# road/tarmac planings instead of hardstanding? any experience?



## Bowen4Horses (30 November 2009)

we have a real problem with mud (not helped by the recent rain storms...). i was planning on having hardstanding (concrete) put in front of the stables... and had a quote done... £3500 for 4x10m... that's WAY more than i wanted to pay... 

anyway, i've heard that you can compact down the scraped up bits of tarmac from when they redo roads... 

has anyone else ever made hardstanding areas out of road planings? does it work?


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## kerilli (30 November 2009)

my yard is tarmac scrapings, done ages ago, all compacted. not sure if it would work as turnout as is.
i did a fresh scrapings turnout when i first moved here (where arena is now) but tbh although it was okay it wasn't great... i'd do it with woodchip or something on top now i think, the tar from the scrapings got on their tummies when they lay down and it was vile - and i got kicked badly trying to get it off once... 
	
	
		
		
	


	








you could do a membrane then stone base, compacted properly (fun to do with roller, i promise!) and then put cheapo woodchip or similar on top. the stone base would act as a drainage layer...


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## scally (30 November 2009)

Yes we have we have done our drive, all weather turnout and horsewalker base in them.  We had 20 loads at £20 a load.

I have the number for the local contractor that supplied us ours if you would like it.

It works very very well, and rolled in well goes hard.  We have put it straight on mud on an area that flooded really badly, and so far so good.


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## Bowen4Horses (30 November 2009)

was thinking of the planings as a 4x10m in front of stables to have to groom/farrier etc there. then turnout area with sand/rubber the rest of the top end... 

we were meant to get it done before the mud started...


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## Bowen4Horses (30 November 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
Yes we have we have done our drive, all weather turnout and horsewalker base in them.  We had 20 loads at £20 a load.

I have the number for the local contractor that supplied us ours if you would like it.

It works very very well, and rolled in well goes hard.  We have put it straight on mud on an area that flooded really badly, and so far so good. 

[/ QUOTE ]

oooh yes, number please...

woohoo!
do you think it's layable down now? or will we have to wait til summer?


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## MrWoof (30 November 2009)

the tar from the scrapings got on their tummies when they lay down and it was vile - and i got kicked badly trying to get it off once... 

Sorry but I cannot understand why your horses are lying down on tarmac planings in the yard?


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## Nicki85 (30 November 2009)

Lol, this post made me laugh.... i work for the Mineral Products Association and have reviewed guidance on road plannings for our asphalt technical manager 
	
	
		
		
	


	





Here is the document- http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&amp;q=...D4IYTBgAVkbiP_A

Enjoy!  If you want more technical stuff about laying it then you might find it through here-http://www.mineralproducts.org/prod_asp01.htm


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## cptrayes (30 November 2009)

I used it to make the yard when I first moved in, because it was just a patch of very wet mud. It worked perfectly for several years until I had enough money to lay concrete.

If you don't mind Nicki, I'll give your doc a miss for now?


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## kerilli (30 November 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
the tar from the scrapings got on their tummies when they lay down and it was vile - and i got kicked badly trying to get it off once... 

Sorry but I cannot understand why your horses are lying down on tarmac planings in the yard? 

[/ QUOTE ]

it wasn't in the yard, it was an all-weather turnout, done in haste when i first moved here (without enough forethought obv) with shelters with rubber cow matting, but unfortunately (of course) my horses laid down on the planings (loose, not compacted) rather than in the shelters and got tar all over their tummies. 
it was an experiment that did not work, and i still have the lump on my leg from the kick i got while gently trying to get the tar off...
i thought clipcloppop was planning to use the planings for the turnout area in front of the stables (which is turnout now) i misunderstood.


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## Bowen4Horses (30 November 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
the tar from the scrapings got on their tummies when they lay down and it was vile - and i got kicked badly trying to get it off once... 

Sorry but I cannot understand why your horses are lying down on tarmac planings in the yard? 

[/ QUOTE ]

it wasn't in the yard, it was an all-weather turnout, done in haste when i first moved here (without enough forethought obv) with shelters with rubber cow matting, but unfortunately (of course) my horses laid down on the planings (loose, not compacted) rather than in the shelters and got tar all over their tummies. 
it was an experiment that did not work, and i still have the lump on my leg from the kick i got while gently trying to get the tar off...
i thought clipcloppop was planning to use the planings for the turnout area in front of the stables (which is turnout now) i misunderstood. 

[/ QUOTE ]

s'ok K, i knew what you meant 
	
	
		
		
	


	




xxx


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## Fii (30 November 2009)

We have a bit in front of the gate at yard, and it crumbles on top with the horses walking on it, and then you brush it up and it crumbles again, mind you it was'nt put down properly but it is a pain in the bum!!


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## Lou_Lou123 (30 November 2009)

I've had it put down a couple of times. We had it put between the end of the concrete on the yard and laid all the way to the field  and inside gateway which used to be a very muddy track and it's brilliant because it's flat and mud free but doesn't get slippery when it's icy on concrete. 

Also laid it where I am now on what used to be knee deep in water, and it is now a suitable access path to the field. Also our muckheap and hay storage is down a grassy slope so we had a path laid up the slope to push wheelbarrows up and it's brilliant, they would have got stuck in gravel and concrete was way too expensive.

It does have to be properly compacted though.


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## The_snoopster (1 December 2009)

I have it in front of my stables It,s not a large area proberly 22ft x 8ft in front of my stable and adjoined feed shed. I fenced around it otherwise the outside will crumble away with the hooves, i have had it down for around a year now and i have no mud at all i think it will need topping up next year as its compacted it self more with me and the neds walking on it. 
I get mine free as my hubby works at a place where there is loads of the stuff but i think they charge around £20 a load normally.
It,s been a life saver for me as the winter before i was ankle deep in mud constantly.


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## the watcher (1 December 2009)

although the yard areas are concrete most of the tracks leading to the paddocks on my yard are old tarmac planings and seem to work well for that purpose


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## Doormouse (1 December 2009)

We put them down in our yard when we were ankle deep in mud and they worked really well.  We did use some stone and then 'taram' as a membrane before putting the tarmac chippings down.  We used a 'whacker plate', sorry don't know the proper name but that compacted them really well.  The only advantage of doing it in the summer is that hot weather helps them to stick together, but as we don't get any of that in this country not much point waiting for it!!!


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## ecrozier (1 December 2009)

We've just had this stuff put down on our yard - just waiting for it to be compacted properly now.  Its a vast improvement on the mud we had before!  Its not ideal for shoeing on as every time the horse puts their foot down litle stones stick to their feet - but I'm sure when its compacted it will be fine.  My farrier isn't keen on shoeing on it but he is a bit of a perfectionist - everyone else's don't seem to mind!
We have had proper drains laid as well and the improvement on the huge puddles and ankle deep mud is enormous!


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## BBH (1 December 2009)

Where do you get them from ?


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## alsxx (1 December 2009)

I need to get some for my yard, as its a swamp at the moment, but I also need to lay a couple of 'tracks' down to the gate first otherwise nothing can drive in to dump it on the yard! 

I'm currently pondering how on earth my farrier is going to do their feet in a couple of weeks time.....

My mum works for highways and gets type 1 stone for free, she is trying to source me some at the moment, as she said the tar in the planings can leak out and do I really want that contaminating the grazing.....probably not.


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## H's mum (1 December 2009)

You ideally need to get the top soil dug out before you put the planings down - we've used it and it was perfect all summer, up til about 2 weeks ago when the rain was torrential and the mud has swallowed it up - I'm now back to a bog 
	
	
		
		
	


	




You really do have to put lots down though so that when you compact it it gels together 
	
	
		
		
	


	




It's a good cheap way to do things! 
	
	
		
		
	


	




Kate x


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## dobbin27 (1 December 2009)

"£3500 for 4x10m"

Crikey!?!... Is that what the man from Gedney Hill said????

I'm sure I didn't spend anywhere near that when I did mine and it was way more than 40m's worth!!  

Before the luxury of concrete, I had (I think Carrstone?) Orange stuff anyway.. whacked down with a plate thingy, which was really good, it did make my white dog (Stupid colour for a dog!) look a little like he had been tango'd though..

It cost £50 for hire of digger per day, £120 (ish I think) for hire of step father for two days (Don't ask.. My family are weird!!.. but this is about what he charges other people aswell in winter when he has less landscaping work) and probably about £12-20 per tonne of stone stuff.. I cant remember exactly but I had two or three loads ( I think about 18t per load.. don't quote me it was a couple of years ago!!) you'd probably only need half that!


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## jendie (1 December 2009)

We use them on the hard standing we use for cars etc. Cheap and work very well. We do need the occassional extra load to even out dips but no real problems in the five years we've had it. Then first loads went onto a base that used to be part of a cabbage field, deep mud!


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