A gravel driveway is an element that beautifies the home without being overly expensive. It also has a longer life than asphalted ones and is more environmentally friendly. Snow and rain are absorbed by the ground below the gravel, avoiding water stagnation and minimizing the risk of flooding. The gravel driveway also allows you to prevent the car from being parked in the mud and separates the parking area from the rest of the garden.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Designing the Driveway
Step 1. Decide where to build the driveway
Measure your garden and decide where the lane should be. You can also choose whether to define a parking area or design a circular driveway. Remember that a bigger road will also be more expensive.
Watch out for any drainage problems in the area where the driveway will be built. It is important to place it so that the water flows to the side and does not collect in the center
Step 2. Choose whether to also create a border or a border to the driveway
Some people like to mark the access road with wood or decorative bricks, but this is not an indispensable element.
Step 3. Draw the new driveway
You must mark the area where you will create the lane before starting the works.
- Place sticks or poles in the ground every 2.5-3 meters along the length of one side of the driveway.
- Insert a second set of posts at least 3-3.5 meters from the first, so as to define the width of the access road. If the driveway has curves, consider a width of at least 4.2m.
Step 4. Measure the area that will occupy the driveway
You need to know its length and width for the entire path. If there are curves, you can measure sections and then add them together instead of trying to calculate the total area all at once.
Step 5. Consider laying at least 2-3 layers of gravel
For a truly stable road, experts recommend at least 3 separate layers of gravel of different consistency. This detail will cost you more both in terms of work and money, so you need to decide in advance the type of driveway you want.
Step 6. Determine how much work you can realistically do on your own
Spreading the gravel without any help takes a lot of time and intense physical effort. If you are physically unable to do heavy, repetitive work (like raking gravel), then you should hire someone to help you.
Part 2 of 4: Getting the Materials
Step 1. Calculate how much gravel you need
To do this, multiply the length, width and depth of the driveway (expressed in meters) and you will get the cubic meters of gravel you need.
- Depth is a variable measure, but should be a minimum of 10-15cm. To go from centimeters to meters, divide the value by 100 (for example 15 cm is 0.15 m).
- If you decide to lay out 2-3 layers, then know that each of them will need to be at least 10-15 cm thick, so you need to take this into account separately.
Step 2. Sort the gravel and plan the next steps
Call a quarry or building materials wholesaler and tell them how much you need, which grain and which type of gravel you prefer.
- Ask if there is a website available where you can choose the size, color and shape of the stones.
- If you've designed a multi-layered driveway, schedule each delivery separately, even better if spaced a couple of days apart, so you can lay out each layer and wait for it to settle before proceeding with the next type of gravel.
Step 3. Find the hand tools you need
You'll definitely need a shovel, a stiff metal rake, thick gardening gloves, and possibly a wheelbarrow. If you don't have these tools, borrow them from a friend, buy them, or rent them at a construction equipment store.
Step 4. Rent the large gear you need
In theory, you would need a mechanical compactor to press the soil and stones. This is a very expensive machine to buy for a single project, so try to rent it from a construction supplies store or specialist company.
Step 5. Hire someone to have a tractor or excavator
An alternative to obtaining tools is to rely on someone who owns a digger machine. A professional will be able to do the job much faster than you would be able to do by hand.
Part 3 of 4: Prepare the Driveway Area
Step 1. Dig the soil surface to clear grass
Use a shovel or entrust the task to someone who has a digger, remove the layers of earth that contain the grass and that are included between the poles with which you have marked the area of the driveway.
- You can use a subsoiler to loosen the soil and make digging easier.
- The amount of soil you need to remove depends on how many layers of gravel you plan to roll out. Calculate a depth of about 10-15 cm for each layer of stones.
Step 2. Level the driveway surface
It does not have to be perfect, as it will be covered with gravel, but it should be leveled; any area that is too deep compared to the others can cause stagnation of water with consequent mud pools that you will have to fill with more gravel in the future.
Step 3. Compact the soil
At this stage, a compacting machine is essential, someone who drives a bulldozer on the path of the driveway or who crosses the surface several times with a heavy vehicle (such as a large van).
Step 4. Lay a weed barrier
If you want to prevent grass from poking through the driveway gravel, you need to place an obstacle under the stones.
- This barrier is nothing more than a specific gardening fabric that allows water to seep into the soil but does not allow the grass to grow. You can find it in well-stocked garden stores or do-it-yourself centers.
- This is material sold in large rolls that you can place at one end of the driveway and unroll along its entire path.
- Most barriers are 1.2m wide, so more rolls may be needed. Make sure you buy enough (or more) to cover the entire driveway area.
Step 5. Place the border
If you have decided to lay brick or decorative lumber to mark the driveway, then you must do so before the gravel is delivered to you so that the edge is blocked by the layers of stones. But if you don't want to wear it, skip this step.
Part 4 of 4: Laying and Spreading the Gravel
Step 1. Ask the gravel supplier if they can help you lay it out
Some trucks are only able to dump gravel into a large pile, but others can "dose" it in small quantities along the driveway. All of this could save you a lot of work.
Step 2. Roll out the gravel
Use a wheelbarrow to distribute the stones along the length of the driveway. Next, use a stiff metal shovel and rake to spread them across its full width.
Step 3. Press the gravel with a mechanical compactor
Alternatively, you can drive along the lane with a heavy vehicle, such as a large van.
Step 4. Repeat the entire process just described for each layer of gravel
If you have decided to use a monolayer, move on to the next step.
Step 5. Level the area
The driveway should be slightly elevated in the center and lower at the edges to facilitate the drainage of rainwater.
- You can make this slope by raking the stones from the edges towards the center, stacking them slightly. You can also add more gravel in the middle of the lane and then gently drop it back to the sides a little at a time.
- Don't overdo it, your driveway doesn't have to look like a pyramid! The ideal slope is quite low, between 2% and 5%.
Step 6. Clean your new driveway
Make sure you "complete" the project with cleaning. Eliminate the stakes and the string that marked the path of the road. Put away or return all the tools you have rented or borrowed and remember to pay or thank all the people who helped you with the work.
Step 7. Do maintenance
When necessary, rake the gravel that has moved. In addition, every 2-3 years, consider adding new stones in the points where it has become rarefied, which is completely inevitable with the passage of time.
