I have a drive in need of replacement. It is concrete, broken and worn. I also have a walkway of rather poorly-chosen round cement pavers that came with the house.

In keeping with natural and local materials, I'd like to use either worked stones or flagstone for the walkway. These would go nicely with the limestone retaining walls already in our landscape.

For the drive, however, I was bantering the idea of whether I should try pavers, or use cobbles or flagstone. I don't really like the idea of concrete for the new drive, and I'd appreciate any insight the folks here would share.

Thanks!
-- Carl

Hi Carl

I'm interested too. I'd love cobble stones and I've been reading here and there that the pavers are superior and last longer, but don't they interlock? Kinda hard to squeeze a new one in if one cracks?

What I like about the cobble stone driveway is if the stone heaves, it can be neatly replaced.

I also wonder if there is some prep work that could be done now, like with blacktop. First a rocky base is layed, then aggregate and finally the asphalt is poured. This can be done in stages too, not all at once.

The concrete with surface indentation for a cobble stone appearance looks pretty good, but if it cracks......

The biggest deterent for me right now is the cost - so I'm researching. I thought I might buy the cobble stones in stages until I had enough to do the job, LOL.

Hi Edee,

Thanks for your ideas! I too was thinking of stockpiling until I had enough for the job! I have some rudimentary stonemason skills (two youthful summers working for a stonemason), and pretty much want to do the work myself.

Not all pavers interlock. There are some nice-looking pavers out there that come close to stone in appearance, and can be easily replaced when broken or heaved. My conflict is that while the pavers are easier, attractive and readily available, stone is a personal favorite, and is truly a 'natural' choice.

In my area, there are also small fieldstones available - rounded by glacial activity - that would make for an interesting (if mildly bumpy) driveway. My drive is not especially large (11'x68'), so doing the work myself will be both a physical boon (or bane, take your pick), and more economical.

Any more ideas or interaction here are more than welcome!

So Carl, since you know the procedure, how would you prepare the drive way for pavers or cobble stone, dig down and level at 12" or more , lay gravel, then aggregate/sand? and place paver or stone? Also, do the pavers/stone need to be framed in?

My drive way pad is way over to the side of my house and I'd like to have a half circle drive in the front of the house (only 15' of frontage) with enough drive way on each side to be able to step out on the drive and not grass.

Thank you!

Another suggestion: If your zoning codes would allow you could have a gravel drive. Our house still has the original gravel driveway with turn around. You can see both in the photos below:






The nice thing about gravel is that it never cracks and for $40 this spring I recovered the whole thing.

-Mike

Mike

yes, I've considered gravel and our county allows gravel drives, and yes, they are period for most old homes, but I'm thinking, in winter it's a big pita to shovel snow off and for later years, it may be difficult to walk on, but your's looks inviting.

Ihanks for your input, I may do that for now..........What was the prep work?

Edee, here's some more info:

Our drive is about 12 feet wide and 90 feet long. I know you mentioned a half circle, our turn around is a short stub off the drive. The turn around is only 12 ft wide and 12 ft. long. The whole purpose of the turn around is to back out of the garage and turn into it so you can then go frontwards down the rest of the drive. Think 3 point turn from driver's ed.

Shoveling really hasn't been that bad. If it's a small amount of snow I shovel easily by hand, if it's big, my brother with the blade on the front of his pickup shows up and pushes.

Since the drive has been gravel for nearly 80 years the gravel has packed to a point that it's nearly like concrete for hardness and smoothness. I added gravel this year due to a small channel forming at the bottom of the drive from water runoff.

To gravel: aforementioned brother showed up in same truck (with dump box, it is so handy!) he backed up the drive, lifted the box and slowly drove down while I pulled gravel out with a garden rake. Two loads at $20 bucks each did the whole drive. We both pushed it around for about half and hour and were finished. I know it had probably been at least 8 years since any gravel had been added. I put salvaged stones along the edges of the drive two years ago to keep the gravel from spreading out into the yard. To finish packing it I drove the car up and down the drive trying to go from edge to edge across the full width.

-Mike

Sounds easy enough Mike. I've been looking at homes with gravel driveways as I drive by. Like I mentioned before, I'm researching but I do like the look!