driveway border

[hancoveguy]

Greetings all,
I am trying to outline my gravel driveway with something so I can put stone inside it and it will stay there (and also for esthetics as well). I was thinking one course of 12" x 12" timbers, maybe 8"x8" timbers. Anyone have any ideas on what to use and if its wood timbers, where to get them cheap? I was thinking of maybe a mill in the lakes region. Probably not doing it til psring but for the right price I would do it sooner.

Area is roughly a 2 car driveway..

HCG

P.s. not opposed to granite, telephone poles, straight tree trunks etc whatever will work and is cheap..

[MarkinNH]

whatever material you decide on, to line the edges of your driveway, plan on the snowplow reeking havoc with them.

[RLW]

If you use stone in the drive and have it plowed in the winter, expect it to be plowed all over the place but in your driveway. Remember stone does not freeze like gravel and will be plowed up in each and every storm.Just my http://i46.tinypic.com/x4q7o7.gif http://i43.tinypic.com/2wq5v5s.gif

[Argie's Wife]

When it comes to plow-time, can't you put those little driveway flag things around the edges of the driveway so the plow driver will know where to go easy (or not at all) and so the gravel, stone, and whatever else doesn't come up with it?

[hancoveguy]

thank you all for your fore thought but our place is seasonal and will not be plowed anytime soon (I guess thats good and bad...lol)


HCG

[SAMIAM]

I remember when I used to plow snow....how we loved those people who circled their driveway with little white stones.....and ,oh.....sorry about all those "chipmunk crossing" signs I trashed :laugh:

[fatlazyless]

The smallish stone & finished granite place on Tenney Mt Hgwy-Rt 25 in Plymouth, Rt 93-Exit 26, just after Baker Valley used cars & U-Haul rental, has some real grey granite cobbles about the same size as a standard red brick for $2.50 each. Similar ones are about 4.50 at Lowe's. Just line em up on the ground and you have an instant, natural looking grey granite border. Maybe spend ten dollars for a test sample try-out to see if you like the look?

[LIforrelaxin]

There are many great products out there to make a driveway bed with that aren't prone to the snow plow, redistribution issue..... Talk with your local landscape material company... I have used a few different materials at different times, that once packed down where incredibly plow resistant.

[Kamper]

Even though they are pressure treated, land-scaping timbers will rot in about 5 years. That is an observaton on some timbers I used for a project.

If you can't find rail-road ties, or phones poles (try Craigs List) you should consider regular P/T timbers.

Good luck!

[donmac]

We used RR ties, heavy buggers, got them at Wickes in Meredith about 9 years ago.

And yes, the plow does push them around a little. Just a few inches in our case - not a big deal. I use a sledge to whack them back in place.

Consider leaving an inch open between them in spots where water might need to drain.

[eric richard]

Hi HANCOVEGUY MY Name is Eric from Eric's & PHIL'S Home Improvement I have a place I us that you can get granite curbing for cheap thay only charge but the truck load if that is what you are looking for feel free to give me a call at (603) 509-3880. I us them all the time when we get calls for driveway boarders, flower beds, and curbing out by the road.

[DeniseW]

Do you have the railroad ties anchored or just sitting there? You may be able to drill two holes near each end and drive a long bar of rebar down in the ground. This may help to keep the railroad ties from being pushed out of the way.
__________________
Denise - need a Boston handyman (http://www.angieslist.com/companylist/boston/handyman-service.htm) for some projects on my house

[MarkinNH]

Do you have the railroad ties anchored or just sitting there? You may be able to drill two holes near each end and drive a long bar of rebar down in the ground. This may help to keep the railroad ties from being pushed out of the way.

3+ tons of truck with a 7 1/2' wide plow vs an 8"x8"x8' railroad tie and 2 - 5/8 ? x 3'? pieces of rebar.
Guess which one is going to win. Every time :)

[hancoveguy]

thank you all for your thoughtful replies and suggestions but snow and plow issues are not even a remote issue. This area will never see a plow. I am just looking for materials to make an ornamental and functional border for stone or gravel. Bricks are too small (thanks for the idea though) and RR ties are soaked in creosote that no doubt will end up on barefeet and ultimatley the boat or house floors.

ANyone know of any mills in the area that might do 8x8x8 timbers?

HCG

[MarkinNH]

There is Sharps Mill on Rt. 3 between Holderness and Ashland. It is on the right as your heading out of Holderness, you will see the stacks of lumber etc.
I don't know what all he sells or how he sells it or if he even does custom cutting.
His name is Steve Sharps and he was actually my highschool shop teacher many a year ago at Interlakes high School.

[NoBozo]

Most..if not ALL lumberyards will cut to order. Wait: Maybe I should use the term Sawmills. The key is... What wood to ask for. A couple of decades ago I had some timbers cut to order, to replace some wood beams in a boat cradle for a 32' deep keel 10,500# sailboat. The original cradle was soft pine...The original boat Mfg had a disclaimer stapled to the cradle that called it a "Shipping Cradle". I replaced the rotted beams with soft pine....Like wood mated with Like wood.

The original cradle was perfectly suited as a "shipping cradle". BUT: I used it as a "storage cradle" for 15 years. It rotted after maybe 7 years. Never in contact with the ground.

Other boat builders used "Green Oak" for their "shipping cradles". When weathered, they were like iron.

If I was inclined to use wood for this driveway application.... I would use GREEN Oak. That means ...it just came out of a fresh tree...no seasoning or drying out. No harm to the environment. :) NB

[ACutAbove]

Middleton Building supply in Meredith has all sizes of PT lumber. I was just there buying some for a foot bridge project I am working on. I Got some nice 4x6x16ft pt there yesterday those would be nice as a border and you could pre drill some holes and drive rebar through them and into the ground then timberlock the corners together if need be.
Good luck with your project.

[hancoveguy]

If i may ask...how much were those 4x6x16 pt pieces?

And, what are timberlocks?
HCG

[ACutAbove]

cost is $24.38 each
Timber locks are special screws designed to take the place of useing the style lag bolts. THey go in alot eaiser to the PT and you wont have to drill pilot holes and kill yourself trying to screw in those lags with a socket set.
They are kind of expensive to use but worth every penny..

[lawn psycho]

Cheap route is 8x8 timbers.

Granite curbing is the way to go IMO. May cost more upfront but they last forever and look really nice.

I have part of my driveway lined with granite "cobbles" and they stay in place with no problems (I snowblow which is not even an issue for you).

Some of these comments above just reinforce why a plow will never touch my driveway. One errant pass into my elite Kentucky Bluegrass lawn and somebody would have hell to pay :laugh:

[jmen24]

We have edged out a few driveways with random bluestone then filled the field of the driveway with crushed bluestone. One project was at the owner's house and after 4 years of driving on it, walking on it and plowing on it, they have not moved. Worked out really well and tied into the bluestone entry patio very nicely and makes for a nice transition between the lawn and the bluestone driveway.

The stones come on a pallet and they can be cut down if the overall size is to large using an angle grinder with a masonry blade. The stones are anywhere from 1" to 3" thick.

[songkrai]

If you are using any kind of wood it will rot. Pressure treated or not. If you do not use pressure treated and use regular milled wood that will rot very quickly and may harbor carpenter ants. Creosote dipped wood doesn't last long if in contact with ground. Much depends on the actual species of wood though.

BUT: If you have a nice straight driveway and don't mind pressure treated then use standard PT 4" X 6" X 16'. Can be delivered by any lumber yard. Do make sure you get straight ones. Best to go to lumber yard an pick out the ones you want delivered.

Bricks or cobble stones are another choice.

Gilbert Block in Laconia/Belmont will deliver pallets of bricks, stones, blocks, etc.

LINK (http://www.gilbertblock.net/)