fixing a dirty way....

Anonymous-0 · Jan 13, 2012

Hey,
Have a stretch about 30 ft x 7 ft that leads behing the barn to the stalls. have put a little gravel on it over the years so it's decent with about an ince of soup on top where it slopes up from the barn. It's coming out of like a funnel into the yard and the sludge is from mostly the dogs and foot traffic. Solid if a little uneven underneath. Gonna bring in some gravel but can't decide whether to take the sludge (an inch is prolly exagerating) away or use it to bind the gravel and just add a layer as needed. Can't really see digging anything out unless absolutely necessary...

Looking at limestone with choices of 1/2-1 1/2 and 1 1/2-3 inch..

Think it'll be enough? And what size to go with... Daily foot traffic and the tractor goes in/out once a week at most....

Buckeye · Jan 13, 2012

I just fixed my barn lots and driveways by putting down geotextile fabric and 304's(limestone dust to 1-1/2 inch stone mix). It sets up and is almost equal to concrete.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 13, 2012

That's an option also but we have cobblestone in the frt area and am afraid the limestone dust would track all over it in wet weather.... How thick did you spread it and what kind of traffic is it holding up to? Any prep other than the plastic?

Buckeye · Jan 13, 2012

No prep other than the fabric(it is a tough woven fabric). When it sets up after some rains, it will handle cattle, large tractors and trucks. Cattle and feeding areas require 11" and roads 8". The limestone dust may be a problem on the cobblestone especially if the driveway drains toward the cobblestone. The geotextile fabric is amazing stuff and keeps gravel and stone from sinking deeper and deeper in the ground due to compaction over time. I have dug up some of our courtyard for waterlines and was amazed that the stone that had been added over the years had settled to depths of 18 to 24 inches, so that convinced me the fabric would be a good investment.

Ivan in Mich · Jan 13, 2012

How would something like this work in a pole barn with a dirt floor?

Anonymous-0 · Jan 13, 2012

(quoted from post at 06:14:30 01/13/12) No prep other than the fabric(it is a tough woven fabric). When it sets up after some rains, it will handle cattle, large tractors and trucks. Cattle and feeding areas require 11" and roads 8". The limestone dust may be a problem on the cobblestone especially if the driveway drains toward the cobblestone. The geotextile fabric is amazing stuff and keeps gravel and stone from sinking deeper and deeper in the ground due to compaction over time. I have dug up some of our courtyard for waterlines and was amazed that the stone that had been added over the years had settled to depths of 18 to 24 inches, so that convinced me the fabric would be a good investment.

How did you compact it, traffic or a stamper/roller?

I could imagine it making a nice barn floor also and still breath some...

Jerry/MT · Jan 13, 2012

If you want a long term fix, excavate the top soil, put down landscape cloth and then and put in 6 inches of 3 inch shot rock and top it wi 1-1/4" (-)

Buckeye · Jan 13, 2012

I converted part of my old cattle barn to use as round bale storage. I used the fabric and stone as a base to set the bales on. I did not compact mine other than running over it with a tractor and will store bales on it next summer/winter. I'm storing some wagons in it now. This picture was taken while I was still working on it.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 13, 2012

(quoted from post at 10:32:29 01/13/12) If you want a long term fix, excavate the top soil, put down landscape cloth and then and put in 6 inches of 3 inch shot rock and top it wi 1-1/4" (-)

digging (even just scraping off the topsoil) isn't allowed without jumping thru a bunch of hoops and being "on the radar" when the heads are looking for more taxes/fees........ No sneaking work because of the proximity of neighbors.....

The landscape cloth and layer on top is acceptable to all with no fees tho.....

Anonymous-0 · Jan 13, 2012

(quoted from post at 14:41:14 01/13/12) I converted part of my old cattle barn to use as round bale storage. I used the fabric and stone as a base to set the bales on. I did not compact mine other than running over it with a tractor and will store bales on it next summer/winter. I'm storing some wagons in it now. This picture was taken while I was still working on it.

I like the idea of the fabric to keep stuff up where it belongs. The brainstorm is using these pavers as a border. They are concrete, 2ft x 16" x 3.5" about 60 pounds each.....

Thought to lay the fabric, lay the borders digging in a little to make a smooth transition from the cement slap leading up the slope out of the barn. Fill with the crushed limestone mix, pack (neighbor has about a 600 pound vibrator), and bring it up to the top of the borders with the 1/2 - 1 1/2" stuff.. The limestone chalk on the cobblestones would be from shoes and tractor tires and can be worked around a lot easier than slipping in and cleaning up constant mud..... Thanks for the tips....

Buckeye · Jan 13, 2012

Looks like the fabric under the paver would be a great idea.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 14, 2012

If you really want to fix it (and throw some $into the mud), google grass pavers. They are a hexagonal grid, plastic frame snap together system, that you lay into a graded path. Like pavers, a stone-dust base is best. Then you fill with your choice of stone product. When installed correctly, they can hold a fire truck, without it sinking in.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 14, 2012

(quoted from post at 07:21:22 01/14/12) If you really want to fix it (and throw some $into the mud), google grass pavers. They are a hexagonal grid, plastic frame snap together system, that you lay into a graded path. Like pavers, a stone-dust base is best. Then you fill with your choice of stone product. When installed correctly, they can hold a fire truck, without it sinking in.

Believe it or not..... I have a pallet of that stuff setting in the driveway for another project that is just too wet and soupy to get to..... would make a real nice job with very little work.....
I've got about 5000 sq ft of the plastic stuff in place already and 2000 or so of the cement ones..... Plastic costs twice as much as the cement ones but pay for themselves in time and body wear & tear..... :roll:

Wouldn't even have thought of them for this project...

Thanks!

fixing a dirty way....

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