Managing the mud

[jawmaw]

I had all of my concrete work done last fall and am getting ready to start the vertical construction on my garage.

Everything is wet and muddy around the new foundation and driveway. Does anyone have any good ideas of something to put down on the ground to keep the mud being tracked around to a minimum?

I was thinking of getting bales of wheat straw or mulch and spreading it around but want it to be easy to gather back up when I finish grading the dirt for grass.

 

[pstnbly]

Shake out a good layer of hay-straw around the site. It's what we do around here where we only have 2 seasons, 8 months of winter and mud season.

 

[lotsoftools]

Maybe some pallets? You could make a walkway with them.

 

[Jlbc212]

Get a load of 3/4" stone and spread it around.

 

[finn]

Stone

 

[rusty1]

cardboard from fridge cartons mite help and it's free.

 

[Catadj78]

I am having an issue with mud as well.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I'd put down a base layer of gravel (large rock) for the driveway. (Could actually do the whole thing).
Maybe boards or pallets around the outside.

 

[wssix99]

Get a load of 3/4" stone and spread it around.

+1. This works like a charm and I've done the same in your situation. It stabilizes the ground and helps drainage all at the same time.

 

[383 240z]

Gravel under pallets if you can get them. If your in eastern Ohio, where I'm very near, the best thing would be to wait a few weeks. The ground here is supersaturated anything you do on the mud will be miserable. I'd just wait a bit. I know it's killing you that the weather has broke and you want to get busy, I'm in the same boat, waiting to start on my 20'x32' addition. The lumber (a big chunk of it any way) is sitting in an airplane hanger I have at the local airport The roofing is on sawhorses in my driveway, trusses are on order, and the skid steer and post driver are just sitting there. To sloppy to even start the excavating.

But back to your question, your floor is poured right? Cant the block layers work on the inside as the build? I've have the guys moving the block stop at the doorway, hand them off to laborers on the inside. and they carry them to the guy installing them. This will mitigate mud intrusion onto the new floor. Keith

 

[Kevin54]

Jawmaw....welcome to Garage Journal. Being from Ohio, plan on having that mud for a while. even though it is warming up, it is going to take a while for the ground to thaw, and by that, I mean for the frost that is in the ground to work it's way back up, thaw and dry. You could look into some thin sheets of luan plywood that is used for subflooring. That and straw. Lots of straw. And with working on the outside of the foundation, even straw, with continuous tramping on it will work it down and work the water up, but it will hold the mud back, but not the muddy water.

You can do gravel, but the gravel will work it's way into the ground, and work the muddy water and mud up depending on how thick the stone is. I know you don't want to put a fortune in something, just to throw on the ground, so if you can find it cheap enough, bales of straw would be your best bet, and probably cheapest bet. Skids would be good if you could find enough, but skids can also be a real trip hazard. Especially if you are carrying something and not looking down. So with the skids, you have to use extra precaution. And you would need quite a few to go around a garage. Plus if you don't have the skids two wide, one width of skid is awkward. Either it is too far away from your work space, or it is too close.

Personally, I would go with straw and have some extra bales around. You are going to have to have some to plant grass anyways. When done working around the garage, till everything up, then rake up what isn't tilled in, then put your grass seed down when the time rolls around. Plus a bale of straw goes quite a long ways as far as having something to walk on. If it gets to the point it is too muddy after walking on it for awhile, toss some more straw down.

And be sure to post up some pics of your project. I know that everyone will be interested in seeing it.

 

[ozyborn]

Pesky neighbors or inspectors, Sink in the mud then gravel on top?

But yea, gravel dump

 

[jawmaw]

Thanks everyone for the input. I want to plant grass this spring so I think gravel is out. Everything is done already except the wood framing, siding, roofing, etc.

I think I will try the straw first then maybe some 4x8 sheets of something on top where it gets really bad. I like the idea of pallets too. Think I will check out Craigslist for some pallets.

 

[s_ontario]

I have heard that wood chips make a good topping see if your town or township has been doing any chipping of brush or tree service

 

[fourjeepin]

What about wood chips? Often free from the tree companies and will rot away so it won't mess up your lawn.

 

[James-W]

There was a guy building a garage here in town (many years ago) and he used old railroad track ties. I am pretty sure he got them for free because they were tearing out some unused tracks and there were signs on the big pile of ties that said "FREE". Those old ties would work well, or, some old pallets would probably work just as well.

 

[6768rogues]

Straw will work well for a while but it does not need to be cleaned up. It will work into the mud and go away on its own. If you plan to have grass, use straw and get enough for more than one application. Anything else will be a pain to clean up. If cleanup is not needed, any of the suggestions is worth a try.

 

[nadogail]

Mud tracked onto a concrete slab can be washed away with a pressure washer.

A half day rental should be less expensive than buying plywood, gravel, etbb

 

[jawmaw]

Wood chips is a good idea too.

I will wash the mud off the concrete but I am also considering the fact that ohio mud will easily add 10 pounds to each shoe.

 

[ryan77]

I'd be worried wood chips would attract termites to the area, I'd do straw or hay, get a good organic base to plant the grass later on.

 

[Thumper68]

We use straw a loose 3 to 6 inch layer will pack down and make a good surface then add more as needed, it will soon rot away adding to the soil with little to no clean up needed.