OT: Driveway options, Asphalt, macadam, crushed shell Options

[Sparky]

I've decided that the gravel/dirt driveway isn't going to cut it. Anyone in the New England area have a lead on crushed shell? My house is a rustic looking cape and I dont want an asphalt driveway detracting from teh looks of the house or landscaping.

Thanks!
Mike D.

[Rusty]

If you have any love or care for the environment... stay away from crushed shell or coral. Some crushed shell, and most of the crushed coral are harvested in the most horrible ways from the ocean.

-Lawrence (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/scuba.gif)
(PADI Divemaster)

[TimT]

hmmmmmmmmm there were and are lots of crushed shell driveways, roads around here..

I agree Coral isnt one of the things you could with a conscience pave your driveway with.. but clams are farmed around here, and we have had lot-o-clamshells to spare..

But!! you can get a much more durable and good looking driveway if you use colored concrete. You can get the concrete tinted to a nice subtle shade.. and have different textures or finishes applied.. you can wash the laitance away to expose the aggregate, you can have different patterns impressed in the concrete..

BTW the clam shell driveway smells REALLY BAD for a few months

[bernbomb914]

you could do it in brick pavers

Bernie

[r_towle]

Crushed shell driveways are very normal and most prevelant on the Cape....none of it is harvested for the purpose of driveways, it is waste that would otherwise be in a landfill somewhere. Fear not Lawrence, we yankees are really cheap and just use everything we can.

Saying that, I would not do it in Douglas...reason being...to much snow.
It will end up all over your lawn and a PITA to clean every spring.

There is a nice product available locally that is crushed bricks/concrete/cinderblocks mixed with recycled rubber tires....mainly black, though every color is available.

nice part is, it can be layed down any time of year, its a cold appplication, there is no smell, and you can drive on it as soon as they leave.

there are many colors available.

The asphalt plants are closed till april now, so you would need to wait anyways.

Crushed stone, pea stone, gravel..etc all end up on the lawn regardless of how you clean up the snow...

The recycled stuff behaves just like asphalt, once its down and packed and rolled, it looks like ashphalt.

I can give you an address in Concord to go look at....its about ten years old now and still looks great.

Rich

[JoeSharpOld]

I like concret. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)
Joe

[Aaron Cox]

Joe! where did all your cars go when you made the driveway?

[drgchapman]

I would jump on the coral is bad band wagon, I'm a diver, and I see what we are losing. Pavers are cool, just finished installing 4400 square feet of 'em. You can do it at your leisure. Just have pallets in your street to piss off the neighbors. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/finger.gif) Fun stuff! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/aktion035.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/aktion035.gif)

[Tom73]

Need a solid surface that they it will support jackstands. Don't want them sinking while you are under the car (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/sad.gif)

[JoeSharpOld]

A-aron:

[JoeSharpOld]

and

[jd74914]

Stick with gravel. Our houses both at home and on the Cape have gravel driveways. They look great (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

[Sparky]

QUOTE (r_towle @ Dec 29 2004, 06:02 PM)

There is a nice product available locally that is crushed bricks/concrete/cinderblocks mixed with recycled rubber tires....mainly black, though every color is available.

Damn looks like I almost kicked off an Eco thread here... Not my intention. Crushed shell looks great but Rich is right, I live in the Mass snow belt and it would just end up in my yard and flower beds. Rich do you have a number of someone doing the recycled thing? I'm trying to be as Eco-responsible with this house as possible. I border two state forests and some folks need to start cleaning up their act around here. Might as well be me taking the first steps...

My best,
Mike D.