A driveway made of gravel is a great improvement to your property and will give you an attractive pavement that can provide you years of service. When planning to add a driveway, there are some important details you should include with your installation work. Here are some instructions to help you install a gravel driveway to improve your property.
Plan Out Your Driveway
Whether you are installing a brand new driveway or replacing an existing one that was made from another material, you need to clear out and prepare the site so you can lay down your gravel layers appropriately. If there is lawn, weeds, old asphalt, or bare soil on the site, plan out where you want to pour the new gravel driveway and clear off the area. This can be helpful if you use a skid steer or similar type of equipment to clear and level the area.
A good gravel driveway should be several inches thick so you will need to remove enough of the existing materials to allow for the gravel layers. You may also want to cover the foundation with a layer of landscape fabric to keep dirt and weeds from coming up into the gravel of your driveway. This will keep its appearance up and reduce your maintenance needed on your driveway in the future.
Order the Materials
Once it is time to order the required gravel for your driveway, you will need to select the right type of gravel and the proper amount. It is helpful if you calculate a generous estimate of your gravel needs so you don't end up with bare sections in your driveway. You can always fill these in later with more gravel, but if you are ordering your gravel in bulk it will save you time and money.
However, if you do need to order extra gravel, you can place the excess in a pile on your lot to use to fill into areas of your gravel driveway as it becomes necessary over time. Gravel can become misplaced from traffic and will need to be supplemented.
An angular gravel made of crushed stone will be a good material for the base layer of your driveway. Angular gravel has points and jagged edges to enable the gravel pieces to grip one another, creating an interlocking and solid surface. After the angular gravel is poured and smoothed, you can compact it into place with a roller or allow this to happen as you drive your vehicles upon it. Just be careful with your gravel driveway for the first few months of use if you have not compacted it with heavy equipment. You need to take care that you don't peel out on its surface and scatter the gravel around.
Reach out to a local gravel delivery service to get started.
