Like any other material, a gravel driveway will need some regular maintenance in order to look its best.
When you need a practical, attractive, and less costly driveway option, gravel makes an excellent choice. While not as durable as concrete or asphalt, gravel offers considerable benefits and options for those who need flexibility. If you live in a climate with dramatic temperature shifts or simply need to cover a lot of space, gravel is the perfect choice. As with the other options, it does require some maintenance to keep it looking its best.
Grade Correctly
One of the biggest mistakes that can be made for your home’s driveway regardless of material is for it not to be graded correctly. Hard packed gravel and the depths of any pothole should be loosened to prevent them from reoccurring. To grade properly, scrape your gravel to the center of your driveway and then feather it out lightly to the edges. Once complete, it must be packed down to ensure its a proper and level base.
Keep Up With Damage
Even gravel driveways can develop potholes and signs of wear. Perform routine checks to ensure that no potholes or ruts are forming, as they can lead to severe damage to cars and visitors alike. When potholes or ruts are found, make sure that they are dealt with quickly by adding more gravel and re-grading as needed.
Watch Drainage
Are there areas on your driveway where water is pooling or flowing? Water issues can lead to washouts, erosion, ruts, and faster formation of potholes. Proper construction and installation can help alleviate most problems, but make sure that you’ve spent adequate time checking your driveway location throughout the seasons before construction.
Use The Right Materials
Using the wrong stones and materials can lead to severe problems with your driveway. Gravel for driveways should always be ¼”, or pea size, and have sharp edges. Using different materials or rounded rock will lead to more frequent ruts, pits, and potholes.
Fix Snow Damage
Between the effects of winter weather, salt, and snow plows, the colder season can wreak havoc on your gravel driveway. Each spring you will need to rake back and replace some of the gravel displaced and lost over the season.
All of Your Lawn Care Needs from Atlantic Maintenance Group
Atlantic Maintenance Group is a full-service landscaping company, providing maintenance, design, and construction, as well as snow removal, and asphalt and concrete services. We are your source for complete landscape and facility maintenance for commercial and residential properties throughout Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. We are a self-performing landscaping company, meaning we don’t hire subcontractors, and senior management is involved with every project. Our highly trained team of professionals receives constant, ongoing education on the latest industry trends, updates and safety measures. This ensures we can deliver outstanding customer service and results to our clients, regardless of the size of your job.
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