Sealing over an unstable base may not stop the base being eroded. So you need to fix the base, try and divert the water runoff and seal if you want longer lasting.

Hi @rocksfam - thanks for sharing. I’ve read lots of mixed reviews of stabilized DG. In some places online, people say it can function almost like concrete when stabilized – yours is for sure stabilized? Would you have any photos to share?

Could you also unpack what you mean by ”a line of green, weedy discoloured area where the gutter line of the house is”?

I was close to deciding on stabilized DG for my driveway, but now I will keep investigating.

Hi @Kate - likewise, thanks for your input. We will for sure be preparing the base by cutting some out, re-laying roadbase and re-grading it before adding anything else. The landscaper we might use if we go with stabilized DG has spoken of crowning the driveway, and creating drainage channels on either side.

I’ve seen lighter gravels rolled in to the top layer of bitumen, that looks good. Avoids the black shiny look.

Thanks @brizcs - not sure if I can find a vendor to do this. I’ve spoken to a few bitumen vendors and spoken of my desire to avoid black and none have offered up alternatives/resolutions like you mention (Bushmates & Statewide Bitumen seems to be the only vendor that offers up coloured bitumen?).

Coloured bitumen will also be more expensive than stabilised DG, which I’m happy to spend on if I know for sure that coloured bitumen has a longer life and easier maintenance than stabilized DG... but right now I don’t know

The picture shows quite a gentle slope , but it doesn't seem to actually show the driveway itself , but my basic undertanding is that almost all base materials work their way more and more into the dirt under the base -- this lets the water seep in and hole and ruts and channels start developing .

Even sealed drives and roads , or concreted ones , develop lumps over the years as the base 'settles' ( gets pushed into the dirt ) and has to be re-done

Basically , you want to get back to as 'flat' and smooth as possible . If you just seal over the existing base , driving over it regularly will cause potholes in the seal fairly quickly . You said about building up a crown , and if you look closely at a street , you'll see they are built the same -- slightly higher in the middle generally .

So if you can get the existing drive 'bladed' then add more stone in your chosen shade , then compact it with a slight crown , you'll be on the right track ( no pun intended ! )

Thanks @pottsy99 – what you've said makes sense. Here's another picture of our driveway at present: http://tiny.cc/4qjytz

Whatever option we go with, we'll be improving the underlying base (excavating some of what's there, re-laying, grading and compacting). As part of this we will be improving the drainage (either having a crown in the driveway, or having a slope from the right to left).

But drainage is one thing, material is another...

The stabilised decomposed granite option is a bit more affordable than coloured bitumen, and the landscaper who offers it can upgrade our edging and stone retaining wall as part of the job.

However, I've heard really mixed things about stabilised decomposed granite – some say it gets quite hard when stabilised well and can last 7+ years until more maintenance/resurfacing is required; others say that even when stabilised it goes muddy when wet and brings dust/fines into the house, especially the red granite variant.

Coloured bitumen (using an emulsion, different to cutback bitumen) is more expensive but I'd be happy to go down this path if I knew that the surface aggregate/coloured rocks wouldn't erode in the first few years – some local (non-sloped) driveways I've seen with coloured bitumen seem to have some loose material.

I am hoping for some insights into either of these options

This was the sort of look I have seen about, with different coloured gravel roller pressed in to hot bitumen but with no second spray of bitumen But now I’m wondering if that is not what you wanted and it may still have a surface that is too loose. Or is this in fact the DG process

@heykrazi I have come across this product, may help your situation

https://geohex.com.au/

The brief was for stabilised compressed granite so I am assuming that is what it is. This area is about 10 years old and you can see the discolouration. It was supposed to complement the retaining wall and existing aggregate driveway and paths however it rarely looks good, in my opinion.