timk225
Well-Known Member
When I built my driveway in 2019 my wife and I only had one car each, and the thought of getting a 1973 Duster like I used to have back in '93-'95 didn't even come to me for another 5 years.
But now I have it, and my wife very unreasonably doesn't want me to park it in the front yard where everyone can see it. And these days, for security purposes, that's probably a good idea.
So that leaves the small back / side yard to do it in. And to begin, the yard ground level is 16-20 inches below the road surface. When I built our 21 by 18 driveway, it was only meant for plenty of room for 2 cars. I got 13 used railroad ties, cut one in half, and made a 2 railroad tie high wall around the perimeter, and filled it with 29 tons of 2b and 3b limestone. I nailed the ties together with foot long big nails, and nailed chains into the corners so they couldn't spread apart.
I could railroad tie wall and fill in with limestone on the upper side, that would be the simplest way. But because of a telephone pole and its ground support cable, I couldn't back the Duster straight into it. I'd have to move the wife's car, put mine in or drive mine out, and put her car back. That will get old real fast.
Extending the driveway further into the yard, and parking one car behind the other is also not viable for a few reasons.
The only thing I can really do is add to the driveway on the lower side. Take out an 8 foot piece of fence, and it is done.
But the only problem is the yard is 16-20 inches below the road surface. A short steep ramp won't work well. And I don't want to put another 15 tons or so of weight from limestone so close to the house, it could push on the house walls and make more problems.
I was thinking of an elevated wood platform. Lots of pressure treated 2 by 12s on top of a wood frame, maybe some treated 6 by 6's on concrete pavers, laid down longitudinally to the direction of car travel, then another layer of 6 by 6's, or 2 by 8's to make more height, laid down across the width of the parking space, then finally some 2 by 12s laid down longitudinally as the driving surface.
This made sense when I was thinking about it, but typing it out, it just gets more and more expensive, and is making a rental $80 per month storage space sound better.
Ideas to get a parking space 20 inches off the ground? I presume it'll settle and sink down a little, I'm allowing for that.
But now I have it, and my wife very unreasonably doesn't want me to park it in the front yard where everyone can see it. And these days, for security purposes, that's probably a good idea.
So that leaves the small back / side yard to do it in. And to begin, the yard ground level is 16-20 inches below the road surface. When I built our 21 by 18 driveway, it was only meant for plenty of room for 2 cars. I got 13 used railroad ties, cut one in half, and made a 2 railroad tie high wall around the perimeter, and filled it with 29 tons of 2b and 3b limestone. I nailed the ties together with foot long big nails, and nailed chains into the corners so they couldn't spread apart.
I could railroad tie wall and fill in with limestone on the upper side, that would be the simplest way. But because of a telephone pole and its ground support cable, I couldn't back the Duster straight into it. I'd have to move the wife's car, put mine in or drive mine out, and put her car back. That will get old real fast.
Extending the driveway further into the yard, and parking one car behind the other is also not viable for a few reasons.
The only thing I can really do is add to the driveway on the lower side. Take out an 8 foot piece of fence, and it is done.
But the only problem is the yard is 16-20 inches below the road surface. A short steep ramp won't work well. And I don't want to put another 15 tons or so of weight from limestone so close to the house, it could push on the house walls and make more problems.
I was thinking of an elevated wood platform. Lots of pressure treated 2 by 12s on top of a wood frame, maybe some treated 6 by 6's on concrete pavers, laid down longitudinally to the direction of car travel, then another layer of 6 by 6's, or 2 by 8's to make more height, laid down across the width of the parking space, then finally some 2 by 12s laid down longitudinally as the driving surface.
This made sense when I was thinking about it, but typing it out, it just gets more and more expensive, and is making a rental $80 per month storage space sound better.
Ideas to get a parking space 20 inches off the ground? I presume it'll settle and sink down a little, I'm allowing for that.
