Driveway project

[UKAuto]

I have a longer term vision of where I want to get my garage, my yard and my parking, but for 2020 I only managed to get the main driveway project done.

We have a small carriage house on the back property line, and had two strips of concrete running roughly 100 feet from the front walk with grass (mud most days) between. On rainy or snowy days you would step in to the muck, when you parked the cars it would kill the grass underneath, and the grass and damp would always worry me as far is promoting corrosion under cars left out to park.

The new driveway retains a short portion of the dual concrete, as I love that look, and from there transitions in to a wider concrete driveway in exposed aggregate. The driveway is interrupted by gates, and from there continues back to the carriage house. As we get near the carriage house we transitioned to a different concrete finish, and widened the driveway to provide a 20 x 20 pad that allows 'passing' if you are shuffling cars, and then it briefly transitions back to the original exposed aggregate as it ends at the carriage house.

I am posting a selection of photos, but haven't taken any decent shots - and the weather has since turned.

There is a before shot; the front of the carriage house is being replaced with home made carriage doors. The carriage doors are going to have a similar look to the gates I built (I included an image of the gates installed prior to having the driveway pour - I don't have a photo with them reinstalled yet). The other shots are some random, and likely out of order, shots from the project.

Next year I have to get in to the serious build, and make new carriage doors and install them. Looking forward to 2021.

 

[rcktpwrd]

looks good!

I like the look of the small strips for a driveway but it is not very practical for normal use.

 

[nadogail]

You might consider installing Grass Blocks between the concrete and on each side of them. This will allow you to have a "Grassy Look" and keep your car out of the mud.

 

[matt_i]

Thats going to be a whole lot better than the two-track!

I was confused by the last picture with the cones...seems like you still have to drive over a piece of green grass (iow over/thru the cones after they are removed) to reach the long expanse of concrete (??)

Also I've never seen the look of your back slab finish, the exterior concrete around here is classically broom-finished. How did you specify to get that style of finish?

 

[Busted Knucles]

Is that the only rebar shown in the pic you used? Did you add some wire mesh?

 

[UKAuto]

looks good!

I like the look of the small strips for a driveway but it is not very practical for normal use.

100% - love the look, realized how impractical it is very quickly!

 

[UKAuto]

You might consider installing Grass Blocks between the concrete and on each side of them...

This is on our to-do list. We have another structure to build out back, and we will be doing some landscaping at the same time, including some grid material to provide support while still allowing the grass to grow. It will be up the middle of the strip, as well as to the side where you might step out (or miss the driveway!).

 

[UKAuto]

Thats going to be a whole lot better than the two-track!

I was confused by the last picture with the cones...seems like you still have to drive over a piece of green grass (iow over/thru the cones after they are removed) to reach the long expanse of concrete (??)

yes, there is a little over 20 foot stretch of the original two strip driveway that remains leading in to the expanse. On the 'public' side of the gate this gives a parking pad for one car, and the rest of the expanse is past the gate (that is almost always closed). It gave us the look we wanted, along with the convenience of the pad for getting in and out of the daily driver.

Also I've never seen the look of your back slab finish, the exterior concrete around here is classically broom-finished. How did you specify to get that style of finish?

There are two styles. The 20x20 pad is impressed with a texture that is supposed to look like flag stone. I am not a fan of most impressed concrete, as it often looks fake, but this had a nice effect. The bulk of the project was done as exposed aggregate. They let the cement firm up, and then spray on a coating that stops the cement from curing - once they let it firm up some more they wash the surface; this removes the thin uncured top, and exposes the aggregate. The spray is blue (see photos); not sure what the material is called.

 

[UKAuto]

Is that the only rebar shown in the pic you used? Did you add some wire mesh?

This is the only steel work. 3' grid of 10mm rebar, 5" thick slab.

 

[Bent Handle]

Looks nice! Snow and ice scraping might be a pain, but only one way to find out!

 

[firebirdparts]

That looks good. I’ve never seen exposed aggregate done like that.

 

[UKAuto]

Looks nice! Snow and ice scraping might be a pain, but only one way to find out!

new plastic snow shovel to avoid damage from a metal blade - good news is I am not shoveling past my gate, so only a small amount to shovel!

 

[UKAuto]

That looks good. I’ve never seen exposed aggregate done like that.

I had seen that type of finish in the past, but it was my first experience watching the process. Very interesting.

When the driveway was that blue colour I told neighbours that this was the colour it would be - they didn't seem too impressed.