Best surface material for hardstanding areas?

[Snowy Celandine]

Sorry, two questions in one day but I am trying to work out what material would be best to use for creating a hardstanding in front of my stables. I am planning on having the front bit (nearest to stable doors) concreted but wonder whether road planings or something else would be better for the back half? Also, do I need to put in drainage? Currently it is wood chip and it gets deep and muddy if it rains for a prolonged period (like last winter) and the chippings get walked into the ground.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Get the chippings all scraped away, then go for a good depth of type 1 on it's own and get whacker plated down, or type 1 with planings on the top but still whackered down, to have the edges smoothed down too so no step.
Take note of the way the water falls away, if necessary get drainage pipework or a mini ditch channel dug out. If then piped you can lay the type one or scalping over top but you'll need a good depth like 6ins.
Wood chippings are a nightmare as soon as they start to rot!

 

[Snowy Celandine]

Thanks TFF We are going to hire a mini digger and will definitely be scraping the wood chip off as it is more trouble than it's worth in winter! All the horses are barefoot so will they be ok on Type 1? I've just had to look it up as I'd never heard of it!!

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Mine are ok pottering over it, it's whats down in my parking area at yard.
I'd put tarmac scalping over top if in a field, poss a bit late in year to just do scalpings on own, but if ground dry enough then worth a load of them and whack down?

 

[Snowy Celandine]

I can vaguely remember your parking area but only vaguely as I'm old and therefore hard of remembering

I'll see if I can get tarmac scalpings here. I used to be able to get them in Yorkshire (when I didn't need any!!) but not sure where to find them in Lincs. Thanks TFF x

 

[Honey08]

When we originally built our yard we had a concrete apron in front of the stables and whacked type 1 around the drive and surrounding area. It was quite expensive. After a couple of years it puddled and grew grass on it. We later extended the hardstanding area and used rough hardcore rubble (free) on top of the clay and mud, then generously covered it with road planings. It has been superb. It's been down several years and drains well, only briefly puddles in really heavy rain. We added another lorry load last winter to top it up. Our horses are turned out on it daily all winter. I've just removed my horse's shoes and was initially worried as they REALLY struggled walking over it, however as it's rained again and they've been barefoot for a couple of weeks they seem to be happier. I was wondering whether to add some cheap sand to it to make it more comfortable if they do struggle.

If you go to my profile there are some photos in an album from when we first built it - to give you an idea.

 

[tda]

Our yard was scraped back, and had mot type stuff in, can't remember but it was a lot, but we were also levelling up the site too. We had crushed concrete laid on top, cheap, but I picked out loads of wire/metal pieces at first, and even though it has bedded in really well I am still picking up bit of glass and general debris up.
I'm having another area done and having mot or bigger then scalpings over the top also having an area of Mud Control mats

 

[Snowy Celandine]

Thanks very much everyone for the advice Can't wait to start on this project now as it's been overdue for ages. Just hope we can get it done before the rain starts if we are set for another wet winter. Not sure if we are or not and daren't even look at a long range forecast in case I depress myself!!

Honey08, love your views and horses

 

[Honey08]

Thank you, those photos shock me nowadays, the stables are virtually black now from years of creosote, and the horses are getting old and creaky now (and me).

Yes try and get them done as soon as possible. Otherwise you risk mud on the tractor's wheels getting mixed in with the chippings. It happened to us when we had the muckheap removed late one year, took me months to scrape it all up properly.