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It depends on whether you're starting with an existing gravel surface or not. But 1-1/4" Minus topped with 5/8" Minus is a standard combination. There are a few companies near you, such as Pacific Topsoils in Everett, Topsoils Northwest in Snohomish, and Riverside Sand & Gravel in Snohomish.

Well we sure like your boss! Are you in the construction industry? We're so glad it was a helpful video.

A lot of blogs and videos suggest 3/4" Clean (#57) if you're building on top of a timber frame. Since it has no fines, 3/4" Clean doubles up as a drain rock as long as your soil is well draining. Keep in mind that in the examples we found online that used 3/4" Clean, the timber frame was backfilled with soil, covered with landscape fabric, and topped with 3/4" Clean. This method would keep the gravel in place and prevent it from moving, which clean products are prone to do.

Thank you so much!

Never heard of using 1/4" Minus for driveways. It's usually a trail/walkway/under-paver material because it is so dense due to the percentage of fines (small particles). You could probably use it, but keep in mind that it costs more than 5/8" Minus, which is the standard smallest driveway size. You will likely also need to start with a larger gravel size for the base of your driveway. Otherwise you risk creating a mud pit.

One source suggests mason sand, which is a fine sand used in mortar mixes. We sell a product called Ultrafine Pool Sand, which is a silty sand that holds its shape when wet. Mason sand will drain better however.

Most people don't know much about rock, sand, and soil products. Hopefully our content can help bridge the gap!

That's so awesome!

Here are some thoughts from our dispatcher. When you create a gravel surface with minus crushed rock, it will drain, but it may not drain quickly enough if you use a product with a lot of fines. This is why gravel surfaces have to be crowned (sloped) to make sure that water runs off the edges of the product area. We do sell a permeable base course and top course (1-1/4" Minus and 5/8" Minus) that have coarser fines in them so that they provide structural stability but also drain better. They are typically used under synthetic turf fields. Even if you have a deep layer of clean product, 1/4" Minus is an especially dense crushed rock product, and the fines will settle into the base over time. It's possible to use a clean rock product on paths and patios, but the area needs to be contained because the product will shift. You could also use a permeable landscape fabric underneath the clean rock to prevent the rock from migrating into or mixing with your subgrade.

@@WARockQuarriesCouldn't you develop a 5/8 minus product that filtered out anything finer than about 1 mm, at which point it should drain rapidly but maybe also settle to a firm surface? There ought to be some magic balancing point that gives great drainage but also most of the advantages of firmness you get with decomposed granite?

That's basically what Permeable Top Course is. It's a 5/8" Minus with coarser fines. It's usually only used as part of drainage system, however, because it doesn't pack as well as a regular top course. If you really want your patio to drain, you could contain the patio area with a border, line it with permeable landscape fabric, and use a fill like 3/4" Clean or pea gravel.

For the patio, it depends on the look you're going for and the composition of your subgrade (soil). You could use pea gravel if you contain it with a border and place a permeable landscape fabric underneath it. 5/8" Minus is a popular choice. 1/4" Minus is also nice because the fines make it smoother to walk on and can pack down so hard that it can be wheelchair accessible. If you use a minus crushed rock, you want to make sure the project area is slightly crowned so that water runs off the edges and doesn't puddle. You may also need to start with a larger base course like 1-1/4" Minus for extra strength. For the dog run, it also depends on your material preference. Finely crushed rock, like 5/8" Minus or 1/4" Minus are common choices. If you click through to the last picture, you can see where a community local to us used 5/8" minus for their dog park: www.wa-rock.com/project/tehaleh-community-projects/

Is this for a driveway?

@@WARockQuarries yes a driveway

Building a gravel driveway on a slope is a fight with gravity. Larger materials are likely to get kicked to the side. One idea for approaching it is to get a material, like 5/8" minus, and pack it down as firmly as you can, lightly watering it in to get the fines to settle into the voids between the larger pieces of gravel. Some gravel grid suppliers like GroundGrid and BaseCore advertise that they can be used on steeper grades to slow erosion. They're basically honeycomb-like cell structures that are placed on the subgrade and backfilled with gravel. But by the time you put the money into that, you might as well have paved the driveway. For more complicated questions like this, we recommend getting an estimate from a contractor. You can talk through the process with them, get some ideas, and figure out whether it's worth it to do the work yourself or hire a professional.

@WARockQuarries thanks for getting back to me ,intend on doing it myself 2b lime is what I have now and am constantly shoveling and raking it back up the drive

Unfortunately it sounds like you might save yourself some hassle by paving. Our dispatcher thought 1-1/4" minus or 2" minus might help with tires churning. But even he said the best solution is to "pour concrete or pave it."

Glad it was helpful!

It doesn't look like there are a lot of quarries in Mississippi, probably due to the geography. Your best bet might be to see where the local paving/construction contractors source their materials from.

Can you tell us a little more about the project? For example, will you be regrading the driveway? What kind of gravel is in the current driveway mix?

@@WARockQuarries Thank you for getting back to me. Yes the current mix is healthy 3inch base rock with a thin coat of 57 rock. I was trying to regrade the driveway without having to bring in extra top layer but the top layer is way to thin. It seems that they never put enough on it to begin with. But yes I will be regrading it once I bring in more top layer.

Our dispatcher's recommendation is 1-1/4" Minus. One of the best things you can do to assess material needs is to get contractor bids and ask them to itemize materials and quantities. Then you can use the bids to determine whether to work through the contractor or purchase the materials yourself. Look specifically for excavation/paving contractors. They will most likely buy product in bulk from local sand and gravel suppliers rather than landscape yards with small bunkers.

@@WARockQuarries Thank you! This is great information. I was also thinking of 1/4 minus and then maybe a coat of 57 to make it look nicer.

No problem! There are so many ways you could do it.

Glad to hear it!

70feet

60feet by 5inches,how much crusting and washing concrete aggregate do I need?

Hi, Joe, It's tough to know what to recommend without knowing more details. Do you have an existing gravel driveway?

It might be tough to find something that compacts enough to hold furniture and is also comfortable to walk on (barefoot). You could solve the issue by starting with a 5/8" minus and compacting it. Then you could fill the area with a few inches of pea gravel. Be sure to slightly slope the project area so that water can drain away from it. Also make sure that the edges of the area are contained, either via excavation or edging, so that the round rock doesn't migrate. The legs of the furniture will sit on the compacted surface below the pea gravel. You could scoop pea gravel out where the furniture legs will go, then move the furniture in place. Or you could set the furniture prior to adding the pea gravel and backfill around it. Other sources suggest placing a concrete slab, piece of wood, or pavers in the area where the furniture will be, then backfilling with gravel to hide the supports. Keep in mind that gravel might cause some wear and tear to your furniture. If you aren't concerned about walking on the project area barefoot, you could simple use a compacted 5/8" Minus, 1/4" Minus, or Crusher Dust (decomposed granite is similar).

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for the awesome feedback!

Thanks for watching! Tons and cubic yards are standard in the U.S., which is why we use those measurements in the video. If you need to use the metric system, we suggest googling "cubic yards to cubic meters," and Google will convert measurements for you.

It's meant to quickly cover a topic we've already covered in a previous video.

You probably want to use a building sand. However, the pool manufacturer may offer guidance in their installation instructions.

Thank you!

No problem!

The sizes in the video are standard local product sizes in Washington State, and based on material requirements dictated by the state department of transportation. DOT requirements are usually based on standards set by organizations like ASTM International, which provides standards in both millimeters and inches. You'll find that aggregates measured in inches or with sieve sizes is typical throughout the United States.

Glad you enjoyed it!

This is not our area of expertise, but we can summarize what we learned from Googling around. If you do use a stabilizer grid, make sure it is commercial grade. There are many flimsy knockoff versions that won't last over time. Grids can help keep gravel in place and prevent migration. They're great for permeable paths, i.e., gravel that allows water to pass through. Some cons are that grids are expensive and require maintenance. For example, some online discussion boards discuss the grid showing through the gravel layer over time, so you would need to add gravel to the surface occasionally. Grids may also break down over time. For your money, maybe it would be worth it to create a border around the path instead?

Wanted to let you know that we just published a blog series about gravel grids: www.wa-rock.com/ask-washington-rock-what-are-gravel-grids-an-introduction-to-gravel-grid-pavers-and-rolls/ We hope it's helpful!

Glad you think so!

You bet!

Awesome to hear!

So glad it was helpful and made you laugh as well!

Thank you for watching!

Thank YOU for watching 😊

We loved the look on Diana’s face too! Thank you for watching :)

Thank you!

Glad you found it useful!

Driveway gravel does tend to set up with a little time, use, and moisture. So glad it worked out for you!

Thanks so much!

Glad you enjoyed it!

So glad you found value in the video!

It sounds like an issue of grading rather than materials. You would probably benefit from having your driveway regraded. This problem spot will likely continue to reappear otherwise. Potholes are basically craters made up of compacted material. Adding more material to them is like pouring gravel into a bowl, i.e., the crater is still there even though the problem appears to be gone. What you will need to do is break up the area around the potholes with heavy machinery or something like a pickaxe, then redistribute the material.

@@WARockQuarries thank you so much for your input!!! Silly question who do I call (besides Ghostbusters LOL)? Landscaper? Masonry? 🙏🏼🙏🏼

You could try Googling "grading services near me." Google will pop up a list of contractors under the heading "Businesses" and show below each entry whether the business mentions grading on their website. You're looking for a contractor like a small excavation company or landscaper. In our area, businesses who provide grading services have names like Joe's Excavating and Construction, Rob's Excavation, Alpine Landworks, ABC Dirtworks, Mountain Construction, etc. You could also call a local concrete supplier or landscape supply yard and ask for recommendations.

@@WARockQuarries perfect I was not googling the right thing for sure LOL thank you!!!

Glad we could help!

Happy to hear you enjoyed it!

Thank you so much!

Some online articles mention that lava rock is too sharp for dog paws, so the same may be true for cats. A clean, angular gravel like crushed basalt may be uncomfortable for animals before it's compacted. You may be able to get a sample from a local landscape yard to try out. There are many alternatives suggested online: cat repellant, installing sharp plants, placing eggshells on the ground, etc.

Crusher run is basically 5/8" minus gravel (3/4" minus in other regions). Recycled concrete aggregate is crushed up concrete. For example, we sell a 1-1/4" minus recycled concrete that performs the same function as 1-1/4" minus made from mined materials. Most driveways use 5/8" minus or 1-1/4" minus. Sometimes you might start with a larger clean crushed gravel as a base layer for the driveway. It can help stabilize muddy areas. Other products are layered on top of the crushed clean product to create the driving surface. For example, our 1-1/4" minus is called Crushed Surfacing Base Course (CSBC) and our 5/8" minus is called Crushed Surfacing Top Course (CSTC). These two products are often used together with the base course on the bottom and top course on the top. We would suggest Googling articles about building a gravel driveway. Everyone has their preferred method, and there are "easy" ways to create a driveway and there are longer-lasting methods that take more time, money, and effort.

@@WARockQuarries Thank you for such a thorough response. I talked with one contractor and he said that he would simply dump about 5 inches of clean bluestone gravel on the hard dirt driveway. The driveway does have Belgian blocks (with footing and joints) on the perimeter. He did not mention RCA, "crusher run" or any other base. Is that a viable way of doing it?

It's hard to say without knowing more about your specific situation. Perhaps you could ask 2 other contractors for their opinions (you know what they say about getting three quotes). Typically a minus product is used on the surface because it compacts and stays in place better while clean rock has a tendency to shift. Contractors will create a slight crown in the middle so water can roll off the sides since compacted gravel acts like concrete. Perhaps your contractor chose clean gravel for drainage since the blocks might trap water on the edges of the driveway. The blocks might also prevent gravel from rolling off the sides of the road. This is just speculation however.

@@WARockQuarries Thank you! 🙏 Your response is much appreciated.

Glad we could help!

We supply concrete manufacturers with rock and sand but don't make it ourselves. So concrete isn't really our expertise. You could check out this video by This Old House and see if it helps: th-cam.com/video/sbpHsedLxkM/w-d-xo.html

The clean rock is likely intended to act as a binding agent, especially if the soil is soft or muddy. However, your best bet is to get a second opinion from a building contractor if you're questioning the opinion you received.

Yes. What are you going for with that combination?

@@WARockQuarries going for a long lasting driveway ,in using the minus on bottom and clean as top layer , over time and compaction the minus will get pushed into the soil and strengthen the base layer and the top will last longer

You probably want to go with something like 1-1/4" Clean on top so the rock will stay in place. Compacting the surface will make it more likely to stay in place.

You're welcome!