At 16:14 13/06/05 -0400, you wrote:
>So... Am I being an idiot?
Hi Mark,
It all depends how much time you have and how masochistic you feel. Why not
start with the driveway widening first of all? That way you'll get a feel
for what's involved. If you then decide to bring in a contractor he'll be
glad you did the awkward part of the job yourself.
A few points to consider :
1 Definitely use a geotextile. The saving you can make on stone far
outweighs the cost of the geotextile. Anything over 400 microns thick
should be adequate.
2 If you find any wet spots (groundwater rising) after you do your
excavation, fix them. Don't rely on the geotextile.
3 6 inches total depth of stone and blinding should be adequate. You could
make a case for increasing it to eight or nine inches alongside the
driveway to carry delivery vehicles in the future. Use 1 1/2 inch down
stone for your base. You'll find it much easier to spread than 3 or 4 inch
stone and it rolls better. Ideally in two layers. Then blind it off with a
light dressing of 3/4 or 1/2 inch down and roll well. It won't harden
completely until it gets wet then dries.
4 Geotextile is usually sold in rolls. Over here in the UK it's 450 sm
(100 metres by 4.5 metres). If you need a narrow strip it's easier to saw
it off the roll than to unroll it and then try to cut it. If you have to
join it give it a minimum 6 inch overlap.
Looks a nice property on a useful sized lot. First time you back a large
truck down the driveway you'll be glad you widened it.
Good luck.
Nick
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