How to Frame a Driveway Slab

Installing a fresh driveway to the home can add to the house's curb appeal, but only if you install it properly. Badly poured driveways will crack long before their time, or may not look right from the get-go. Installing framing before pouring the driveway ensures that the concrete or asphalt retains its shape during the forming and curing process. Failure to prepare the ground properly for your driveway may also cause problems. Proper preparation prevents costly and time-consuming mistakes.

Things You'll Need

• Landscape paint
• Shovel
• Tamper
• Stakes
• Rubber mallet
• 1-by-6 boards
• 1 1/2-inch drywall screws
• Screwdriver
• Gravel

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Measure out the area for your driveway and mark it with landscape paint.

   • 2

     Excavate the soil to a depth of 8 inches for well-draining soil and 10 inches for poorly draining soil.

   • 3

     Tamper the soil with a mechanical tamper to compact the soil. Tampers are available for rental from many hardware stores.

   • 4

     Pound a stake into the ground every 3 feet along the excavated area using a rubber mallet.

   • 5

     Bend 1-by-6 boards and attach them to the stakes using 1 1/2 inch drywall screws to hold the shape.

   • 6

     Pour 4 inches of gravel or roadbed in between the concrete forms.