Slate chippings suitable for driveway?

[Steviekid]

I'm in the middle of doing my driveway and was planning to cover the whole area in 40mm blue slate chips but I'm getting conflicting advice on whether it's suitable. One supplier has told me not to use it whereas other websites actively market it for driveways stating it's quieter to drive over etc. Does anyone have it at their house? I don't want to buy eight tons of it if it's going to shred my tyres!

 

http://www.decorativeaggregates.com/slate/s060/Blue+Slate+Chippings+40mm.html

[peter richards]

i think the slate being very brittle will only deteriorate over time if your driving up onto it, ive only ever seen it at the borders of driveways just to give a nice contrast.

plus once its broken down chances are it will end up blown all over the place

[Paul]

We've got it as a border to the drive, wouldn't use slate to park or drive on though.

As said it's brittle, can be very sharp and will end up in small bits after a while. Avoid cotswold stone too as this just crumbles after a while and you end up with a pile of dust, small pea shingle ends up as a giant cat litter tray and gets stuck in the tread and is scattered halfway down the street.

[safcdixon]

i'd tarmac it! long lasting doesnt sink, doesnt get spread down the street, you can jet wash it clean you wont get stuck init etc just get white or red chippings spread in it ive done this hundreds of time looks spot on

[Rob]

'cept you'll have to get planning permission to tarmac it, if it falls roadwards.

[geordie82]

i would personally go for block paving, its more expensive but you only need to do it once if its done right, larger stone/gravel is another option but a postie wanting to get home quick will make replacing windows a regular occurance

[Steviekid]

Cheers guys, I've got some different gravel samples on the way. My original plan was to monoblock the area but I really can't be bothered trying to get the levels spot on, at least gravel will be a lot more forgiving. My house is just off the street so no one else will be driving on it.

[Digsy]

I recently bought 3 850kg bags of 20mm blue slate for borders on my front drive from Decorative Aggregrates. If you do order from them make damn sure they can unload at your property because if they can't they just drive off and charge a restocking fee that is almost as large as what you paid for the order.

 

Basically the bags come on pallets which are wheeled onto your site on a pallet truck. No cranes or anything other than manual labour involved. There is only one guy on the delivery truck. They will not haul across gravel or uneven surfaces, or up slopes. My house has a normal dropped kerb in front of it and it took me and the delivery driver together to haul each pallet over this and on to my driveway. If the driver finds they cannot get the pallets onto your property they will only drop kerbside at their discretion - and then you are still stuck with moving it yourself. All this is described on their website and there is even a video showing the delivery method so you cannot claim you were unaware if all does not go according to plan.

 

In short, they do what it says on the tin, but if you have any doubts, order from someone else that can lift them in by crane or do a mini-tipper bulk load. If you do order from them then be sure to be there when they drop off to avoid arguments. Also, double check the delivery date. My lot tried to turn up a day early after I had already booked the day off work.

[Steviekid]

Thanks for the heads up, I hadn't seen that on the website. If I order anything from them I'll borrow a handler so I can lift them off the ground.

[Havard]

Don't know if you were considering it but do not go for pattern imprinted concrete. We have ours done 3 years ago and it is now cracking and the surface needs to be re done regularly. I can't jack the car up on it and it's a death trap on snow or ice.

 

Never again. Block paving for me next time.....

 

H.