Use demo'ed driveway pieces to pave a path?

[Flyover]

I've got a concrete driveway that's in bad shape. We're going to have it ripped out and a new concrete driveway poured.

Meanwhile I'm looking to do a kind of flagstone path behind my house. What do y'all think of using the flattest/nicest broken pieces of concrete from the old driveway to create that path? Obviously I'd still do gravel and sand in between...

 

[Snoonyb]

If you also elected to, you could stain them.

 

[bud16415]

I’m all about reusing scrap material. If you want to try it I would. On the farm we got loads of huge pieces and built a road thru a bad muddy section using the free pieces.


I say go for it.

 

[Mastercarpenty]

Finding pieces which fit together well might be an issue, as will be getting them level and solid with the irregualar bottoms, but if you're up to that extra bit of effort, it would make for something you can be doubly proud of.

Phil

 

[havasu]

I think it is an awesome idea. I've also seen retaining walls where the broken concrete is stacked with the exposed aggregate on the face. They make great planter beds and look sharp with ivy flowing down the face.

 

[Flyover]

Alright, that's the vote of confidence I need then! Thanks everyone.

When they demo the driveway I'll keep the best pieces. I'll try and get more than I need but not a lot more.

 

[bud16415]

If your driveway was poured with steel mesh thru it that might be a bit more of a problem salvaging pieces. Also who you hire and what equipment they use will play a part. Around here a few places have a drop hammer machine that pulverizes it to almost gravel. Others bring in a skid steer / loader and get under it and bring it up in as big of slabs as they can.


Another potential problem is timing and you working around the project they contracted to do. When they get a bucket full of rubble they want to dump it in their truck without wasting time picking thru it.


If it is a 4” slab and no mesh and you want a rubble look path way built from it, I would rent a jackhammer before they were hired and bust some of it up along one side myself first. With the jackhammer you could trim and shape the pieces how you want them. It is not easy work but the hard part isn’t the jack hammering it is getting the rubble moved. You can leave all the mess for the pros to clean up.


When most people view the work involved they then go buy the 2” x 2’ x 2’ pads and toss them down.

 

[Flyover]

Good to know in advance, thanks Bud.

 

[stadry]

you'll likely make a lot more work & not save a lot of $ but, in the end, its your house

 

[oldognewtrick]

If you do or did it, we'd like to see some pics....

 

[joecaption]

Someone would have to have a whole lot of free time and a strong back to pull this one off.
No way would I even try it.

 

[voyager]

A couple of years ago, I saw a CL ad for free cut up concrete driveway pieces.
They were 4 to 8" thick and 6x12 to 12x12 in size cut with a concrete saw, nice rectangular easily handled pieces.
I drove across the island and filled my Dak up with all it could carry.
It was grunting coming back over the pass between the mountains.

I had intended to use them as a foundation for a retaining lava rock wall to terrace the back portion of the yard.
I still have all those pieces and a huge pile of lava rocks picked from around the yard as they grew out of the ground.
I've decided to slope the rise instead of building a terrace.
I'm still looking for a use for those nicely cut concrete blocks.