Driveway Help

I have a gravel drive (some curvature) several hundred feet long. I'd like some way to create a clear deliniation between the gravel and the grass. I live in NEOhio - snow, frost, etc. I love the way large, rectangular stones (like old house foundation stones) look but I'm thinking they would be prohibitively expensive. What are some other options and their associated pros/cons? I realize if I do this I'll then have more weed-whacking to do, but am tired of how shoddy my current setup looks. I've also thought of trying to make my own rectangular blocks out of concrete a few at a time.

Thanks for any thoughts and suggestions!

Rail road ties? cut 1' tall sections of old telephone poles? a pea stone buffer strip on either side?

I'm also interested in this topic.

I use alot of vegetation killer to keep the grass from creeping into the driveway, multiple times a year.

Its expensive and a PITA.

why not use lawn edging?
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/valley-view-industries/royal-diamond-lawn-edging-rd60-8530.html

Sierradmax - I've used that stuff before to create beds and am afraid it this application it would (1) move all over due to frost heaving and (2) would get destroyed in the winter when plowing/snow removal. Good thought though if you lived in a warmer place.

Backpack - pea stone buffer sounds nice.

Same problem with concrete blocks, curbs, field stone, etc., etc..

Instead of making concrete blocks, how about doing a section of your driveway in concrete, as you can afford.
Took my neighbor many years to do his 800' driveway but boy is it sweet now!
Or, build your driveway up several inches above the sod and that will stop it.
Good luck-
Kenny

Gasoline.

Ok, its not environmentally friendly. But nothing will grow where you pour it. Ever (learnt this the hard way). Try a test area first.

You might consider something like this:

http://www.everedge.co.uk/example.htm

I don't know what it would cost per foot and that company is in the UK so there is probably one in the US someplace. But I used something like it as a retention for a 25 foot circular gravel pad where my well water tank resides.

Got it at a specialty hardware store miles from here.

edit:

~$100 per 16 foot. ouch.

http://www.grandinroad.com/everedge-lawn-edging/153152

railroad ties are the best bang for your buck. Not pretty, but effective and last a looooonnng time. Drill em and use re-bar to anchor and your done!

Kenny - a concrete drive would be awesome - I hadn't thought of doing it a section at a time which is a good idea. I had always figured it would cost too much, but perhaps a bit at a time would be possible.

HT - that everyedge stuff looks nice!

Bocefus - railroad ties may be an option - I didn't know if you could still get them? I remember playing all over them as a kid as they oozed chemical goo in the hot NC sun .... They did last forever.

Railroad ties can be had here in indiana for 7 bucks or so. Concrete is over $100/yd which at 4" thick means about 60 sq ft. if you are lucky and perfectly level on the base. Thats just the material ....

How long is your driveway? What kind of stone do you have?

How about some kind of ground cover that isn't inclined to go to far over the stone. Maybe Myrtle?

I am in ohio and have a long sloping and curving drive way. I have no vegitation growing in my drive. I would suggest you build up the drive with more gravel and grade the drive with a box blade several times a year. This is what I do. No grass and the edges and straight.

I have a bunch of edgeing to do also. I'm going to use Quickcrete 5000 from Home Depot, about 4 bucks a bag. I'll trench down about 5" & just pour it, Randy

We have used the lawn edging for our driveway. Here in the Nrotheast, we have had this installed for nearly 20 years. Only problem we encountered was an early snowstorm caught us before placing markers. The plow ripped up a 20' section. We isntalled with a ditchwitch. Fast, easy and a clear lawn/stone driveway definition.

My front drive, which I care about most is perhaps 200' long. I also have more drive behind the house that goes to my outbuildings. I have tried two different sizes of gravel (can't remember numbers) the tiny stuff (easy to spread and move around by hand, but easily carried away by tires) and the big stuff. Both seem to simply .... disappear ....

I don't care about the vegetation in the drive - that's easy to deal with - just looking for a durable way to create a border between the grass and the gravel.

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

NO Glad you aren't my neighbor, don't want that s##t in MY well water.

You ARE kidding around, right?

central ohio here
try 304 or berm gravel with dust in it
it will compact like concrete after being wet and driven on
if you really want clean straight lines, concrete -ashphalt
do a section at a time or run 16 inch wide borders on each side in concrete

Here's a pic taken almost from the street - you get the idea of the amorphous border I have going on .....

There's probably another 200' of drive behind the house.

Lovely property, by the way--How about using a mattock (pickaxe) to dig a nice even trench along the sides and set those concrete wall blocks you get from lowes and home depot? Looks like you need a lot, but if you just pour concrete, it will crumble and grass will take over anyway. Learned that by experience. I saved my $$$ and had mine blacktopped, but it is not as long as yours.

You are below the sod. You need to be above the sod.

firebroad - thanks for the compliment. We are very blessed to have our property! I might price out some of those blocks - wouldn't they want to move all over seasonally though?

How about a Slurry Drive? Isn't that cheaper than asphalt? Like the stuff they use on old country roads? Or if you can find some old demolition in your area and get some free bricks - you could create a border. Looks like alot of work.

Believe it or not I actually dug down on either side of the driveway and found what I suspect was at one time a brick border on either side! It was buried a few inches below the surface.