Once again, I turn to COTH for the kind of hard-core and collective wisdom I can get anywhere else.
I’d like to hear from anyone who has used geo-grid (some links are below) to stabilize a base.
Most people do that for paddocks, but I want to do this as part of a stone dust base that I’ll put in a barn aisle underneath mats. I think I had a thread about this general plan earlier. But right now, I want to hear from any of you who have used this kind of product in real life.
How deep was the base? Any tips about staking it out? Do you think you could drive on it, as advertised?
I’m about to put in cow carpet in my large dry lot and in front of the gates (using US Fabric as the vendor). I’m interested how these grids work! It’s a really interesting design.
I did call the customer service folks for Geo-Grid (in the link above). They said they used these in livestock applications all the time. We spoke about what kind of base to build for use under mats, but it sounds like they have tried this stuff in the context you want. I think it’s inexpensive and looks easy enough to install and fill. But call them up and see what you think.
There are products designed for “natural” driveways, where the grid is put down and backfilled with rock, or even backfilled with dirt and grass allowed to grow, that can withstand large vehicles driving on them. My city put some down in a residential area so it looked nice, but was strong enough for fire trucks to use to turn onto the next street. It’s quite lovely actually. Maybe something like that would work?
So you’ll put in stone, then plastic grid, then fill material like gravel, then mats on top in a barn aisle–why? Are you concerned about water or movement of horses shifting mats or ? I totally understand the paddock/stall/gate area applications of plastic grid to maintain a barrier between subsoil and footing material, eliminating mud and loss of footing. ( I used geotextile cloth in my large sacrifice areas). I can’t understand why you’d need it in a barn aisle with mats.
Questions-- Pea gravel? How come that was involved? Don’t you want angular rock so that it will compact? Pea gravel is the damn opposite. (Forgive my Round Rock Bigotry: I have some PTSD from keeping horses in pea gravel runs over wet clay. A bad time was had by all, especially their feet and my trying to rake it smooth.)
So in your application, the pea gravel created permanent drainage and the Stable Grid plus stone dust compacted into that created a flat surface that most water would run off?
Yes, that’s what the geo-grid pictures and video show. They make it in 2" and 4" thick versions. If you plan to drive on it, they 4" version is what you need.
In the video, you can see them just spreading angular, beige/tan gravel over the grid, then a smooth layer on top. They might roll that. But then they show a car driving over it. Personally. I’d be sold entirely if I saw a fire truck turn on that surface and leave it looking baby’s bottom smooth.
I used Hoof Grid in my 40’x24’ runs, and in front of my gates. The contractor I used scraped down the runs, put down the grid and filled it with 3/4 minus gravel, and then we topped it with a product called squeegee. This was about ten years ago and it’s by far the best thing I ever did. No mud. I add more squeegee every 3 years or so, just about an inch, which makes it easier to pick manure out of the runs. It wasn’t cheap, but it was worth it.
From your link, it looks similar, but maybe a bit more heavy duty.
I came so close to doing this in my paddocks, but we had a super light winter and I got out if it. It’s on my list. The company was great with all my questions. I’m now interested in the 2” product down thread as we are not a swamp and may just be perfect. This is totally the way I would go and these two options are so much less expensive than lighthoof.
I’m still confused by the OP’s intended use here-- paddocks or a barn aisle? Her post inquired about using them under mats, Is that still what is intended? If I had more $$ I’d have used grids in my paddocks for sure, but can’t figure out why gravel/grids/mats would be the way an aisle is built.
I did board at a barn that had grid under mats in the stalls–but because they wound up hating the grid after it was installed. Didn’t make sense to rip it all out, so they installed mats on top. Sure wasn’t on purpose, though, and I doubt anyone was excited about those wasted dollars. If there’s extra $$ floating around, there are more useful (and fun!) ways to spend it!
Yes, I used the 2" grid in the 12’ x 16’ run attached to my gelding’s stall. We put down about three inches of 3/4 minus gravel, installed the grid over the top, then filled and packed with 1/4 minus. It has held up very well despite being abused by my stall walker. It’s been in there for over four years.
I think it would be fine under mats as long as you have a very even base. This website has more information about the types of grid needed for specific uses:
When you mention stabilizing your base, I’m not sure what you mean. Are you worried about the mats sinking or shifting without some support? My experience is only with mud in the PNW.
I am trying to build a barn aisle that has these properties:
Soft
Stable enough that you could drive down it
Cheaper than asphalt
Other experiences informing this:
A friend’s barn built this way has waves in the mats about 8 months in. I don’t know if the folks laying the base did it as they did for the stalls and just did a bad job, or whether that base doesn’t provide enough stability to take the traffic in a barn aisle. Lots of barns here are built with stalls that are mats over a prepared base, so I’m willing to think that they did the base right.
Mats over concrete is too hard and too expensive to be worth consideration. This is what most people suggest I do. BTDT, the results aren’t what I want.
I asked about de-mudding paddocks because I thought that would get the attention of people who have used some form of a base-stabilizing grid this way. I don’t know if any of you COTHers have tried my particular application yet, so I wanted to cast a wide net for folks’ experiences with creating the kind of specialized base I want-- softer than concrete but stable. I think that’s what anyone de-mudding a paddock is doing, too, at least to the degree.
Hope that helps clear this up. As always, I’m grateful for any helpful input you all can provide.
Ahhh…that makes so much more sense! I’d for sure figure out the cost of grid on gravel + mats, vs. the other options (though I’m sure you probably already have). I think your idea is a good one for your desired outcome. I’m grateful my barn came with a concrete aisle which we then matted. I can drive my fully loaded with hay truck in, but also stand horses for vet/farrier. I rarely have my horses on that concrete so its relative hardness is not a concern.
What I mean about stabilizing the base is making sure that the rock won’t move out from underneath great- or repeated weight. This is the same problem, of course, of preparing the base for a horse’s stall where you’ll have the horse’s front feet in the same place lots of the time (e.g. near his hay feeder or in front of his door), but the weight of something like a tractor will be greater and repeated every day.
The mat will be in a concrete curb all the way around, so they can’t move. But the rock underneath could, in theory, be squished aside underneath a set of tires that came down the aisle every day.
Ok, I see what you are asking. I really think if your base is done correctly you shouldn’t need the geo grid underneath. I think that installing it would be a lot of extra cost. Make sure the DGA has adequate fines and is damp when it goes in, and compact it thoroughly. I hear you–there’s nothing more annoying than having gravel shift under stall mats.
