One big step in our future driveway project is now complete: the driveway has been fully dug out. It took a couple weekends, but we finished up right before the rains came in. Rather than feeling very satisfied though, I am feeling really annoyed.
Our older neighbor Dan stopped by for a chat while we were out working. He expressed some concern over whether the concrete pavers we have and whether they will be strong enough to support the weight of the car. He said something about stores selling pavers specifically strong enough to handle the weight for a driveway.
This annoys me to no end because I spent many hours trying to research how to build this little project and found nothing online. Am I just the only person who has ever tried to build a non-concrete driveway? My little plan to build something that would absorb more rainwater and be a little prettier to look at seems to be fading away.
We are hoping the gravel and sand will be delivered this week. I am thinking about 4-6″ of gravel will be enough to compact down, then spread sand over. The pavers would then get lined up into place this weekend, just in time for my mother-in-law to come visit over Christmas. I’m worried though that the first time we park our car on the surface, those lovely pavers will just crumble into a big ugly mess.
Of course I will document the big ugly mess that may ensue, so stay tuned.
If there’s going to be a problem with the pavers then it seems to me that it’s going to be due to the unsturdy surface. I understand that 4-6″ of gravel and then sand will be fairly compact, but when you roll a 3,000lb car over it I’m not sure the pavers will hold up. I think once the pavers start to roll up and down as the tires drive over the concrete might crack. The headache in keeping it level could be quite a pain in the ass as well. Since you already have the pavers and might not be able to return them it’s probably worth a try. I have absolutely no background in any of this so I’m probably a bad person to comment.
One idea might be to line the perimeter with pavers, or the middle, or the top 3-4′ portion. Lots of things you could do with them. Let us know how it goes.
Hi! Came across your blog through a Google Alert. I work for a company up in Canada that manufactures pavers. You should not be worried about this! I don’t know where you live, but pavers are manufactured to be waaaay better than a poured concrete or asphalt driveway the world over. However, the biggest factor is – the quality of the preparation and installation. If you put down the proper base and compact it properly,you will have a driveway that actually resists cracking, whereas a poured concrete driveway is guaranteed to crack. If you want to email me back, I can put you in touch with the manufacturer in the area of the country you live in.
You are doing something awesome and I have links for you!
The City of Portland has all kinds of neat information on managing stormwater and they LOVE permeable/pervious pavers!
Pervious Pavers – http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=31870&a=127477
Here are a whole bunch of other PDFs:
Stormwater Solutions – http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=31870
and Metro has a great site on Rain Gardens, http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=25102, including a link to East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District – here’s a recent link on pervious pavers http://emswcd.org/news/1-latest-news/104-pervious-pavement-parking-lot. They are really helpful and also a great resource on rain gardens, natives and other non-invasives. Free workshops and brochure information.
It also looks like an alluring gardening space… but I know you probably need a safe spot to put your car. Either way it is great you took out the pavement.
Take care,
Naomi
Don’t worry.
Sometimes the best decisions we make are viewed by others as mistakes. 🙂
There is only one way to truly learn anything, and that is to do it, whether it’s perfect or not.
I bet it’ll be gorgeous! Even if it crumbles a bit.
I agree with the commenter above – it will all come down to how well the underlayment is prepared. If you have a generous base of compactable gravel, and you rent a compactor to run over it a couple of times, you should be fine. Since the driveway is on a slope, you may want to also plan for drainage – water coming off the top of the hill may want to run down underneath the pavers, undoing the stability of the base.
That’s a good point Kurt, on the drainage sinking in more as water runs down the slope. We’ve laid a deep gravel base and compacted already – just waiting on the weather to set the stones into sand.
Ruthie, your comment was exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you for helping me keep it all in perspective. Just now realized I never responded, but read your comments soon after you posted them. Which was good timing to keep in mind as I ordered the supplies and began construction!
Naomi, Patrick, and Brian – you guys rock! Loved the links and advice.