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Driveway instead of mud pit
The starting position
This is what our front page looked like last summer. There was no entrance to the house, only this enormous vegetation. Here we have taken up a small entrance to even be able to enter the grounds.
Preparations
The first step in the planned driveway was to clear away all the trees and weeds. The garden has not been looked after for a couple of years, so the weeds have become, to say the least, TALL and very wild. It took us all weekend to first take down and then take care of the waste. We got a twig chewer from a good friend and we've had a lot of use for it, flimsy twigs turn into a couple of Ikea bags in no time. The tree trunks must be cut into smaller pieces and used as fuel for the tile stove.
Planning, planning, planning...
As we currently have no driveway at all, despite a very old house, a lot of time is spent thinking. What is actually the absolute best solution that satisfies all needs, both current and future? We want space for two cars, a piece to walk on next to the possible cars, a small discount or hedge on both or one side of the driveway and the possibility of making a carport in the future. At the same time, we have a very limited economy so how can it be as cheap and easy as possible? Yes, it keeps us busy a lot.
The solution is to have a professional dig out for us, it costs about the same as renting a smaller excavator for a long weekend. Transporting the masses costs money and so far we haven't found anyone who is interested in these, unfortunately, so we are torn between hiring a hauler for SEK 4,000, or letting it lie on the lot and spreading it out, or driving it to the tip ourselves in batches.
We visited Stenbolaget in Arninge and looked a bit at the range, after professional help we decided on a simple stone - Marksten Visby structure at SEK 149/sqm but in a completely smooth variant. Maybe we can mix a few different colors to get a more varied expression.
In the picture below, we have first measured the area to be excavated with sticks and string and then with leftover paint. The small area of gravel should make room for a mailbox (which is currently sitting up with rope around a tree...) and maybe some bushes. Excavation will tentatively take place at the beginning of next week.
The solution is to have a professional dig out for us, it costs about the same as renting a smaller excavator for a long weekend. Transporting the masses costs money and so far we haven't found anyone who is interested in these, unfortunately, so we are torn between hiring a hauler for SEK 4,000, or letting it lie on the lot and spreading it out, or driving it to the tip ourselves in batches.
We visited Stenbolaget in Arninge and looked a bit at the range, after professional help we decided on a simple stone - Marksten Visby structure at SEK 149/sqm but in a completely smooth variant. Maybe we can mix a few different colors to get a more varied expression.
In the picture below, we have first measured the area to be excavated with sticks and string and then with leftover paint. The small area of gravel should make room for a mailbox (which is currently sitting up with rope around a tree...) and maybe some bushes. Excavation will tentatively take place at the beginning of next week.
Digging
Since the place we chose was cluttered with trees and their roots, we made the decision to let a professional do the digging and see how nice it turned out! We would never have managed that in one day. Now we have an even, pleasant surface with a slight enough slope and also only a small pile of soil. Very flexible.
Basic work
So it was then time for some fresh new moves as the salaries trickled in. We started with Stenbolaget's Fiberduk F-20 Mini 25x1 m. Of course, it was almost enough so we had to supplement with another roll the following evening. On Friday, the gravel arrived and was placed in a neat pile in the middle of the pit. On Saturday morning (no, at 11 o'clock actually) we each started with a shovel. And damn how heavy it was!!! After a while a friendly neighbor came and lent us his "raven" which made things easier but it was still very tiring. With around 40 degrees in the sun and heavy physical work, a couple of liters of water were consumed.
The plot itself has a natural slope towards the street and so far we have only laid out the gravel using the eye gauge. The most important thing is that it slopes slightly outwards, not that it is exactly 2 cm of slope per meter, we reason.
We have bordered one side of the driveway with a hedge - Slånaronia nero, which seemed easy to maintain, just the right size and very beautiful. In addition, we have now finally got a pole down for the mailbox so it doesn't get stuck with rope in a small tree. A bit worn out in the back and hands, it's time for a new working week at work. :)
The plot itself has a natural slope towards the street and so far we have only laid out the gravel using the eye gauge. The most important thing is that it slopes slightly outwards, not that it is exactly 2 cm of slope per meter, we reason.
We have bordered one side of the driveway with a hedge - Slånaronia nero, which seemed easy to maintain, just the right size and very beautiful. In addition, we have now finally got a pole down for the mailbox so it doesn't get stuck with rope in a small tree. A bit worn out in the back and hands, it's time for a new working week at work. :)
