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I am making a drive in a lot with some low spots. I am curious if anyone has insight or experience using trees cut from a lot as fill for a driveway, to make a level drive.

The lot is all relatively flat bedrock, with some ledge cavities a couple feet deep, that is where the logs might be used to as fill, thinking perhaps they can can rot, but won't be able to sink into the earth or wash away.

Thanks for any thoughts!

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  • "Corduroy" roads were a thing. What is the climate (aka how fast will they rot)?
    – Jon Custer
    Mar 28 at 18:02
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    Corduroy roads are on the surface and were very temporary. Wood is just a bad idea, and even organic soil should be removed. This is standard practice for good reason.
    – isherwood
    Mar 28 at 18:05
  • They won't sink into the earth, but you will sink into them. Don't do it.
    – isherwood
    Mar 29 at 15:35

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Bad idea - as it rots, it will become spongy and sink as you drive on it, and become very un-level.

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    Sounds more like a modern art project than a DIY question. A living breathing driveway to reflect the ups and downs of rural life?
    – jay613
    Mar 29 at 10:05
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    @DubD Stick to hard fill, or learn a lesson the hard way - your choice. A pit full of rotten wood will happily leave you sunk up to your axles, calling a tow truck, and hiring an excavator to dig out the glop and put in the fill you should have used from the start.
    – Ecnerwal
    Mar 29 at 13:56
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    We bought some property with a huge wood dump on the edge of it. They've been dumping wood there for 60 years. The "ground" there is spongy as all getout. You can't even walk on it. I can't mow it, the garden tractor sinks right in.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Mar 29 at 19:35
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    Totally see what yall are saying, for sure it will become an issue. Even with rip rap and gravel over, the spaces between, when it fills those voids, it will become mucky and surely sink then require more fill. Thank yall for helping me envision this. You are right on the art as well, there will be a maker shop on the lot, woodwork, stained glass, art and such! I'm stoked that I signed up and asked a Q here, thx again!
    – DubD
    Mar 29 at 19:37
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    @Harper-ReinstateMonica buy some mushroom spawn and spread it around that part.... ;^)
    – Ecnerwal
    Mar 30 at 2:11

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