How To Install A Permeable Gravel Driveway Grid System

This DIY permeable driveway tutorial is all about how to install permeable driveway grid system from start to finish. This DIY gravel driveway install shows the step by step process on how to install Vodaland EasyPave Driveway Grid from start to finish. Bring Your Own Tools (#BYOTools 205).

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CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Intro
1:18 - Driveway Excavation With Track Loader
5:15 - Driveway Base Preparation
9:03 - How To Install Driveway Grid System
12:08 - How To Pour A Gravel Driveway
17:23 - Finish Shots

[sottx]

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

[RicCross]

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

[DB-cxcb]

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.

[aaronstuart]

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

[Jules]

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!

[tsjuno]

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

[redrocklead]

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.

[itsnoduh]

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!

[fredbecker]

We used a similar idea for a horse barn floor. 20 years later, and most of it still good.

[Brineytoes]

Well done! This would be a good parking structure for an RV in a wilderness location.

[samspade]

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.

[devastatn]

I look forward to the years to come to see how that system holds up. ❤ 💯 👍

[Ishiisan]

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

[kulagabe]

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.

[wadebuck]

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.

[jasonpaynerealtor]

I used a similar plastic grid system as my hot tub base. Worked great.

[fw]

My back and knees are aching just watching him. Nice job!

[tvdtnmy]

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.

[gdt]

There should have been a cost analysis of this project compared to just a concrete pour job.

[ibrangroup]

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.