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Garden to driveway conversion!

30K views 64 replies 31 participants last post by  beambeam 
#1 ·
Been encouraged to make a wee progress thread regarding an impending driveway I'm having done round my gaff. We have large front and back gardens but have to park on the street (quite a busy main road actually). We have been desperate for a drive since we moved in 2.5 years ago but the whole house has been turned over so it featured quite low on the to-do list! But! We're nearly done! :thumb:

Here's how it was not long after we bought the house:





So, here's the present state of the garden:





In the second image (GoPro) you will see the neighbour on the right has a nice simple gravel drive. That's been there since 2012 I believe and has held up well. I had considered block paving or tarmac but these options quickly become expensive. I would also like to get in the habit of regularly washing and maintaining my car and motorcycle and fear a) ruining the joints between blocks or b) staining them during oil changes, etc. But mostly for cost purposes, as I say we've turned the whole gaff over and this is one of the last jobs to do so funds are low and to be honest we've found as we went along that some times you pay too much for a nice finish when a reliable option would have been perfectly fine - function over fashion!

Drainage has also been an issue in the past as you can see so gravel will help with that too.



I wish I could say I was rolling up my sleeves and doing this myself but I'm not. I've had a lad round to do various bits and pieces to the house including landscaping my back garden and replacing the roughcast at the front of the house. He's reliable, capable, good value and I wouldn't be comfortable using anyone else at this stage, he's worth his weight in gold to us. (Jamie's Handy Work on Facebook if anyone in the Edinburgh area is interested).

Anyway, I ramble... the plan is for a gravel drive way but due to the drop from pavement to front door the drive will be stepped up from the front of the house. A retaining wall using sleepers and featuring steps up to the drive will be created. The area between this retaining wall and front of house will be gravelled as well with perhaps a large bench and a tether for the dog. It's a proper sun trap out the front sometimes and I'd like a pit stop for when I need a brew during detailing!:lol:

Here's an earlier sketch up, excuse my limited artistic talents! I nearly applied for art school when I was younger too! Ha!



The main driveway will be surrounded by a border made from sleepers and I will infill the gap between those and the hedges with bark I think. The pedestrian gate and half of the hedge will be removed up front in order to create an opening. I don't quite have a budget for larger gates for the opening yet and this is why:



Behind the wheelie bins is access to a vennel/close/alleyway? The houses either side of ours are end terrace but long ago when the houses were thrown up I can imagine the gardens were a shared space and this was shared access to the front/back? The hedges are well established and my deeds confirm that this is for my sole use - other houses in the area don't have this luxury and I don't think I could have bought one of them knowing neighbours could freely stroll through my property area.

It's quite a nice space and I use it for storage since I have no shed or garage. My brother is currently building me a really secure gate for this side of the house in time for the drive completion. I'm hoping later down the line I can make the space into a handier one once I know it's safe to leave things there - thankfully in 2.5 years nothing has gone missing but with half the hedge missing I'd be more comfortable knowing it's secure and that my dog can't get out from the back unsupervised.

The gate:



This was the inspiration for the gate, I googled for something different and something solid. My brother was keen to freehand something since he has a lot of time on his hands at the moment and wouldn't mind developing his skills a bit more. He's nearly finished and today or tomorrow it's off for galvanising before fitting.

The gate and the frame which will be fixed to the wall inside the vennel:









I am unsure how to paint it thus far but I am going to infill it with timber or possibly artificial hedging so that the contents of the vennel are fully screened off - if you can't see it, you can't nick it!

So! Work starts tuesday and it is my week off work so I will be on hand for tea making, photo taking during ground breaking. I will try and do daily updates if everyone would prefer that?

If anyone has any advice or questions then I welcome any form of input!
 
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#36 ·
FINISHED!



I had thought initially at an angle I could turn the car in the drive but it's a tight fight and once I start I'm more like Austin Powers!



Not a problem as I've deliberately created a wide opening for getting in and out at an angle. Can comfortably drive in and reverse out, and vice versa. Can also get two cars parallel to each other if needed. First time up over the kerb was a lot less painful than I had thought it might be, barely noticed and that is with low profile tyres on 18" wheels.

Forgive the car's appearance, quickly rinsed off all the dust from gravel being shovelled about. That has been rinsed off a couple times already and the true colour of the stone is coming up nicely.

Overall, for the costs involved and the fact it turned out exactly as I envisioned, I am very happy. Already received several compliments from interested passerby's and neighbours.

Before:



After:



If I update in future it will hopefully be because I have festooned the place with plants and flowers to make it a bit nicer! Thanks for all the interest!
 
#46 ·
Great content, thanks for taking the time to upload it fella. Just in time as well, I intend on doing my drive next month so this has given me some food for thought! I'll be putting a thread up as well [emoji1303]

The finished article looks really classy, railway sleepers are a lovely touch and the contrast in gravel has worked in your favour in my opinion - provides great separation between driveway and seating area.

Well done chap!
 
#47 ·
@Pauly.22 It is called "Keith Blue", it's quite nice I reckon and has come up lovely after being hosed off a few times for dust. I have a few solar lights dotted around the back garden so looking at options, might try and get a few low profile ones to sit on top or sit recessed into the sleepers.
 
#48 ·
Thought I would update to say that the driveway has made a huge difference the last few weeks and it's turned out to be a cracking job ticked off the list of things we want for the house. Delighted to notice that there has been very little gravel making its way off and on to the pavement, in fact it is only when a neighbour passes with his puppy that starts scrambling to get close to me that it has happened! It's also been quite nice to receive several compliments on the drive from folk passing as I clean the car!

 
#52 ·
Your hedge looks like Privet.
Impossible to kill by clipping or pruning, needs a lot of water so equally compatible with your car washing and any drainage problems that could occur.
Clip/trim its sides and top twice a year and compost the clippings by putting them around the base of the hedge.
Gravel makes a nice crunch when anyone walks on it, no doubt your dog will learn that at night he should pay extra attention if he hears a crunch, mine always did!

Very nice job all round.
 
#53 ·
@Mike J, thanks for that. I've been well impressed by a neighbour's hedge three doors up and quite believe that you can't kill it! He stripped it right back a few months ago until it looked quite anaemic but I'm happy to notice it has bounced back and is looking very thick and healthy.

As for the clippings, I was worried that leaving them on the ground would cause them to seed/form roots that spread further and further into the gravel and give me problems down the line?

I'm finding the dog is becoming more and more aware of people on the gravel which is helpful to me since I have significant hearing loss. I've noticed her ears prick and ended up catching the post at the doorstep a few times.
 
#58 · (Edited)
With reference to the Anti-Slip stuff, have you looked into some GRP strips.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwj9-anxhszfAhUIQRoKHcowDHEQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tactileindicators.net%2Fanti-slip-tape.htm&psig=AOvVaw24P251apXnQY8DXcUODVKr&ust=1546413861304472

I got some of these (unfortunately can't remember the supplier) for some decking steps and they work great, another bonus is some suppliers can do them in different colours so that it blends in better. Also can be supplied in various lengths to save you from having to cut them.

John
 
#60 · (Edited)
One year on...

Realised it was coming to almost a year when work was completed! Thought it would be nice to update with how it has held up so far.



Last year when completed.



Last month.

The hedge has grown back steadily, I rarely lose stones coming on and off the drive and overall having a drive has made a massive difference. I have been able to keep it clean on a regular basis, take care of my own maintenance and even accommodated a second car on it when required. It also makes things a lot safer for the dog since she's no longer jumping out close to passing traffic.

You will see the vennel has also been furnished with the chunky steel gate that my brother freestyled for me. It is solid and provides a lot of security for motorcycles and whatnot.




Overall, very very happy. Pleased to report I've also had no complaints or issues with the lack of a dropped kerb. Unfortunately, no further works planned for the house really besides taking a wall down in the kitchen. We had a few ideas but they are on the back burner since we are now getting married next year!

Hope this update is well received, I know some of you really enjoyed the ongoing updates last year and I find myself I enjoy seeing follow ups to see how things hold up over time.
 
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