DIY: Cobblestone Driveway
Cobblestone is one of the oldest forms of street and walkway paving material. Made from small stones cut into rectangular or square shapes, old cobblestone streets still exist in many cities -- though traffic often is prohibited on these roads to preserve the historical surface. Modern homeowners continue to use cobblestone, or modern cobblestone-like materials, as pavement for driveways and walkways. Cobblestones creates a surface with a rustic and vintage appearance. You can install your own cobblestone driveway with proper preparation and attention to detail. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Rubber mallet
- Wooden stakes
- Plastic ribbon
- Spade or backhoe
- Plate compactor
- Gravel
- Sand
- Tape measure
- Level
- Joint expansion tools
- Masonry sand
- Wedge
Instructions
-
-
1
Drive wooden stakes into the ground with a rubber mallet to outline the perimeter of your driveway, including any curves and bends. Position the stakes about six feet apart along the entire length of the driveway. Place one stake at a time on each side of the driveway to keep the width consistent. Tie plastic ribbon from stake to stake to further outline the driveway site.
-
2
Remove the sod and soil from inside the staked area with a spade, or rent a backhoe. Excavate to a total depth of 8 inches to allow for gravel and sand layers that help promote drainage and create a firm foundation for the cobblestone driveway.
-
-
3
Firm the bottom layer of the soil with a rented plated compactor or other compaction device. Push the machine over the entire driveway area. Compact the soil until it feels hard like stone and becomes too hard for you to manipulate with your feet.
-
4
Spread a 3-inch layer of medium or fine gravel inside the excavated area. Compact the gravel as you did with the soil to create a hard surface. Place a second 3-inch layer of gravel on top of the first. Compact this second layer in the same way.
-
5
Cover the compacted gravel with a 2-inch layer of sand. Compact the sand layer using the same technique as for the soil and gravel. When you're done, the sand layer should sit an inch or more below the top edges of the excavated area.
-
6
Measure the length and width of the driveway to locate its center. Set the first cobblestone into place in this location. Place a level on it to make sure it is sitting level.
-
7
Place additional cobblestones on your compacted bed, working outward in all directions from the first, central stone. Check to make sure each cobblestone is level with those surrounding it, as well as with slope of the land on either side of the driveway. Set joint expansion tools against the sides of the cobblestones as you lay them to maintain a gap of approximately 1/4 inch. These gaps will allow the stones to shift as needed to resist cracking and breaking.
-
8
Continue placing cobblestones until you fill the entire excavated area.
-
9
Fill the gaps between the cobblestones with filtered masonry sand. Press the sand into the gaps with thin wedge tools to create a sturdier pavement surface.
-
1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit rittenhouse square cobblestone image by Jorge Moro from Fotolia.com
