What I did at my house today...

[MJ1987]

{snip}As far as driveway terminology goes, I've always heard to it referred to as a "ribbon driveway."

That's the same term I've known for that style. It's also one method we've been debating between that and a permeable when we finally get to working on our driveway.

Frankly, snow is really the only pain in the a$$. Trying to shovel off the top layer enough to drive my truck over it is a nuisance. But before this winter, snowfall has been reasonable so it's worked out nicely.

Heavier snowfall, just shovel off the topmost snow, then use a push broom for the last bits. I have seen folks use a snow scoop instead of shovel (some have wheels, some do not) as well.

I am quite envious of you, as you are much farther along in less time than we are. Everything looks fantastic.

I complain about the snow, but I LOVE the driveway. Ever since installing the sod, people continue to stop to say, "Wow!" Honestly, one of the few areas I give my self credit for is my vision. Most people would have looked at my house 5 years ago and thought it really wasn't anything special. But little changes like growing actual grass in between the concrete strips brings people around on my long-term goal. If I were you, I'd do a ribbon. Even though a single-lane driveway that needs to be mowed isn't as "practical" and impervious (I'm assuming cinder, pavers, etc), it's great to be able to incorporate something that really contributes to the aesthetic of your home and property.

The PO always tells me that he wanted to make similar changes to the house (he grew up in my house) and the house he's owned since the '80s (it's another cool 1920s house) but life got in the way. He got married, wanted to settle down and have children quickly, and worked round the clock. I'm single, no kids, and have a stable job with conventional hours and summers off. At risk of sounding like I'm on a soapbox, my point is, don't be discouraged--just keep working toward realizing your vision!

[Gothichome]

Those types of drive would have had a distinct advantage. Back in the day cars had road draft tubes to vent the crank case. By their nature they would drip oil down the centre strip of the driveway making a black oily mess if it were a full driveway, maybe this is why there were so popular in the day. Not only that, two strips would be cheaper to build than a full.
Just a thought.

[Lily left the valley]

I complain about the snow, but I LOVE the driveway. Ever since installing the sod, people continue to stop to say, "Wow!" Honestly, one of the few areas I give my self credit for is my vision. Most people would have looked at my house 5 years ago and thought it really wasn't anything special. But little changes like growing actual grass in between the concrete strips brings people around on my long-term goal. If I were you, I'd do a ribbon. Even though a single-lane driveway that needs to be mowed isn't as "practical" and impervious (I'm assuming cinder, pavers, etc), it's great to be able to incorporate something that really contributes to the aesthetic of your home and property.

The PO always tells me that he wanted to make similar changes to the house (he grew up in my house) and the house he's owned since the '80s (it's another cool 1920s house) but life got in the way. He got married, wanted to settle down and have children quickly, and worked round the clock. I'm single, no kids, and have a stable job with conventional hours and summers off. At risk of sounding like I'm on a soapbox, my point is, don't be discouraged--just keep working toward realizing your vision!

Our home also was upkept for a while, but started sliding in condition as the original owners aged and the inheritors kept changing. We always knew for budget reasons alone that restoration would be a long term process. I very much appreciate your encouragement because there are days when I feel very much like your PO--"it's been X years--I thought we'd have fixed up Y by now." (Oh yeah, the hot water coil needed replacing sooner than we thought, etc. etc.) I'm hopeful now that we found out we may be eligible for a homeowner hazardous remediation loan/grant program that within the next decade, the asphalt siding (and later maso replacement patches) will be gone and then we get to deal with the original wood siding. (If you stay in the home for 15 years after the work, the "loan" is forgiven.) Because I love old homes, my hope has always been that restoring Beebe will help others see there are alternatives to vinyl "upgrades", and will help folks appreciate old homes as they can be restored.

We tried to contract the driveway out when we were leaning permeable, but because outdoor work has such a short season we haven't even managed to get an estimate yet. So every year it's more and more likely we'll just be doing it ourselves. (I have a pick axe now, which may come in handy if the sledge and crowbars aren't enough.) In which case, pouring the ribbon would be easier than all the ground moving and granular layers involved for the permeable styles. We'd been planning on lowering the top most level portion and adding a concrete ramp into the garage to ease the slope change. I'd likely use moss for at least some of the center strip because much of the driveway sits in shade most of the day, but we've not talked it out that far to make a firm decision. There are some sun loving mosses we could mix in the lowest portion so it wouldn't be an odd transition between moss and grass. Seeing your driveway really is encouraging me, though I'm not experienced pouring concrete on slopes. There are those shallow X segment permeable pavers you can piece together (another District member posted a pic of theirs once for me to see), but I just think with our slope/heave they won't work out well. I am really glad you mentioned the depth of the cement on your post, because that reminded me a deeper pour might help prevent heave/break in the future.

Those types of drive would have had a distinct advantage. Back in the day cars had road draft tubes to vent the crank case. By their nature they would drip oil down the centre strip of the driveway making a black oily mess if it were a full driveway, maybe this is why there were so popular in the day. Not only that, two strips would be cheaper to build than a full.
Just a thought.

All of that makes sense, and of course back then they wouldn't have had their town breathing down their neck about oil getting in the soil and possibly watershed. From what I've read, the ribbon came into popularity partly because it helped prevent the erosive ruts from constant tire wear/weight of the vehicle, but I also agree the cost is lower than doing the entire width. When the POs paved our driveway, they did not fill in the ruts! Just asphalted over what was there (gravel layer revealed at the heave breaks). It's totally bizarre, and wrecked a past car's muffler due to heave breaks where the slope levels out near the garage. You can see the paved ruts and the worst heave break near the side porch in this listing photo.

[MJ1987]

I love this conversation! I never knew the bit about draft tubes and oil leakage, but it makes total sense.

One suggestion I would make when it comes to pouring your own cement for the driveway sections: use exposed aggregate. Find a mix that incorporates small (1/4") river stones. The process seems pretty simple, mix, let it cure for x-amount of time, then spray on a solution that prevents the top-most cream from setting, and then after x-amount of time, hose it off to expose the rocks. The exposed pebbles really make for a much more old-house-friendly look--kind of like an acid-rain etched surface that becomes exposed after 100 years of nature taking its course. I'm in NJ, so the exposed surface pebbles also help with grip a bit in the winter.

Check out this link for info and styles. Mine is most similar to the sample on the bottom, in the middle.

https://www.residencestyle.com/exposed- ... eneficial/

[Manalto]

Check out this link for info and styles. Mine is most similar to the sample on the bottom, in the middle.

https://www.residencestyle.com/exposed- ... eneficial/

I've had this surface too, in the form of a walkway around a previous house. It's attractive (mine was most like the top-center sample), wasn't slippery in the rain, and was nice to walk on in bare feet in the summer. I always called it "pebble concrete" so thanks, once again, for the correct term.

[phil]

I've seen people use that expose aggregate with pebbles and then do a sealer and the result was something you could skate on in your shoes when it froze.

I replaced my deck with an assortment of old bricks and I like it but in winter i get these 1/4 inch thick ice cubes forming on top of the bricks.

love the driveway. I remember when the city used to have a tank truck to distribute oil on gravel roads. they would keep putting it on until the gravel became like pavement. now they say the rubber from our tires is killing the fish and it's pretty hard to contain.

I put 3/4 crushed gravel in the back now if someone even walks on it it's like an early warning system

[phil]

took a break from working on the house , Ive collected at least one too many volvos and I have one I decided to take apart. one needed a rad so I took that and it looked fine.
then I started trying to pull the engine out. I removed the driveshaft and the transmission supports, drained the oil from the transmission. got the linkage unhooked form the transmission. Im planning to build a teepee to hook my chain hoist onto but Ill get as much unbolted as I can first. my yard started to look like an auto wrecker so Ill plan ot pull it and any other parts I can use and get the carcass towed. I dont really need the engine but i have three other cars that share that same engine so I figured I should save it. I already used the fuel pump and the door hinges , the radiator. blower fan, and a bunch of other things so It's paid for itself. I bought two the same for $400 each.. when I got them, I just planed to salvage what parts I wanted, but they were the same car just a year different, 0ne is 89 and one is 88 both 4 door volvo 740 sedans. I think I might restore the other one, it needs a windshield and a headliner and some TLC but it looks decent otherwise. If I can put it original and complete then I can insure it as a collector car for $300 a year. I do still have to pay for my daily commuter to get to work and it;s about $1200 a year. I've always liked these old volvos because I can fix them and trade parts around. If i can get two or three of them roadworthy then I just insure one and then if I have trouble I just move the insurance. I dont have a shop so in the summer I try to do some maintenance, get them lined up and ready for another year. It used to be easy to just visit a wrecker and get what I need but as time wears on the wreckers don't really keep them.
it's a bit of work but I hate the idea of making payments or dropping thousands on a reliable and new car so I just keep my junk and do what it needs.

Ill get back to finishing and installing my baseboards yet ! Ive been picking away at it the last paint specks and filling holes and getting some finish on them. I still want to try making wainscot from that flooring I collected and trimmed down to size.. I think I often get to about 90 percent and then get sick of doing the same thing and for some reason I just want to change jobs and do something else.

my old 66 volvo has a downdraft tube. some earlier models of the same car were like that then they started running the crankcase fumes back in through one of the carburetors. that makes the air filters dirty so i made it just go down under the car. if it pukes under the car it's an automatic rust protection system i never really see much come out of it but I guess it should probably be converted back to eating it's own smog. At least it doesn't have a catalytic convertor to steal. lots of those have been going missing around here.

[Gothichome]

This weekend I did some drywalling in the bathroom project and finally got the last of my stones a gravel down the bank. still have about eight cages to make and fill but I think I’ll give the Flintstone routine a break and get at it again in the fall.

[Manalto]

Moved in!

[Gothichome]

James, your in, no more long distance commuting. You can now spend your time tending your gardens full time, and working on your home.