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View Poll Results: If you have a driveway, is it paved?
Yes 132 78.57%
No 32 19.05%
I don't have no stinkin' driveway! 4 2.38%
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Poll: Do you have a paved driveway?
Old 02-25-2017, 04:28 PM   #1
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Poll: Do you have a paved driveway?

The small town/rural thread made me curious - if you have a driveway, is it paved*?

*Paved equals concrete, asphalt, chip-seal or other similar surface. Gravel, decomposed granite, shell, grass, dirt, etc. is unpaved.
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Old 02-25-2017, 04:34 PM   #2
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When I was growing up we had a gravel driveway. Does that count as paved or unpaved?

After a while the gravel starts to sink in and you don't know the feeling of despair when your father says "I ordered ten tons of gravel for the driveway. You're going to shovel it".

Every house after that one did have a paved driveway. The luxury comes in when there is an attached garage at the end of the driveway. That got us spoiled very fast!
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Old 02-25-2017, 04:34 PM   #3
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The city home does, the boondocks home doesn't. So, I cannot vote.
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Old 02-25-2017, 04:37 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walt34 View Post
When I was growing up we had a gravel driveway. Does that count as paved or unpaved?
Gravel = unpaved.
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Old 02-25-2017, 04:38 PM   #5
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Walt, IMO gravel is unpaved.... paved = asphalt.

Our driveway is not paved, what we call "stay-mat" locally, a fine, almost like stone-dust that compresses nicely once it gets rained on a few times.
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Old 02-25-2017, 04:45 PM   #6
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Stone pavers. 130 feet long.
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Old 02-25-2017, 04:50 PM   #7
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we have 1/4 mile of gravel with a concrete parking pad leading into the garage. Figure vast majority rules, so unpaved.
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Old 02-25-2017, 05:07 PM   #8
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My plow truck has four cleated chains on it during snow season. Pavement wouldn't last a winter. I don't put the truck on concrete either for fear of the damage I might do. One of the neighbors said he was thinking about paving his drive. I told him I would no longer plow if he did. I haven't seen any pavement yet.
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Old 02-25-2017, 05:16 PM   #9
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800' paved. 2.5" asphalt over gravel base. About 20 years old with only sealing. I have some cracks that crackfilling can't handle. I'm going to have to get some of it redone.
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Old 02-25-2017, 05:31 PM   #10
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I have what I consider 3 different situations, at different places

asphalt - it's cheap, soft, cracks quickly, is ruined by dripping gas on it, cannot put heavy things like motorcycle foot on it long term or will sink in.

cement - costs more, takes the weight, does not disolve, but does crack/heave badly, hard to fix yourself and look good.
no driveway as it's on an island. - pain to park on mainland and shift everything into the boat. Docks wear out quickly and are expensive.
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Old 02-25-2017, 05:32 PM   #11
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I didn't see "both" or "multiple" in the poll. Has there ever been a poll on this site that adequately covered an answer for everyone?

Anyways, I have about 25 yards that's nearest the house and barn that's paved in concrete and about 300+ yards of limestone rock/base to get me to the main road. Add to that 2 farm gates and one cattle guard to cross over.
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Old 02-25-2017, 05:34 PM   #12
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My driveway is paved with concrete. I'm not in a small town/rural location though. I'm in a fairly urban inner suburb.
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Old 02-25-2017, 06:37 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walt34 View Post
When I was growing up we had a gravel driveway. Does that count as paved or unpaved?

After a while the gravel starts to sink in and you don't know the feeling of despair when your father says "I ordered ten tons of gravel for the driveway. You're going to shovel it".

Every house after that one did have a paved driveway. The luxury comes in when there is an attached garage at the end of the driveway. That got us spoiled very fast!


Nowadays a dump truck driver worth his salt has to be able to "tailgate" a load of gravel for roads and driveways. They tip the bed up a bit and control the spread of stone. Sometimes it has to be done in reverse. Driveways are trickier because you get a small pile at the end.

I've had 2 gravel driveways out of 3 houses. They were both double driveways shared with a neighbor and the hardest part was getting agreement that it was time for fresh stone. We paved the 2nd one with concrete and we have asphalt now.
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Old 02-25-2017, 06:45 PM   #14
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Cement double wide driveway. Small town but not rural.
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Old 02-25-2017, 06:49 PM   #15
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My first summer of retirement we ripped out the concrete driveway, graded, added gravel, then sand, then interlocking pavers. I put that it's paved. The norm around here is concrete. I live in the city - but a suburban neighborhood within the city.

When I lived in the Philly metro area I had the old-school 2 concrete strips with grass in the middle. And yes - it had a garage at the end. Since it was 2/3's concrete - and 1/3 grass... I guess that's paved.

I've never lived rural.
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Old 02-25-2017, 07:00 PM   #16
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100 foot paved driveway. We had classic cars or we would have left it gravel.
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Old 02-25-2017, 07:12 PM   #17
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Asphalt 2 car wide but only a single care garage just enough room for my motorcycle, snow blower and tools, also have a two car parking pad on the side of the driveway since we are not allowed to park on the street from November 1 thru April 15.
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Old 02-25-2017, 07:40 PM   #18
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In some cities, the code spells out the choices for the driveway. My aunt's town code specifies that the driveway must be of poured concrete or concrete pavers, and it must be of a certain thickness. Asphalt or gravel is permissible only for a rear driveway, also of a certain minimum thickness. And that rear driveway cannot be accessed by an unimproved alley. And they stress that parking over unimproved ground is strictly forbidden.

Where I am, at the city metropolitan home, the code says that no permit is necessary for driveways, unless it is 30" higher than adjacent grade or goes over a basement. This means they don't care what you do. Ditto for my boondocks home, where most people have a driveway far better than the road that lead to their home anyway.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rodi View Post
..When I lived in the Philly metro area I had the old-school 2 concrete strips with grass in the middle. And yes - it had a garage at the end. Since it was 2/3's concrete - and 1/3 grass... I guess that's paved.
I am trying to remember where I read a city ordinance that specifically spells out that driveways like the above are forbidden. Good grief, what is it with these guys?
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Old 02-25-2017, 07:48 PM   #19
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I am the only home 3/4's of a mile from the county maintained dirt more like decomposed granite. We called a grader in 3 times in 11 years to make it driveable and redo the whole 3/4.

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Old 02-25-2017, 07:58 PM   #20
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We have a small gravel driveway for now. DW and I were just talking about having it paved in the summer.

It's a pia to snowblow on gravel and I believe it won't be over 5-7k(hopefully less) to pave a small driveway.

Our last driveway was this huge concrete thing. Two to three vehicles wide and 75 yards long. When there was snow it drifted, badly!
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