Period ground protection

[88v8]

Our drive is steep and rather slippery. The surface is gravel/stone which has been bashed into the mud over the years. For normal traffic it's fine.
Indeed, we've had full-size skip lorries up there, or rather one particular lorry which has a difflock and a careful owner/driver.



We have just begun the build of our new garage; yesterday B&Q delivered, and instead of the promised 7 ton truck they sent a 26 ton six-wheeler.

Foolishly, I allowed him to try driving up. He span the wheels, and made huge trenches in the surface. With the ground wet, this is difficult and time-consuming to repair.

In future I shall refuse delivery of any oversize lorries.
However, a degree of delivery traffic is unavoidable.

I've been looking online for some sort of protection matting. I see this sort of thing
http://premierbarriers.co.uk/catalog/flex-grass-protection-2mx20m-roll-temporary-park-p-410.html
In a sense, £400 down the drain.

Has anyone found a way of protecting slippery/fragile ground that doesn't cost the earth?

Ivor

 

[Lime]

I'd threaten to sue B&Q.
Their driver took the risk and damaged your drive.
It's an open and shut case isn't it?

The mesh you refer to would probable be no help whatsoever in a similar situation that you've described.
Also it is only 2 metres wide which is not enough to cope with large vehicles.

 

[Flyfisher]

I'd threaten to sue B&Q.
Their driver took the risk and damaged your drive.
It's an open and shut case isn't it?

I wouldn't have thought so . . .

Foolishly, I allowed him to try driving up.

From the photograph above, it looks like there's a fair slope to that driveway. If the ground becomes even slightly wet and muddy then ordinary road tyres are going to slip unless there are other aids at work such as the aforementioned diff-lock or traction control or all wheel drive.

I wouldn't hold out much hope of that mesh being particularly helpful. It might stabilise the ground and prevent more damage but I can't see it helping with the basic grip problem.

A quick fix would be to dig out the muddy bits and replace with fresh grave. A longer-term fix would involved excavation, effective drainage, and starting again with a good sub-base of suitable depth for the envisaged traffic.
There's a wealth of information in this excellent website: http://www.pavingexpert.com.

 

[Feltwell]

Offload at the roadside onto a trailer and pull it up the driveway with your Land Rover?

 

[Zebra]

A quick fix would be to dig out the muddy bits and replace with fresh grave.

I'm sure that would make an excellent driveway but think of the relatives of the deceased!

 

[Flyfisher]

Can't get away with anything in these here parts.

 

[Feltwell]

On a similar theme.....

For the steps down to our garden, where they join the grass it always gets muddy in winter, no real way of avoiding walking on that area. Has anyone successfully used anything to stop this, such as mesh panels that grass grows through?

 

[88v8]

There's a wealth of information in this excellent website: http://www.pavingexpert.com.

There is indeed. The whole site is a mine of information, thanks.

I think my chief error was allowing him to try reversing up. I should have made him turn around. Drivers of long vehicles aren't keen to do that as they have to reverse down a quarter mile of single-track lane, then reverse again back up it. Or start from the top, which is a mile & a quarter with lots of blind bends and a 1:4 drop. Construction access wasn't in our minds when we bought the house.

Ivor

 

[MatthewC]

We have just begun the build of our new garage; yesterday B&Q delivered, and instead of the promised 7 ton truck they sent a 26 ton six-wheeler.

I used to live down a narrow private lane with a right angle bend to get to us at the end. When we did an extension we deliberately chose a supplier who had a small lorry (7 or 10 ton), so that materials could be delivered to site easily. However, when they delivered the materials they used a brand new huge one (25 ton or so) which had lots of trouble with the trees in the lane. When we pointed out their mistake later, they complained that our lane had SCRATCHED their nice new lorry!