The fabric will not prevent weeds from growing.... While it will prevent weeds from growing up through the base, weeds rarely grow up through 4" of gravel. Most of the weeds you'll find growing in gravel have germinated from seeds that landed from above
@@next0845my favorite herbicide for weeds is Pelargonic acid, spring to set the stage for the year, prevention goes a long way. 2. If its hot, use salt water. Its a contact herbicide so wont totaly kill. But ywo treatments and many weeds die. Organic and cheap af.
Of course, nothing will protect this driveway from weed seeds falling on it. The proper question is: will these germinating seeds have a chance to reach the life-giving soil through a layer of sterile gravel and thick foil? I bet that before anything happens they will simply dry out in the sun. That's what the gravel and foil are for! If you want to maintain this condition for years, you must use a garden blower to blow away leaves, grass clippings and other biological residues, which over time may become food for weeds. A bit like lawns - they also need to be cut, or more generally: you need to take care of everything!
Use to do subdivision development work many years ago, the fabric we laid down was to prevent the gravel from sinking into the soil and allowing water to pass through… the grid systems made similar to pavers allow grass to grow, a desirable attribute of that system is the ability to drive in the yard without leaving ruts
People do not understand how to use sonatubes. It’s to hold the concrete above the hole not in the hole. So you can have a raised footing. If you drill a hole and drop the tube in there is space around the tube that will have to be backfilled and you will never get the compaction back to even 90%. The hole should be filled with concrete and the tube should only be a few inches into the hole and the rest outside
I would recommend as you prepared the site having at a minimum 8” sock fabric Drain in the center of drive. You could clearly see from street view from front to rest of drive a low elevation that will trap water that will flow under house. Water must be redirected away from house at all cost to avoid structural damage to foundation. I would highly recommend renting a professional lazer on tripod. I realize you are attempting to teach others, but the expense you put in this project will be worth it. I have done excavation work many years and water can be enemy number one.
Yes, I agree, the drainage during heavy rainfall may not be adequate here for all installations, and while I don't know where OP is located, this could present a significant problem for some folks depending on one's location and climate. A project such as this is the perfect time to install a trench drain along the edge of the road, for example, or to install a longitudinal trench drain between the walkway area and the parking area. Then the walkway area immediately adjacent to the home should definitely be graded downward away from the building and toward the drain, with the driveway itself slightly crowned so that half of its width drains toward that trench drain, and half the width drains off the side of the driveway furthest from the building. (Such trench drains can also move water where you want it most, into adjacent planting beds during rain after a dry spell, by attaching perforated drain pipes covered with sock fabric in those areas, as long as the slope of those pipes is planned accordingly.) While this system is obviously meant to be permeable, anyone planning their own may want to consider that such a system will also tend to become less permeable over time as silt, mud, dirt and vegetation accumulate and gradually contribute to a greater density at the surface, and of course any ice or snow on that surface will completely change the equation. Above all, anyone contemplating sealing or topping such a system with tar at some point in the future will definitely want to make other provisions for drainage that may not have been necessary for OP. Planning ahead to accommodate extreme weather events is generally proving to be a safe bet!
Water drainage is important away from the house no matter if it is a monolithic slab on grade and no basement. Been building homes from the N.East for several decades and now in S.W. Florida. We ways have to account water drainage.
I was thinking of something similar - but mine was to collect the water. This is needed in my situation because I live on clay - and good drainage is an issue. So I'll probably have 2 levels of crushed below the plastic top with an additional barrier to divert the water towards the collection system.
You did a really good job for a DIY'er. One thing you sgouldce done is kicked your grade up against ghe house. You didnt fix the drainage issue. I cant remember what code is exactly, but its something like your grade should fall 4" away from the house in the first 5'. Also. The grade you have is going to allow water to pool below your rock up against the foundation, and if they have a basement thats no bueno. Othef than that you did well. You could use the machine far more than you did to make the job easier. It just takes time in the seat to figure it all out
Thanks for the kind words and support Aaron. I take it your a true tradesman and I always appreciate input form people like yourselves. Homeowner has never had any issues with water intrusion at the house and based on the two foot deep footing holes that I drilled on both sides the water weeps toward the retaining wall. Once the carport is built I plan to but a gutter system in and have it fed to a specific location. And yes I've seen other operators that handle these types of machines on a daily basis and the level of accuracy is amazing haha. Love it! Thanks so much for watching.
@@CLIFFROD1 have to accept some wear and the product will hold water on one side of cell vs other. Same with shading if the sod or grass recedes. Not perfect.
You are good at explaining things in a way that is easy to understand without getting boring. The only thing I would add is that I never saw you checking any grade to make sure you had positive drainage. If you don't plan for where you want water to go then it will go wherever it wants and it's where you dont want it.
I made the same set up using a roof tear off (shingles) and 8/10 screened gravel. I saved $400 fee the roofer wanted for taking the piles to the landfill and spent that on a delivery of gravel. I turned 2 swampy areas into great pathways that have stayed soilid for 30+ years now. I did err by adding some gravel fines to one path thinking I wanted it to be tighter and quieter but it instantly turned into a bed for weed seeds! Every year I have to scrape off the spring growth on that one but it still has never sunk into the swampy condition I needed fixed. If I were laying a driveway on country property I would make it from 6 inches shingles (packed) and 4 inches of 8-10 gravel topping!
Get some rock salt for the area with the fines that is growing weeds, it'll keep any kind of growth OR, you can mix a gallon of white vinegar and dissolve two cups of salt in the vinegar and pour it on that spot; that will kill whatever is growing and prevent more growth.
@@ApoliticalBlues Some folks may have trees growing nearby with roots underneath the pathways, in which case they'll want to avoid applying this advice too aggressively. A good rule of thumb is that many of the most important delicate, fine roots will be located just at the drip line formed around the tree when that tree is fully leafed-out. We had a neighbor who moved in and built a brick patio under the canopy of one of our old trees. This alone was hard on the tree, but then he applied concentrated bleach *liberally* and frequently to the permeable brick after the fallen leaves began to discolor the brick. That particular tree was dead within a couple of years-- go figure.
Love this project!!! Suggestion: If you get weeds or vegetation growing up through the rocks, get a pump sprayer and in early spring fill with with water, vinegar and dawn dish soap. You can look pet friendly weed killer up and it will give you the exact measurements for the size sprayer you have. Then on a sunny morning spray the areas that are showing growth and by the end of the day they are almost dead. The next day they should be pretty flattened. Make sure you are going to get rain the day you spray or the day after. And tough give them an extra spray the next day. Very gentle on animals and mother earth. Cheers!
I installed this in my front yard close to my driveway. this way, I don't have to worry about cars sinking when we have cars parked on our lawn. it's been eight years since the installation and it's still doing well. Recently, I've been thinking about replacing my concrete driveway to this grid system
There's no way to accurately compare the two as this is a fairly easy DIY option versus having to pay a crew to pour and finish a slab, and that's assuming that they'll work with DIY forms. $1,925 for the grid material, $750 for aggregate and I'm guessing about $150-200 a day on the track loader. Pretty sure a driveway like that in concrete would be close to $10,000.
@@lunchboxproductions1183 I think he meant putting up the forms, and having mixer drop off the concrete, and then float away.... Neighbor has a mixer bucket, so I could do it one box at a time..... I have a loop so don't need to drive on it while it cures.
One other thing to consider in lots of towns - is going from a gravel driveway to a concrete one - our local property taxman will raise my assessment by at least $10-15K - so they can drain more taxes out of me - that is why we keep a gravel driveway.
No comparison to concrete. Big bucks for that much hard surface. Drainage off a hard surface requires careful planning and execution so no standing puddles and, or flow into the home. Much more labor for permeable pavers. Anyone can do the rock and pavers with basic tools.
Great to watch, what considerations did you give to managing water run off and pooling? Looks like there are a few low points that would need drainage.
How is the drainage? I would think a graduated base material like that would actually not allow too much water through or at least not allow it through quickly. I am a civil contractor and all systems like this that I have looked at have used a coarse material without fines. Also, for aggregate, we add 10% for material loss when moving from a stockpile and 25% for compaction. The move going backwards with the bucket is called back dragging, or back blading, backhoes actually have a float feature to make this easier. Nice work.
the drainage problem far as can be seen in the video will remain. also don't you think he will be forever chasing the transition line from street to gravel?
Nice job on the driveway and very informative. The 'contraption' as you call it is basically what farmers call a "float". They use it to grade fields for irrigation of crops insuring it covers the entire field without pooling and drowning the plants.
Looks great! With the changing weather patterns bringing heavier rainfalls, choosing permeable surfacing using grids like our IBRAN-X gravel grid or these Vodaland grids.
Carefully done project with much care. In the top layer, I prefer a rock with no fines. Those fines get tracked into buildings and vehicles. I don’t mind a loose layer like pea gravel or a small red granite. In my shop apron I will use a larger grid grate aperture to accommodate a larger diameter rock in the top layer which will have less tendency to move by foot, tire, or water.
I don't like that type of gravel to be a driveway but it does look good right now. I find even with the compacted rocks they will stick to your soles and get everywhere: house, shop, car, etc... Also curious if you'll do a timelapse on this in one to five years on how it has held up to the test of time as far as maintenance, appearance, weeds, etc. It seems like a LOT of work although I suppose a traditional concrete driveway also takes a lot of time/work/prep.
I like to see it after Heavy Rain where does all the water go downhill I didn't see one French train put in or any way to divert the water it looks like a good job and I love that system
Love this video! Wish I had the strength, knowledge, and money to do something like this to my backyard here in the desert (St. George, Utah). But maybe I'll give it a try in a small space just to set up some pots for plants.
Sorry to tell you (from personal experience) that grassy weeds will establish themselves in your rock/gravel over time. This is because airborne dust will settle in the rock and eventually become soil. In fact, even before sufficient dust accumulates some grasses will germinate on top of the fabric and send micro roots through the fabric! This organic material will accelerate the accumulation of dust and dirt, as well as create even more soil on top of the fabric as it breaks down seasonally. If you’ve ever hiked along the timberline (as I did in my youth, so many years ago), you see this soil creation in action on bare rock. Between the water creating cracks in the granite during countless freeze cycles, airborne dust settling, and root hairs growing in the cracks, soil is created and meadows are formed.
Yep thats my only issue with the whole project - the interface between the gravel and the road edge is going to become an issue. The question becomes: how to solve it?
@@markd.9538 I've done something similar, and I would have installed a long trench drain almost immediately adjacent to the edge of the road, and then patched and sealed the small gap between the two with blacktop materials to leave a nice neat edge that won't unravel further. (Actually, for stability under vehicular traffic in a parking lot, I surrounded the black plastic trench drain itself with a small neat border of concrete, stained black to match the blacktop and using temporary boards to keep the resulting concrete encasement tidy, and then patched the narrow gap between the concrete and the adjacent blacktop with blacktop patch.) The water running off the road and into the trench drain could then be directed into perforated hoses sloped downward on either side of the driveway, into landscaped planting beds, where that water delivered directly into the root zone of any shrubs might be particularly welcome after a dry spell. It might also pay to consider what effects city workers will have one day when they eventually have to strip and re-top that asphalt road. Gray plastic trench drain surrounded by a border of concrete to match the gravel might look better in this installation, and together this would tend to protect the structure of the driveway during such road work.
@@thomastimothy777 Where is he? Any snow or ice formed on the surface of that gravel will eliminate its permeability during the snow melt or subsequent rainfalls, which could create problems even if such cold temperatures are a rare event.
The weed barrier will keep dirt from coming up as long as the rocks don't migrate down thru it, making holes. However, if you ever excavate above such a weed barrier that has been in place for years, you will find it full of dirt. The dirt comes in as dust and decomposing plant matter, and water carries it down into the rock layers. A tiny amoutn of dirt allows plant growth and even infinitesimal plants hold more dust and have roots that will decompose leading to more dirt and the cycle continues. This is just how nature works. Most of the strength of the driveway grid comes from the rock fill so you need to keep it covered with rock or it will break down. I'm wondering about rather the opposite approach to this video for my driveway. I'm thinking a couple of lines of pavers for regular wheel traffic, and widely spaced pavers between and outside of those lines for a generous width driveway. Then I'd intentionally encourage grass to grow between the pavers. The first challenge is keeping the pavers from migrating. Then also I have very level property so another challenge is to discourage pooling (and resulting softening) on the drive so it needs to be built up. Final consideration is the drive needs to support several trips per year of heavy vehicles common to a small farm such as loaded hay trucks and gooseneck trailers with up to 16 tons or so cattle (or horses like my neighbors).
Excellent point about dust building up on top of the fabric. I don't recommend fabric to clients unless they are dead set on using it. For your drive needs, I would suggest you build a Roman road. Use large rock such as railroad Ballast or larger as the base. Then add a smaller rock on top of that, then a finer layer for the top with compaction between each layer. This allows proper drainage and interlocks the various rock sizes making a superior drive surface for vehicles and heavy equipment.
@@joshuarousselow5546 although i really like this vid and think it a great improvement, your reply/comment got me to scratching my head wondering... when new RR track panels (rails already on ties) are put in, the dozers often take the ballast down and remove the fabric, from what i remember. and the layer on the fabric is usually the most dirt. and most rr access rds are built on just 57 rock. but sometimes the construction backhoe drivers or 3rd p excavators will have to put down riprap, then ballast, 57, and maybe crushed rock, in some geographical areas that are pretty much swamp all year. crush is used often around raised foundations or as a base to be compacted since it will pretty much shed water like concrete, and then a dressing of 57 for water runoff, good looks. but thanks for the good info. i think it will be 5+ yrs b4 this grid he used might have that issue, but i'm just guessing.
Really great content BYOT. Not all tradesmen can communicate and teach as well as you do, so you are doing a big public service ( while also building your channel ). Well Done !
This is on my to-do list. But this is a project I would definitely hire out. I do appreciate you separating your Shorts channel. I'm just not into shorts and at least I don't have to worry about scrolling through them on your regular channel. Thank you for that.
Thanks so much for the kind words and glad you appreciate my BYOT Shorts Channel. I still do shorts on this channel but it has to be project driven shorts. Not random shorts that have nothing to do with any of my projects. Always trying to put you the BYOT Fam first.
This was super useful, thanks for the video. Would you recommend a paver grid system for non load-bearing applications, like edging or patios? It feels overkill, but I'm thinking maybe it'd be a good way to improve the rigidity of a permeable bedding I want to put tile pedestals on top of. Either way, this stuff's going on my eventual driveway project, lol.
Serious question: It appears that your lot is below the level of the street. How is water controlled/drained during heavy rainfall? With a wall to the right of the drive, a fence at the back, and your home on the left, there appears to be nowhere for the rain to go. Even if the property behind the fence continues to slope away from the road, I can't see a way for positive drainage to occur without problems.
The idea seems very reasonable and one I have made a mental note. I'm more concerned about the drainage of the yard. To me, everything is draining backwards into the buildings, mainly because the driveway is uphill. I'd be raising the level of the house and garage and building the height of the land up along with a decent land drainage.
Nice project! Regarding the extra amount of rock you needed, what percentage of the projected need was that? A percentage difference might be an easier way to say how much more would typically be needed.
the fabric under the gravel stops the gravel from ever "settling" i put it under my driveway and it always seems loose on top, i thing because the dirt doesn't come up from underneath to lock in the gravel. the only thing i found that helps is putting pea gravel on top of 57 stone to help lock it in. sand helps too - if you can get it cheap
Great video looks like a great product, looked like the asphalt was already degraded and cracked could have been repaired at the time cheaper than later. But maybe that is the cities problem. Weeds more often grow in, as oposed to growing through such new projects.
The problem I would anticipate with a crushed rock driveway, would be areas that are loosened up and made uneven, if you were to turn the wheels on your car/truck hard one way or the other while sitting still or slowly moving. The tires will dig up the gravel. Therefore requiring constant maintenance. Would landscape glue provide any resistance to this type of problem? Another recommendation would be to use pavers around the border of the grid system you put down, just for aesthetic purposes. It provides a nice sharp edge and border to the driveway. Excellent channel - I just subscribed! :)
I love the idea, especially with the better drainage being offered compared to concrete. How would you say the pricing compares to slab? Is it more economical or is it just an alternative when you need better drainage?
Sonotube isn’t meant to go underground. It’s meant to form a cylindrical column above ground. That cardboard will degrade and your carport foundations will become loose over time. If you dig a hole, concrete is to go directly to the earth embankment.
Looks like the driveway slopes toward the backyard. Was there consideration for channeling water out of the grid system? Seems like a perimeter french drain may be needed to direct water out and away from the house, etc.
I installed a hidden driveway, just a strip for each tire, with grass in the middle. I found that my county requires "an impenetrable surface" for all driveways, from reports they were going around citing homeowners. That is most of the RV side driveways in my neighborhood. In California, where they are supposed to encourage keeping rainwater on the property rather than flowing into the street gutter.
After compacting and leveling and using this grid system, Can you add pavers on top of it? I’m thinking of doing a patio for my backyard and this system would bring useful to me if I can add pavers on top of it @byot
This grid system looks very nice and would be awesome for our driveway....of course our driveway is also hundreds of feet long so would take many of these panels....so guess we had better start saving up for a future project with them. We are LONG ways away from 100k ourselves and know it takes a VERY long time to get to that point. Great content bud....everything turned out amazing.
Maybe you could do something like I did using roofing headed to the landfill as the base and simple 8-0 gravel as topping. Do it as on the installment plan lol fix your worse spot first. Mine has lasted 30 years though no heavy trucks go on it.
MIX 610 LIMESTONE (dust) into that gravel and you've got a concrete driveway--it's heavy but it's cheap (at least in our area). In clay or sandy loam ground base 610 keeps the gravel from sinking out of sight as rain & driving on it over time will sink the small gravels without the bonding of 610 added to it. No need for expensive weed cloth layering and it saves time not having to roll out & tack down the landscape fabric.
Its a bit hard to tell based on the video, but just for anyone watching; this size plate compactor, should not exceed 2" of base material at one time. It just doesn't have enough compaction force beyond that. So if you are doing 3-4", you will need to compact 2" at a time, otherwise there's a pretty big risk for settling over time.
Love your videos!! I love the color of the rock you can get. I'm in Iowa and all the drive way rock is either light tan or pink. What you have looks so much better!
Where I live, part of the property tax you pay is based on the amount of non=permeable surface is on your property. This construction method would not be taxed.
Here it is,in Grades ! Concrete #1, Brick #2, Asphalt #3, Rock #4, Dirt #5, Yes Dirt ! My County & State charge for every TYPE of Increment !! That they do that ALSO with the LIVING things !! You put a Bush in,up goes your Taxes ! Take it Out,guess what, UP goes Your TAXES !! You made Improvements to your property,NO matter what you did! I asked the County Surveyor that was shooting Photos of ALL Properties,to get NEW DATA for NEW TAXES, Naturally !! I asked him about the Driveway material,if it affected the tax rate,and about flowers and bushes/trees,you get the idea. Any thing you do that CHANGES,makes an Improvement to your property,even if you RIP down a Junk Shed !! They are going to stick it in our @$$ ANY WAY they CAN !! VERY GREEDY !!! So we pay here for it in the LONG Haul.
Vodaland grid at $2.50 to over $3.50 a sq. ft. plus gravel. In this area concrete is cheaper , but not permeable which is important. I use a geotextile & gravel in 2'-X wide strips through the field of 3-1/2" to 5" pour and steel meshed and printed colored concrete and at the sides for runoff control and permeability.
How about a trough-drain (gully drain) at the fence to help direct water away from the house? You might want to invest in a landscape rake for easier levelling gravel.
One reason you are short on that rock is that they sell it by the ton. And that rock with fines holds a lot of moisture. So you are getting charged for water and not the exact amount you called for. Buying that type rock after a rain at the rock yard is even worse.
I wish I would’ve heard about that plastic locking mechanism before I put recycled ash fault on my driveway that has a 15° slope... I think long-term that would’ve been better
With a torch and hot tar you can repair the damage you did to the edge of the asphalt. Also, I'd recommend spraying herbicide before putting the fabric down. You're also going to have to spray herbicide on the driveway on a regular basis if you want to prevent weeds from groing on the surface. I would also recommend a concrete transition between the stone and the asphalt as this will prevent stone shift from being a cause of the asphalt failure. As far as driving those rebars, try running the majority of the length in with a heavy hammer drill and ground rod driver attachment. It'll save you a lot of effort.
+1 to the concrete transition. This also would have been a good place for a trench drain-- encase it in concrete for stability. Pour the concrete neatly using boards, and then patch the small remaining gap with blacktop patch and seal. Otherwise road repair crews will be messing up the edge of that driveway sooner rather than later.
Great video, thanks! We just bought a home with a dirt and gravel driveway and want a more permanent surface. However, or drive comes over a rise and dips down, then back up again to the hose. Any idea how well this system wold hold in place if the surface isn't uniformly flat? Thanks!
Excellent DIY instructional video! Superb video shooting, great editing, time lapse didn’t produce queasiness, no irritating music, and mistakes or ways you might have done it better/easier were all covered. With this video, anyone can make a commercial grade crushed rock car park. Kudos! You are far ahead of the TH-cam crowd with your videos.
You still have to deal with the new weed seeds that blow in and take root in the new gravel. Weed block only takes care of stuff that's already growing.
The fabric will not prevent weeds from growing.... While it will prevent weeds from growing up through the base, weeds rarely grow up through 4" of gravel. Most of the weeds you'll find growing in gravel have germinated from seeds that landed from above
Tell me about it. My gravel drive here in the uk gets weeds from above all the time 😡
It’s more to prevent the gravel from sinking/mixing into the soil over time.
100%
Keeping leaves and fresh dirt out of the gravel does 100% more than the weed barrier for weeds (at least in my experiences!)
@@next0845my favorite herbicide for weeds is Pelargonic acid, spring to set the stage for the year, prevention goes a long way. 2. If its hot, use salt water. Its a contact herbicide so wont totaly kill. But ywo treatments and many weeds die. Organic and cheap af.
Of course, nothing will protect this driveway from weed seeds falling on it. The proper question is: will these germinating seeds have a chance to reach the life-giving soil through a layer of sterile gravel and thick foil? I bet that before anything happens they will simply dry out in the sun. That's what the gravel and foil are for!
If you want to maintain this condition for years, you must use a garden blower to blow away leaves, grass clippings and other biological residues, which over time may become food for weeds. A bit like lawns - they also need to be cut, or more generally: you need to take care of everything!
Use to do subdivision development work many years ago, the fabric we laid down was to prevent the gravel from sinking into the soil and allowing water to pass through… the grid systems made similar to pavers allow grass to grow, a desirable attribute of that system is the ability to drive in the yard without leaving ruts
People do not understand how to use sonatubes. It’s to hold the concrete above the hole not in the hole. So you can have a raised footing. If you drill a hole and drop the tube in there is space around the tube that will have to be backfilled and you will never get the compaction back to even 90%. The hole should be filled with concrete and the tube should only be a few inches into the hole and the rest outside
That info is so wrong. The code and manufacturer state that you're only allowed to have 40% of the total length above ground
I would recommend as you prepared the site having at a minimum 8” sock fabric Drain in the center of drive. You could clearly see from street view from front to rest of drive a low elevation that will trap water that will flow under house. Water must be redirected away from house at all cost to avoid structural damage to foundation. I would highly recommend renting a professional lazer on tripod. I realize you are attempting to teach others, but the expense you put in this project will be worth it. I have done excavation work many years and water can be enemy number one.
Yes, I agree, the drainage during heavy rainfall may not be adequate here for all installations, and while I don't know where OP is located, this could present a significant problem for some folks depending on one's location and climate. A project such as this is the perfect time to install a trench drain along the edge of the road, for example, or to install a longitudinal trench drain between the walkway area and the parking area. Then the walkway area immediately adjacent to the home should definitely be graded downward away from the building and toward the drain, with the driveway itself slightly crowned so that half of its width drains toward that trench drain, and half the width drains off the side of the driveway furthest from the building. (Such trench drains can also move water where you want it most, into adjacent planting beds during rain after a dry spell, by attaching perforated drain pipes covered with sock fabric in those areas, as long as the slope of those pipes is planned accordingly.) While this system is obviously meant to be permeable, anyone planning their own may want to consider that such a system will also tend to become less permeable over time as silt, mud, dirt and vegetation accumulate and gradually contribute to a greater density at the surface, and of course any ice or snow on that surface will completely change the equation. Above all, anyone contemplating sealing or topping such a system with tar at some point in the future will definitely want to make other provisions for drainage that may not have been necessary for OP. Planning ahead to accommodate extreme weather events is generally proving to be a safe bet!
He’s in the PNW so he might be on a slab. No basement or crawl space. If there was crawl space we would have seen vents below his siding.
Water drainage is important away from the house no matter if it is a monolithic slab on grade and no basement. Been building homes from the N.East for several decades and now in S.W. Florida. We ways have to account water drainage.
Yes my thought exactly, I was thinking of possibly a French drain with a catch basin.
I was thinking of something similar - but mine was to collect the water. This is needed in my situation because I live on clay - and good drainage is an issue. So I'll probably have 2 levels of crushed below the plastic top with an additional barrier to divert the water towards the collection system.
You did a really good job for a DIY'er. One thing you sgouldce done is kicked your grade up against ghe house. You didnt fix the drainage issue. I cant remember what code is exactly, but its something like your grade should fall 4" away from the house in the first 5'. Also. The grade you have is going to allow water to pool below your rock up against the foundation, and if they have a basement thats no bueno. Othef than that you did well. You could use the machine far more than you did to make the job easier. It just takes time in the seat to figure it all out
Thanks for the kind words and support Aaron. I take it your a true tradesman and I always appreciate input form people like yourselves. Homeowner has never had any issues with water intrusion at the house and based on the two foot deep footing holes that I drilled on both sides the water weeps toward the retaining wall. Once the carport is built I plan to but a gutter system in and have it fed to a specific location. And yes I've seen other operators that handle these types of machines on a daily basis and the level of accuracy is amazing haha. Love it! Thanks so much for watching.
I put that grid in the wet area in front of my gate. Planted grass, filled it problem puddle and mud mess, gone for good. Worth it.
What’s your location? I’m in the Piedmont of North Carolina and curious how it would grow grass and stand up to 100+ degree summers.
@@CLIFFROD1 Mojave. Rolled sod into it.
@@CLIFFROD1 have to accept some wear and the product will hold water on one side of cell vs other. Same with shading if the sod or grass recedes. Not perfect.
i'd be worried about slip :|
You are good at explaining things in a way that is easy to understand without getting boring.
The only thing I would add is that I never saw you checking any grade to make sure you had positive drainage. If you don't plan for where you want water to go then it will go wherever it wants and it's where you dont want it.
I made the same set up using a roof tear off (shingles) and 8/10 screened gravel. I saved $400 fee the roofer wanted for taking the piles to the landfill and spent that on a delivery of gravel. I turned 2 swampy areas into great pathways that have stayed soilid for 30+ years now. I did err by adding some gravel fines to one path thinking I wanted it to be tighter and quieter but it instantly turned into a bed for weed seeds! Every year I have to scrape off the spring growth on that one but it still has never sunk into the swampy condition I needed fixed. If I were laying a driveway on country property I would make it from 6 inches shingles (packed) and 4 inches of 8-10 gravel topping!
duh I like the way you think. reuse
all those roofing nails makes a good keep out sign as well.
Get some rock salt for the area with the fines that is growing weeds, it'll keep any kind of growth OR, you can mix a gallon of white vinegar and dissolve two cups of salt in the vinegar and pour it on that spot; that will kill whatever is growing and prevent more growth.
@@ApoliticalBlues Some folks may have trees growing nearby with roots underneath the pathways, in which case they'll want to avoid applying this advice too aggressively. A good rule of thumb is that many of the most important delicate, fine roots will be located just at the drip line formed around the tree when that tree is fully leafed-out. We had a neighbor who moved in and built a brick patio under the canopy of one of our old trees. This alone was hard on the tree, but then he applied concentrated bleach *liberally* and frequently to the permeable brick after the fallen leaves began to discolor the brick. That particular tree was dead within a couple of years-- go figure.
All of the chemicals in the shingles, depending what they are made of, will seep into the ground and poison it
Love this project!!!
Suggestion: If you get weeds or vegetation growing up through the rocks, get a pump sprayer and in early spring fill with with water, vinegar and dawn dish soap. You can look pet friendly weed killer up and it will give you the exact measurements for the size sprayer you have. Then on a sunny morning spray the areas that are showing growth and by the end of the day they are almost dead. The next day they should be pretty flattened. Make sure you are going to get rain the day you spray or the day after. And tough give them an extra spray the next day. Very gentle on animals and mother earth. Cheers!
Yep. I use roundup one a month and it's very minor amount of work. Maintenance is vital on everything.
We used a similar idea for a horse barn floor. 20 years later, and most of it still good.
I installed this in my front yard close to my driveway. this way, I don't have to worry about cars sinking when we have cars parked on our lawn. it's been eight years since the installation and it's still doing well. Recently, I've been thinking about replacing my concrete driveway to this grid system
I look forward to the years to come to see how that system holds up. ❤ 💯 👍
Well done! This would be a good parking structure for an RV in a wilderness location.
I used a similar plastic grid system as my hot tub base. Worked great.
There should have been a cost analysis of this project compared to just a concrete pour job.
There's no way to accurately compare the two as this is a fairly easy DIY option versus having to pay a crew to pour and finish a slab, and that's assuming that they'll work with DIY forms. $1,925 for the grid material, $750 for aggregate and I'm guessing about $150-200 a day on the track loader. Pretty sure a driveway like that in concrete would be close to $10,000.
@@lunchboxproductions1183 I think he meant putting up the forms, and having mixer drop off the concrete, and then float away....
Neighbor has a mixer bucket, so I could do it one box at a time..... I have a loop so don't need to drive on it while it cures.
These are equally as expensive as pavers and you are already doing 85% of the same work to install anyway.
One other thing to consider in lots of towns - is going from a gravel driveway to a concrete one - our local property taxman will raise my assessment by at least $10-15K - so they can drain more taxes out of me - that is why we keep a gravel driveway.
No comparison to concrete. Big bucks for that much hard surface. Drainage off a hard surface requires careful planning and execution so no standing puddles and, or flow into the home. Much more labor for permeable pavers. Anyone can do the rock and pavers with basic tools.
Great to watch, what considerations did you give to managing water run off and pooling? Looks like there are a few low points that would need drainage.
How is the drainage? I would think a graduated base material like that would actually not allow too much water through or at least not allow it through quickly. I am a civil contractor and all systems like this that I have looked at have used a coarse material without fines. Also, for aggregate, we add 10% for material loss when moving from a stockpile and 25% for compaction. The move going backwards with the bucket is called back dragging, or back blading, backhoes actually have a float feature to make this easier. Nice work.
the drainage problem far as can be seen in the video will remain.
also don't you think he will be forever chasing the transition line from street to gravel?
Nice job on the driveway and very informative. The 'contraption' as you call it is basically what farmers call a "float". They use it to grade fields for irrigation of crops insuring it covers the entire field without pooling and drowning the plants.
My back and knees are aching just watching him. Nice job!
Yep what a total waste of time.
Cool project! If you drive rebar with some regularity, a chunk of capped steel pipe can save some time and energy.
Looks great! With the changing weather patterns bringing heavier rainfalls, choosing permeable surfacing using grids like our IBRAN-X gravel grid or these Vodaland grids.
Carefully done project with much care. In the top layer, I prefer a rock with no fines. Those fines get tracked into buildings and vehicles. I don’t mind a loose layer like pea gravel or a small red granite. In my shop apron I will use a larger grid grate aperture to accommodate a larger diameter rock in the top layer which will have less tendency to move by foot, tire, or water.
The project came out looking great. Pavers would really make the space pop.
Where would you like to see the pavers?
I don't like that type of gravel to be a driveway but it does look good right now. I find even with the compacted rocks they will stick to your soles and get everywhere: house, shop, car, etc... Also curious if you'll do a timelapse on this in one to five years on how it has held up to the test of time as far as maintenance, appearance, weeds, etc. It seems like a LOT of work although I suppose a traditional concrete driveway also takes a lot of time/work/prep.
I like to see it after Heavy Rain where does all the water go downhill I didn't see one French train put in or any way to divert the water it looks like a good job and I love that system
Love this video! Wish I had the strength, knowledge, and money to do something like this to my backyard here in the desert (St. George, Utah). But maybe I'll give it a try in a small space just to set up some pots for plants.
Man, youve got it made. Getting paid to make youtube videos of you fixing up your own crib. You've cracked the code.
Why, oh why, didn't you put in some drainage (or a sump). The downslope to the house is just begging for water problems.
Sorry to tell you (from personal experience) that grassy weeds will establish themselves in your rock/gravel over time. This is because airborne dust will settle in the rock and eventually become soil.
In fact, even before sufficient dust accumulates some grasses will germinate on top of the fabric and send micro roots through the fabric! This organic material will accelerate the accumulation of dust and dirt, as well as create even more soil on top of the fabric as it breaks down seasonally.
If you’ve ever hiked along the timberline (as I did in my youth, so many years ago), you see this soil creation in action on bare rock. Between the water creating cracks in the granite during countless freeze cycles, airborne dust settling, and root hairs growing in the cracks, soil is created and meadows are formed.
My post-hammer starts most rebar driving. There are also attachments for your Bosch if you do it often.
2:30 With no curb to support the edge of the road, you can see the asphalt already cracking.
Yep thats my only issue with the whole project - the interface between the gravel and the road edge is going to become an issue. The question becomes: how to solve it?
@@markd.9538 I've done something similar, and I would have installed a long trench drain almost immediately adjacent to the edge of the road, and then patched and sealed the small gap between the two with blacktop materials to leave a nice neat edge that won't unravel further. (Actually, for stability under vehicular traffic in a parking lot, I surrounded the black plastic trench drain itself with a small neat border of concrete, stained black to match the blacktop and using temporary boards to keep the resulting concrete encasement tidy, and then patched the narrow gap between the concrete and the adjacent blacktop with blacktop patch.) The water running off the road and into the trench drain could then be directed into perforated hoses sloped downward on either side of the driveway, into landscaped planting beds, where that water delivered directly into the root zone of any shrubs might be particularly welcome after a dry spell. It might also pay to consider what effects city workers will have one day when they eventually have to strip and re-top that asphalt road. Gray plastic trench drain surrounded by a border of concrete to match the gravel might look better in this installation, and together this would tend to protect the structure of the driveway during such road work.
Thank you very much for making this video. I'm about to fill and rebuild a driveway and seeing it done (and explained) was quite helpful.
I'm interested in seeing how this holds up after the winter months. Snow removal might be tricky.
Yup. I have a gravel driveway and that is tricky to say the least.
Slit a piece of pipe to go over the cutting edge of a snowplow and it will go right over the gravel instead of digging in.
There’s no snow where he lives
@@thomastimothy777 Where is he? Any snow or ice formed on the surface of that gravel will eliminate its permeability during the snow melt or subsequent rainfalls, which could create problems even if such cold temperatures are a rare event.
The weed barrier will keep dirt from coming up as long as the rocks don't migrate down thru it, making holes. However, if you ever excavate above such a weed barrier that has been in place for years, you will find it full of dirt. The dirt comes in as dust and decomposing plant matter, and water carries it down into the rock layers. A tiny amoutn of dirt allows plant growth and even infinitesimal plants hold more dust and have roots that will decompose leading to more dirt and the cycle continues. This is just how nature works.
Most of the strength of the driveway grid comes from the rock fill so you need to keep it covered with rock or it will break down. I'm wondering about rather the opposite approach to this video for my driveway. I'm thinking a couple of lines of pavers for regular wheel traffic, and widely spaced pavers between and outside of those lines for a generous width driveway. Then I'd intentionally encourage grass to grow between the pavers. The first challenge is keeping the pavers from migrating. Then also I have very level property so another challenge is to discourage pooling (and resulting softening) on the drive so it needs to be built up. Final consideration is the drive needs to support several trips per year of heavy vehicles common to a small farm such as loaded hay trucks and gooseneck trailers with up to 16 tons or so cattle (or horses like my neighbors).
Excellent point about dust building up on top of the fabric. I don't recommend fabric to clients unless they are dead set on using it. For your drive needs, I would suggest you build a Roman road. Use large rock such as railroad Ballast or larger as the base. Then add a smaller rock on top of that, then a finer layer for the top with compaction between each layer. This allows proper drainage and interlocks the various rock sizes making a superior drive surface for vehicles and heavy equipment.
@@joshuarousselow5546 although i really like this vid and think it a great improvement, your reply/comment got me to scratching my head wondering... when new RR track panels (rails already on ties) are put in, the dozers often take the ballast down and remove the fabric, from what i remember. and the layer on the fabric is usually the most dirt. and most rr access rds are built on just 57 rock. but sometimes the construction backhoe drivers or 3rd p excavators will have to put down riprap, then ballast, 57, and maybe crushed rock, in some geographical areas that are pretty much swamp all year. crush is used often around raised foundations or as a base to be compacted since it will pretty much shed water like concrete, and then a dressing of 57 for water runoff, good looks. but thanks for the good info. i think it will be 5+ yrs b4 this grid he used might have that issue, but i'm just guessing.
Drag with a piece of chain link does miracles
You are a talented guy and your videos are excellent. Curious however. What was the cost compared to having a paved driveway installed?
What a Passionate Personal Presentation of a Perfect Permanent Permeable Project.
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this is exactly what i'm going to be doing with my drive way, since it's just loose pea gravel.... great to hear that those grids work!
Very labor intensive. I would look for other grid systems that require less assembly
Really great content BYOT. Not all tradesmen can communicate and teach as well as you do, so you are doing a big public service ( while also building your channel ). Well Done !
Driveway looks great. Seems like that grid is the ticket to keep the stone from developing ruts in it.
This is on my to-do list. But this is a project I would definitely hire out. I do appreciate you separating your Shorts channel. I'm just not into shorts and at least I don't have to worry about scrolling through them on your regular channel. Thank you for that.
Thanks so much for the kind words and glad you appreciate my BYOT Shorts Channel. I still do shorts on this channel but it has to be project driven shorts. Not random shorts that have nothing to do with any of my projects. Always trying to put you the BYOT Fam first.
This was super useful, thanks for the video.
Would you recommend a paver grid system for non load-bearing applications, like edging or patios? It feels overkill, but I'm thinking maybe it'd be a good way to improve the rigidity of a permeable bedding I want to put tile pedestals on top of.
Either way, this stuff's going on my eventual driveway project, lol.
Thanks for showing this. I’ll be Bob the Builder if I keep watching these 😂
Serious question: It appears that your lot is below the level of the street. How is water controlled/drained during heavy rainfall? With a wall to the right of the drive, a fence at the back, and your home on the left, there appears to be nowhere for the rain to go. Even if the property behind the fence continues to slope away from the road, I can't see a way for positive drainage to occur without problems.
This video, and this channel in general is probably the only "feel good" type of contant for me out there 😊
LOVE hearing that and thanks so much for watching. Truly appreciated and trying to make this world a better place in my own way :)
The idea seems very reasonable and one I have made a mental note. I'm more concerned about the drainage of the yard. To me, everything is draining backwards into the buildings, mainly because the driveway is uphill. I'd be raising the level of the house and garage and building the height of the land up along with a decent land drainage.
Nice project! Regarding the extra amount of rock you needed, what percentage of the projected need was that? A percentage difference might be an easier way to say how much more would typically be needed.
the fabric under the gravel stops the gravel from ever "settling" i put it under my driveway and it always seems loose on top, i thing because the dirt doesn't come up from underneath to lock in the gravel. the only thing i found that helps is putting pea gravel on top of 57 stone to help lock it in. sand helps too - if you can get it cheap
Looks great! Done right and will last forever as far as the homeowner is concerned
Great video looks like a great product, looked like the asphalt was already degraded and cracked could have been repaired at the time cheaper than later. But maybe that is the cities problem. Weeds more often grow in, as oposed to growing through such new projects.
The problem I would anticipate with a crushed rock driveway, would be areas that are loosened up and made uneven, if you were to turn the wheels on your car/truck hard one way or the other while sitting still or slowly moving. The tires will dig up the gravel. Therefore requiring constant maintenance. Would landscape glue provide any resistance to this type of problem? Another recommendation would be to use pavers around the border of the grid system you put down, just for aesthetic purposes. It provides a nice sharp edge and border to the driveway. Excellent channel - I just subscribed! :)
We need to redo our gravel driveway and looking at different options. I'm wondering how well this will hold up over winter and with plowing.
Ice will temporarily eliminate the permeability of the gravel-- definitely make additional provisions for drainage in your situation.
I love the idea, especially with the better drainage being offered compared to concrete.
How would you say the pricing compares to slab? Is it more economical or is it just an alternative when you need better drainage?
A quick spray of contact adhesive on tuw geotextile overlap for belt and braces.
Sonotube isn’t meant to go underground. It’s meant to form a cylindrical column above ground. That cardboard will degrade and your carport foundations will become loose over time. If you dig a hole, concrete is to go directly to the earth embankment.
The concrete is poured into the sonotubes.
Sonotube is used regularly below grade. No issues.
Looks like the driveway slopes toward the backyard. Was there consideration for channeling water out of the grid system? Seems like a perimeter french drain may be needed to direct water out and away from the house, etc.
Yes, I agree.
I installed a hidden driveway, just a strip for each tire, with grass in the middle. I found that my county requires "an impenetrable surface" for all driveways, from reports they were going around citing homeowners. That is most of the RV side driveways in my neighborhood. In California, where they are supposed to encourage keeping rainwater on the property rather than flowing into the street gutter.
How To Install A Permeable Gravel Driveway...hmmm Had truck driver spread the gravel 2" on my driveway....works fro me !
In the army, basic training, we would have to pull pallets like that over the sand if you got in punishment 😂
Holy buckets im glad i never went into the army
Great video! Though I might recommend trying to soften your plosives.
8:50 i like how he changed the tool with reason to avoid damaging and then immediatly hits the top of the tube lol
Haha he hit it twice in the same spot at that
Great seeing you do what u love again . Nice video Chris
I'm about to start my driveway repair 😅 thanks for the repair tips. I gave you a sub for your easy to understand instructions
After compacting and leveling and using this grid system, Can you add pavers on top of it? I’m thinking of doing a patio for my backyard and this system would bring useful to me if I can add pavers on top of it @byot
This grid system looks very nice and would be awesome for our driveway....of course our driveway is also hundreds of feet long so would take many of these panels....so guess we had better start saving up for a future project with them. We are LONG ways away from 100k ourselves and know it takes a VERY long time to get to that point. Great content bud....everything turned out amazing.
Maybe you could do something like I did using roofing headed to the landfill as the base and simple 8-0 gravel as topping. Do it as on the installment plan lol fix your worse spot first. Mine has lasted 30 years though no heavy trucks go on it.
@@itsno1duh What about nails?
Rolls of chainlink fencing
Do it in the parking areas and entrance
Maybe you mentioned it and I missed it, but for optimal compaction the crush rock should be wet, which yours was.
MIX 610 LIMESTONE (dust) into that gravel and you've got a concrete driveway--it's heavy but it's cheap (at least in our area). In clay or sandy loam ground base 610 keeps the gravel from sinking out of sight as rain & driving on it over time will sink the small gravels without the bonding of 610 added to it. No need for expensive weed cloth layering and it saves time not having to roll out & tack down the landscape fabric.
Its a bit hard to tell based on the video, but just for anyone watching; this size plate compactor, should not exceed 2" of base material at one time. It just doesn't have enough compaction force beyond that. So if you are doing 3-4", you will need to compact 2" at a time, otherwise there's a pretty big risk for settling over time.
Yes-- compaction must be done in smaller lifts to be effective.
I install these driveways, always use 20mm clean gravel for covering grid
Only thing I would do different is get a couple buckets of asphalt repair and square off the edge. But that's just my perfection obsession going nuts.
U should use that little skeed steer to smooth it out and compacted too
Good for you not editing out the part where you smack the 4x6 with your sledge.
I could feel how tired he was when he missed.
Looks sweet, wonder how it would perform in a sub freezing temp zone?
Love your videos!! I love the color of the rock you can get. I'm in Iowa and all the drive way rock is either light tan or pink. What you have looks so much better!
Really?! That's crazy. So interesting how materials change based on the area you live in. Thanks for watching.
Where I live, part of the property tax you pay is based on the amount of non=permeable surface is on your property. This construction method would not be taxed.
Here it is,in Grades ! Concrete #1, Brick #2, Asphalt #3, Rock #4, Dirt #5, Yes Dirt ! My County & State charge for every TYPE of Increment !! That they do that ALSO with the LIVING things !! You put a Bush in,up goes your Taxes ! Take it Out,guess what, UP goes Your TAXES !! You made Improvements to your property,NO matter what you did! I asked the County Surveyor that was shooting Photos of ALL Properties,to get NEW DATA for NEW TAXES, Naturally !! I asked him about the Driveway material,if it affected the tax rate,and about flowers and bushes/trees,you get the idea. Any thing you do that CHANGES,makes an Improvement to your property,even if you RIP down a Junk Shed !!
They are going to stick it in our @$$ ANY WAY they CAN !! VERY GREEDY !!! So we pay here for it in the LONG Haul.
Vodaland grid at $2.50 to over $3.50 a sq. ft. plus gravel. In this area concrete is cheaper , but not permeable which is important. I use a geotextile & gravel in 2'-X wide strips through the field of 3-1/2" to 5" pour and steel meshed and printed colored concrete and at the sides for runoff control and permeability.
Recently worked on a farm with no plate compactor and I could not fathom it. Needless to say I left that job. 🤣
Thanks for taking the time to do this video! I’m planning our driveway currently and this tutorial is very informative. Thanks
This video was an advertisement for the product. Just have the area properly graded and road base not clean rock
How about a trough-drain (gully drain) at the fence to help direct water away from the house? You might want to invest in a landscape rake for easier levelling gravel.
Great filming on the project!
One reason you are short on that rock is that they sell it by the ton. And that rock with fines holds a lot of moisture. So you are getting charged for water and not the exact amount you called for. Buying that type rock after a rain at the rock yard is even worse.
Around Seattle where this is filmed, gravel is sold by the cubic yard, not by weight
I wish I would’ve heard about that plastic locking mechanism before I put recycled ash fault on my driveway that has a 15° slope... I think long-term that would’ve been better
With a torch and hot tar you can repair the damage you did to the edge of the asphalt.
Also, I'd recommend spraying herbicide before putting the fabric down. You're also going to have to spray herbicide on the driveway on a regular basis if you want to prevent weeds from groing on the surface.
I would also recommend a concrete transition between the stone and the asphalt as this will prevent stone shift from being a cause of the asphalt failure.
As far as driving those rebars, try running the majority of the length in with a heavy hammer drill and ground rod driver attachment. It'll save you a lot of effort.
+1 to the concrete transition. This also would have been a good place for a trench drain-- encase it in concrete for stability. Pour the concrete neatly using boards, and then patch the small remaining gap with blacktop patch and seal. Otherwise road repair crews will be messing up the edge of that driveway sooner rather than later.
@@karenkrohn8003 if you cut the asphalt clean, you can use the asphalt as part of the form.
Great video, thanks! We just bought a home with a dirt and gravel driveway and want a more permanent surface. However, or drive comes over a rise and dips down, then back up again to the hose. Any idea how well this system wold hold in place if the surface isn't uniformly flat? Thanks!
Couldn’t find a utility blade but you did have the torch 🤔 i tend to have the opposite problem.
Wow. Great Video. One of the Bestest Ever.
Excellent DIY instructional video! Superb video shooting, great editing, time lapse didn’t produce queasiness, no irritating music, and mistakes or ways you might have done it better/easier were all covered. With this video, anyone can make a commercial grade crushed rock car park. Kudos! You are far ahead of the TH-cam crowd with your videos.
enclose the entire gravel bed in fabric😉
Silt not only ingresses from the top, but from all sides.
Clearance from grade to siding looks like it's less than minimum required. For most it's a minimum of 6". Depends on material type if more is needed.
You'll still get weeds. After a couple years there will be enough organic material in the gravel above the weed barrier for things to grow in it.
Why do you have a really big driveway and a small fenced yard?
Could you use a dry concrete mix and just wet it down would that work ? You don't have to worry about cracking ?
Did you call you dig number before pounding those stakes in for that retainer wall that's a good way to hit a gas hydro or bell
I do see hydro above doesn't mean its alive tho but please get locates it may save your life
Just got some of these in the mail.
First time Subscriber 424K 3.4K 716K views Love YOUR Content,....
You still have to deal with the new weed seeds that blow in and take root in the new gravel. Weed block only takes care of stuff that's already growing.
Only with the heart of a philanthropist can you not only reach the heart, but finally successful without looking for it 🙏GRACIAS
Interesting. What would be the pros and cons of using these panels vs building the driveway using pavers?
How much of gravels does 1 panel hold?
Well done, learn by doing! 👍