Driveway options

[Kit Williamson]

We will be building a new garage but don't want to include a concrete driveway because the cost would be very high due to the length. Don't want to do gravel either. Thinking about 'drivable grass' but not sure about the cost. Any ideas on driveway options?

 

[spotco2]

How long is it?

What kind of grade?

 

[Grayguy]

Location is important too

 

[Dale Leeds]

I'd go with blacktop then. And I don't think you have to pay taxes on it in most areas.

 

[Kit Williamson]

It is about 100 feet and it is practically flat. Most of the time we won't be parking a car in it. However, there will be a guest suite above and we would like company to be able to use the garage in bad weather.

 

[Kit Williamson]

Gray guy, we live in the Tulsa, OK area. We typically only get snow and ice a couple of times a year. Very often just driving on the grass once in a while wouldn't be an issue. However, we've had a lot of rain recently and wouldn't want to do that now. Hard to predict what the weather will be like when you have company.

 

[musgofasta]

Two strips of paver stones and grass down the middle?

A little more decorative if it will rarely be driven on.

 

[JimVonBaden]

This site might help: http://www.invisiblestructures.com/grasspave2_grass_driveways.html

Seems a reasonable solution for a low use driveway.

Jim

 

[78Bird]

++ on turf driveway. care for it just like the rest of the lawn, but can drive on it without hurting the turf itself.

 

[nolimits76]

What part of Owasso are you in? I am familiar with the area.

Anyhow, gravel would probably be your cheapest bet. Depending on your specifics, you would be looking at;

100' long x 16' wide x 0.5' deep = 800 / 27 = ~30cy x 2#/tn = ~60 tons

Depending on the quarry, you can get aggregates for around $8/ton. Haul rates will vary. Sometimes you pay more for stone that is closer, but less in haul. I'd figure $7/ton to be safe. That gives you $15/ton for material & haul. I think you can beat that number. But approximately $900 in gravel delivered.

You may want to contact...

Greenhill Materials (located @ 46th St N)....918-274-6560
Anchor Stone....918-438-1060
Dolese / Mohawk Concrete....918-376-2252

Keep in mind, you may need less tons if you do less than 6" deep. If you ran concrete, I'd do 4" which is only ~20cy. Prices range around $100/cy depending on PSI, haul, quantity, etc. So roughly $2,000 for materials only delivered on-site. GCC/Midco, Dolese, Rainbow and Twin Cities should be considered.

With both the gravel and concrete, you could do 2' strips for the tires only and save money. With the gravel, rent a Bobcat and place yourself. If I did the strips, I might form up and use a 2x4 to screed the concrete. Won't be perfect, but serve the purpose. On the larger slab I'd find one of the home builder concrete guys to do the labor only. Just find one that can speak fairly good English. No disrespect meant...just a reality.

Speaking of tire strips...you could put a sand layer down and do those landscape blocks from Lowes or Home Depot. They might move around on you some though.

http://www.lowes.com/Search=landsca...0051&N=0&newSearch=true&Ntt=landscape+pavers#!

Whatever you decide, I can't see it being DRASTICALLY different in cost if that is your primary driver. The concrete drive will be most expensive upfront but probably provide the most life. Having friends with gravel driveways, they redo them every so often. Also I work with a guy that has asphalt drive. Cost and looks was his driver. However, the ice storms and blading his drive had him replacing sooner than he wanted. They all have cons and pros. Just find what works for you.

 

[Kevin54]

Crushed brick is an option. You could get a few loads of asphalt grindings. But even that or gravel will bring dust into the garage if driving in and out or if you have the doors open. You could look into "tar and chip" which is a thick runny asphalt material and gravel. It's cheaper than asphalt but way better than gravel

If you aren't going to be parking on it other than the once in a while occasions, then I would do asphalt first, then next the two strips of concrete with grass, then maybe the tar and chip, then lastly the forms for the drivable grass.

 

[Falcon67]

Speaking of tire strips...you could put a sand layer down and do those landscape blocks from Lowes or Home Depot. They might move around on you some though.

http://www.lowes.com/Search=landscap...dscape+pavers#!

I can speak to this as I have several of the above pavers - mostly the red brick type - around here for various uses. I would NOT drive on any of them. They are weak enough that some will snap in half when you pick them up off the pallet at Lowes. If you put down one hell of a base, maybe.

Also, look at the drainage before you do anything. Know where the water goes because anything permanent like concrete or asphalt will change the flow, for better or worse. I'm looking at this too, but only for a pad. I need to cost out gravel but I'm about where a couple of pallets of Bermuda would be cheaper and work better. We're dry here, so wet grass in front of the shop most of the year means I left the sprinklers on.

 

[Dale Leeds]

Gravel usually ends up out in the street and in the grass. 100 feet of blacktop should cost around $1200-1500.00.

 

[Kevin54]

I can speak to this as I have several of the above pavers - mostly the red brick type - around here for various uses. I would NOT drive on any of them. They are weak enough that some will snap in half when you pick them up off the pallet at Lowes. If you put down one hell of a base, maybe.

Also, look at the drainage before you do anything. Know where the water goes because anything permanent like concrete or asphalt will change the flow, for better or worse. I'm looking at this too, but only for a pad. I need to cost out gravel but I'm about where a couple of pallets of Bermuda would be cheaper and work better. We're dry here, so wet grass in front of the shop most of the year means I left the sprinklers on.

If you are going to be parking on a "pad" for any extended period of time, with the summer sun, and I also suspect that you have hotter summers than we do, you would be better of with concrete. I had a tandem axle car trailer on my asphalt drive and the tires left indentations a few years back.

 

[Average_Joe]

Grass driveway will cost more than concrete. I looked into it.

 

[Kit Williamson]

Whitefeather ... We are in Cornerstone. East of 169 on 76th ... Almost all the way to Gundy.

 

[Falcon67]

If you are going to be parking on a "pad" for any extended period of time, with the summer sun, and I also suspect that you have hotter summers than we do, you would be better of with concrete. I had a tandem axle car trailer on my asphalt drive and the tires left indentations a few years back.

I would NEVER do asphalt here. Only concrete. Asphalt at the drag strip will reach 145~155 in the summer. Bare concrete runs about 130. Concrete with black rubber on it, about 160. When parked at the track, I always put a support board under the trailer jack, never set the small jack pad directly on the surface.

 

[rsanter]

This site might help: http://www.invisiblestructures.com/grasspave2_grass_driveways.html

Seems a reasonable solution for a low use driveway.

Jim

Sorry but invisible structures stuff is ****. I have dealt with grass pavers a lot and the ISI requires a base to be installed so that will run the cost way up.
Look at TT24 from NDS. Do a light compact on the ground. Lay out the TT24 and then fill the cells and grow grass. Good for light traffic being cars, pickups, trailers

Bob

 

[RickP]

We had a gravel driveway for years, but it's just a real pain to deal with -- I'm glad you're not thinking about going that route. Can you go with asphalt in your area or is it too hot there? The cost difference is huge -- asphalt is $1 or $2 psf, while concrete is $6+ installed, at least around here.

 

[Falcon67]

Sorry but invisible structures stuff is ****. I have dealt with grass pavers a lot and the ISI requires a base to be installed so that will run the cost way up.
Look at TT24 from NDS. Do a light compact on the ground. Lay out the TT24 and then fill the cells and grow grass. Good for light traffic being cars, pickups, trailers

Bob

Not a bad idea. $4.50~5 per sq/ft not counting dirt and seed, so it's a higher cost solution in the short term.

 

[RickP]

There was a thread a couple years ago about the pros/cons and costs of driveway surfaces. Check out post #23:
Asphalt Driveway Costs

 

[VegasSteve]

I'm doing squares ... best of both worlds.... permeable surface.... durable...

 

[58Yeoman]

I built a garage in '99 at my previous house, and had a gravel driveway put in, only about 20'. The weeds and grass were continually growing in/on it, and I had to keep spraying it with weed killer. Seems to me that if you just put down gravel and let nature take over, it would be grass in no time, and still give you a solid surface to drive on.

 

[scarpozzi]

I'm going with concrete, but will have to wait until next year to afford it. 4000 Concrete here runs about $130 a yard with fibers and additives.

So for a 100' x 24' driveway @ 4" thick, it'd be around 30 yards....give or take. Depending on labor, that may be around $2500 or more to get that finished....I've not gotten any quotes yet....I've got grading to do before I can start thinking about forms.

 

[kendogg]

I built a garage in '99 at my previous house, and had a gravel driveway put in, only about 20'. The weeds and grass were continually growing in/on it, and I had to keep spraying it with weed killer. Seems to me that if you just put down gravel and let nature take over, it would be grass in no time, and still give you a solid surface to drive on.

If you're doing 'gravel' - which I'm not sure why you'd use gravel for a driveway, the proper material is crushed limestone, available in various sizes, commonly called crusher run at the quaries. It should have a weed barrier layed down under it when doing the surface prep & leveling before laying the limestone. Here's a nice breakdown I just found of some of the available types (1A's and the below are usually also limestone_: http://www.thkinsella.com/products.html


OP, what about a small 2-car sized or so concrete or stone 'parking pad' in front of the garage, and then just drive on the lawn to get to it?