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- 1). Lay out a 12-foot wide driveway marked with wooden pegs on as level terrain as possible. Avoid sharp bends, and try to give trees a wide berth to avoid root encroachment into the driveway.
- 2). Excavate the driveway to a depth of at least 12 inches or until all topsoil has been removed, using a rented backhoe or small dozer. Stockpile topsoil in a suitable area for later use. Remove large rocks and spongy subsoil, and fill cavities with firm subsoil. Make sure that all organic material, such as roots and compacted leaves or grass, is removed from the trench. Apply 1-inch by 12-inch lumber edging to the walls of the trench if installing a relatively short driveway.
- 3). Run a compacting roller or vibrating plate compactor over the subsoil base until it is firmly compacted.
- 4). Apply a strong organic weed killer to the base and sides of the trench with a backpack sprayer if no lumber edging is used.
- 5). Roll out a layer of strong geotextile fabric to completely cover the floor and sides of the trench if no lumber edging is used. Geotextile fabric will stabilize the driveway and also act as an effective weed barrier.
- 6). Spread a layer of sharp edged baseball-size crushed rock over the geotextile fabric. Avoid smooth-edged rocks. Run the compacting roller or vibrating plate compactor over the surface; the sharp, angular edges of the rock will interlock with a strong friction bond, forming an almost solid foundation.
- 7). Add layers of progressively smaller crushed rock. Rake each layer toward the middle and smooth it down to form a convex crown. This will facilitate water runoff from the finished driveway and also prevent water pooling in small depressions along the surface. Compact each layer of gravel firmly to interlock the sharp edged stones while maintaining the convex profile.
- 8). Add the final dress layer, which should consist of marble-sized chips. The dress layer can be colored from dark gray to brown or red to suit your tastes and also to lend contrast to the surrounding terrain. Compact the dress layer firmly, but not enough to crush the surface gravel.
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