Chip and seal pavement

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Sun May 07, 2017 7:30 am

Does anyone here have any experience with chip and seal pavement to replace a gravel drive?

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Sun May 07, 2017 8:22 am

A friend of mine in Tennessee has a long driveway made from it. It looks great. The only thing that he mentioned is that one needs to be careful with snow plowing so as not to break away the top layer of gravel. Other than that it's a good alternative to gravel if you want something harder and less dusty.

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Sun May 07, 2017 12:36 pm

For me having the proper gravel is critical. It should not be the light gray crushed limestonen that is common in the Midwest. I like the chip and seal because it has a softer natural look as opposed aggregate embedded in epoxy on concrete pavement.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Sun May 07, 2017 1:19 pm

Does anyone supply crushed granite for such purposes ? Granites can be found in a broad range of colors.

SDR

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Sun May 07, 2017 7:05 pm

Some local stone in our area has beautiful coloration. Getting the right colors is important.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Sun May 07, 2017 8:24 pm

I am on record as finding the unkempt edges of a restored Usonian's long gravel drive less than ideal. I have softened my stance on that. One way to make such relaxed grooming less of an issue might be the twin-track, or "ribbon," driveway:

https://www.gardenista.com/posts/hardsc ... driveways/

Mr Wright was not unfamiliar with this type of paved drive -- but not in the Usonian period, I believe. Here's just one early example, drawn for the Ross residence at Ravine Buffs:

Paul Ringstrom · Post by **Paul Ringstrom** » Sun May 07, 2017 8:59 pm

When I was growing up in Joliet, IL in the '50s and '60s they used chip and seal exclusively on all their residential streets and they were plowed in the winter.

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Sun May 07, 2017 11:20 pm

Your roads in Joliet looked like this?
http://www.irvmat.com/images/CaseStudies/Chip&Seal7.jpg

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Sun May 07, 2017 11:43 pm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipseal

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Mon May 08, 2017 5:43 am

The Tennessee driveway didn't look like SDR's road, but almost exactly like this:

http://www.irvmat.com/images/CaseStudies/Chip&Seal7.jpg

It was at least ten years old..,

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Mon May 08, 2017 8:06 am

peterm wrote:Your roads in Joliet looked like this?
http://www.irvmat.com/images/CaseStudies/Chip&Seal7.jpg

The soft, natural looking edge in the upper right top photograph is part of what we are looking for. The original driveway was gravel. Our client wants to pave the drive for reduced maintenance. Seal and chip with the right color local aggregate gives an appropriate compromise. The soft edges reinforce a more natural look.

Paul Ringstrom · Post by **Paul Ringstrom** » Tue May 09, 2017 3:43 pm

peterm wrote:Your roads in Joliet looked like this?
http://www.irvmat.com/images/CaseStudies/Chip&Seal7.jpg

yes, but not dead flat. There was a crown.

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Wed May 10, 2017 7:39 am

I can't imagine that Mr. Wright would be dissatisfied with this paving. It's a permanently raked, tidy Zen driveway minus the weeds and dust. The only downside might be the cost and drainage. Real gravel allows for water to slowly percolate through.