rules on required surface to park "vehicle". It maybe regulated by both. This will certainly get noticed and someone is gonna *****. The board today may not be the board of tomorrow.

 

[gregs]

I'm curious about using some type of vapor barrior to park a enclosed trailer next to my shop. Was thinking of using a tarp on the ground and adding gravel on top of it, like 6" higher than the ground. Maybe put some type of border around 3 sides to contain the gravel and let the drive in side open. Was thinking if it was higher than the surrounding ground it would help to keep the rain from collecting under it and the tarp would be a sturdy vapor barrier?

 

[dcg9381]

I'm curious about using some type of vapor barrior to park a enclosed trailer next to my shop. Was thinking of using a tarp on the ground and adding gravel on top of it, like 6" higher than the ground. Maybe put some type of border around 3 sides to contain the gravel and let the drive in side open. Was thinking if it was higher than the surrounding ground it would help to keep the rain from collecting under it and the tarp would be a sturdy vapor barrier?

Vapor barrier is usually a construction thing to contain moisture. Used on the ground, it's going to be the bottom of a "pool". As long as you slope it so the water can run, you'll be fine. I know people aren't huge fans of "weed block" and I get it, but my entire front yard is river rock over weed block. Every 2 weeks, I just spray the emersion with round-up, takes about a minute.... Even using a vapor barrier, you'll get some growth. I'd be inclined to cut a few slits i it or otherwise make sure it can drain and use heavy-mil stuff.

Gravel will escape if you don't frame it in. You can use "septic rock" or "river rock" but to best contain it you need a barrier / frame.

 

[Wrench97]

I parked my last pickup 1/2 in the grass strip with a gravel runner and 1/2 on the driveway to keep the garage door clear for ease of access to the Tbird.... guess which side of the truck rotted out in 12 years.....

 

[qdvuu]

My HOA doesn't have anything about parking in the grass and I can't find anything against it in county code either. The rules say you can't have a commercial vehicle, but I'm talking about a little Slate pick-up truck.

Give us a writeup on your Slate when you get it. They seem to be the answer to a lot of people's stated desires, so it will be interesting to see what the uptake is.

 

[Viper98912]

Parking on grass will trap moisture under the vehicle, causing premature rusting. Yes, even in VA. Also, blocking sun will kill the grass shortly. You would be better off putting down a vapor barrier and covering the area with pavers.

I believe there was another post on here (or a car forum I frequent) where this was the key item. Someone had parked their low-use Jeep (?) on the grass and over the years the moisture rusted the entire underbody of the car

 

[Mike65]

If you live in an HOA community check with someone in charge in person & get it in writing or get it approved by the HOA in writing that parking on the grass will not be a problem in case a neighbor decides they do not like the look of it & complains. When we lived in southern NJ we lived in a retirement community that had a HOA & it seemed like people lived to complain all the time.

 

[andys]

, but I'm talking about a little Slate pick-up truck.

Oh, so it was already in the picture?

 

[Stuart in MN]

Without ongoing maintenance, gravel over a weed block or a vapor barrier is going to fill up with organics - dust and dirt blowing in over time, fallen leaves, etc. - and weeds will start growing.

 

[dcg9381]

gravel over a weed block or a vapor barrier is going to fill up with organics

Kinda the same as a xericsape yard... I just just a little round-up every two weeks or so. Leaves TBD depending on the tree situation, same as the rest of the yard. But no way I'd add this in an HOA without reading the rules and seeking approval, too obvious to busy-bodies that won't "love" something parked on the side.

 

[CraigStu]

I think I might start w/ a few pavers so you can do a trial parking vs HOA. Park it there for 2 months and, if no complaints, maybe then do an official application w/ the HOA. At least that way, if complaints come, or the HOA turns you down, you haven't spent much, and the work is fairly easily reversible.

 

[lolaetype]

I'll ask him about it at the next neighborhood BBQ.

IMO, this is one of those situations where it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

 

[Aileron]

My HOA president is 2 houses over and has a long bed F350 in his driveway, so I should be okay (and the rules say nothing over 3/4 ton!). I'll ask him about it at the next neighborhood BBQ.

My neighbors on either side are super cool. However across the street could be an issue.

I get it about not looking at a commercial truck, but the trades personal are making decent bank , enough to afford the large houses. That person with the commercial truck everyone wants removed will be the first door that gets knocked on when their A/c or electrical issue arises. I had one parked for 40 years and we have no HOA or rules against it.

I had to start telling people I only have tools for commercial as that what i did and residential takes a completely different tools. They didn't want to pay for it anyway and couldn't do anything in return to barter for it. I fixed a neighbor a few blocks over air conditioner years ago and he asked what he owed and I said, just pick up a 12 pack. Never seen him nor the 12 pack again.

 

[mm08822]

Take pics of anybody/everybody who is doing similar things - several sets over the course of a few months. One thing HOAs must do is enforce consistently, otherwise you can easily claim discrimination, favoritism, etc.

Do this but keep it quiet. It's easy to threaten HOA with a lawsuit if they pushback on you and only you. HOA pres is not special regardless of what he may think....1 ton ain't 3/4 ton.....(that's a stupid rule anyway. Unless the 1 ton has dual rear wheels, it looks no different than a 1/2 or 3/4 T.) Always good to be prepared.....yes, I know you don't want to go this route, but the best defense is a strong offense. Read your HOA docs again. Keep it friendly as long as you can!!

 

[Model A Fan]

Can't you just pave your yard and avoid the wet grass issue?

 

[the shifty jesus]

Here’s some photos of a friends side yard we did. The grids worked great, and the weight they can support is surprising. They egularly park an f150 there for short periods. We did have to excavate down, level and compact gravel in the area first. It kind of sucked, but not as bad as removing the 6” slab of asphalt.

 

[CraigStu]

A friend was a commercial AC repair man for a large firm and drove a standard full size white van for work. It had the company name on the side and the HOA didn't like that. He got some blank, all white, magnetic signs made and covered the company name every time he came home and that was OK. Then he bought a 14ft aluminum trailer. Oh, can't park that in the driveway. He had to build a garage to house it. Of course the garage had to match the house and the HOA pretty much chose it's location so the extra garage couldn't be seen from the road. He didn't like spending the money but he put a garage door on both ends so he could use his garden tractor to pull through the garage and drop off the trailer. There was some room for other things too so, other than the $, it worked out nicely for him.