Do you roll process?

[joeeye59]

Not sure if this post belongs at all, cause I'm asking about rolling and spreading vs about a roller it self.... but anyway here goes if I may...

I know nothing about rolling/spreading so I'm not sure if I need a rolling machine to do what I have going on.... I have a sloping yard that was top soil that I dug up and made parking areas, so now lays a mixture of sandy gravelly soil that has a pretty nice drainage to it, no water ponds up anywhere...

I turned the entire grass yard into parking, so do I spread out process and roll it? does it have to be rolled, or can I back blade it and keep driving on it? Can I ask for a custom mix of process because I really need for the process to be very hard so I don't get wash out and mud... plus along the stone wall I have it so I can drive up way into the back yard for more parking you can't see in the pic.... thanks for any input....

[digger242j]

so now lays a mixture of sandy gravelly soil that has a pretty nice drainage to it, no water ponds up anywhere...

Well, I can see why! :D

Here, I fixed it, but it might not drain as well... ;)

[Grouser]

Since you stripped the top soil and are down to clean sandy gravel you should do fine by grading it with your bucket and wheel rolling it for compaction. If it's dry, try to get some water to it while your grading. It looks like plenty of slope so drainage should'nt be a problem.

Compact by wheel rolling (with a full bucket) back and forth in consistent patterns.

As you are wheel rolling and compacting dump your bucket in low areas and keep shaping as you gain compaction. Try dumping a bucket of material just before a low spot and back up, drop your bucket flat on the ground and drive through the material and grade that way. Keep material in your bucket to make it like a dozer. Combine that with back blading alternately with the cutting edge and heel of the bucket for final smoothing.

If you try to grade everything and then compact it you tend to have lows and highs.

Grade and compact and grade and compact will give the best results.

I would'nt worry about a roller unless you want to pave it.

Good luck and have fun.

[joeeye59]

I probably did the dumbest thing when I mixed up the top soil with the under soil layers when I was reconstructing the yard, so now I have a mixture of gravel, sandy, and this other layer I can't identify all mixed up together, but at least I don't have water ponds any where.. :)

I'm so tired of cutting a lawn I never use, so I didn't care about saving top soil because everything is becoming a parking lot or driveway in time when it all gets paved, this is why I wanted to get it all set up with process that packs down nice and hard.

Thanks Grouser, I'll get a tri-axle load dumped in one place, then I'll spread out a bucket at a time like you say to do small areas.... But one question, how thick do I make it when I throw it down? if I put down 5 inches does it pack to 3.5 inches, or is it something like 25% of the over all thickness it becomes packed down?


Oh yeah, thanks Digger, I was wondering why I kept falling down rolling into the street... :)

[Grouser]

If the incoming is crushed top course then your sub soil will determine how much it packs down. Soft spots will eat up more than tight areas. start out overly thick like a foot or so deep and keep skimming it down to the desired final thickness. If you go thin at first it may pump moisture up.

Ideally use the parking area for a year before paving, find and dig out the soft spots and replace with good material.

Also, talk to the local pits/paving companies about additives that could be mixed in with your existing soil to firm it up.

[joeeye59]

If the incoming is crushed top course then your sub soil will determine how much it packs down. Soft spots will eat up more than tight areas. start out overly thick like a foot or so deep and keep skimming it down to the desired final thickness. If you go thin at first it may pump moisture up.

Ideally use the parking area for a year before paving, find and dig out the soft spots and replace with good material.

Also, talk to the local pits/paving companies about additives that could be mixed in with your existing soil to firm it up.

Great idea about talking to the locals on a mix in for my soil, I had a gut feeling to ask for help rather than assume I know what I'm doing... this is a hard business, I've seen this one home owner not ask any professional who is in the business why he has to pave his driveway so many times because of the soil being too wet under the pavement, then it breaks apart in no time, rather than taking care of the area of his yard thats too wet...