We may make taxation from the Cartesian product useable on this page and take part in affiliate political platform . see More ›
A gravel driveway is attractive in an unpretentious way of life , introducing casual curb appeal to the first and last element of your home that a visitor sees . And whereas pullulate concrete , asphalt , and patterned brick driveways typically postulate professional installation , even a somewhat initiate DIYer can instal a gravel driveway successfully on his or her own without have to pay for invention consultation or skilled labor . Thecost of a gravel private road , thus , can be much less than that of a driveway that ’s fabricated from other materials .
Though it ’s possible to cut nook , a well - made crushed rock driveway normally consists of three layers . In this striate approach , the bottom layer features 6 - inch - diameter crushed rock , while modest , 2- or 3 - inch Stone form the middle bed . Only the third layer , the Earth’s surface , incorporate what most of us would recognise as true crushed rock . Here , eschew smooth stones in favour of rough , angular ones , because these supply a firmer , more stable gravel drive surface .
Photo: R A Kearton / Getty Images Photos by R A Kearton
Tools & Materials
Bobvila.com may earn a commission from purchases made through these links .
8 Steps to Laying a Gravel Driveway
Step 1: Stake out the driveway’s path.
Using landscape stake in combination with drawing string or string , plan the drive pathfrom the curb all the fashion to its remnant point . Will it be straight or circular ? Will it slope ? These are all important circumstance .
Step 2: Clear grass or topsoil from staked area.
To set the room for the gravel , you ’ll need to remove grass or topsoil from the marked - off country . If you ’d rather not do this manually , consider play in a bulldozer ( and someone to operate it ) to make quicker work of this laborious but all important degree of the project .
Tried-and-True Advice
“ Local building codes and guidelines for driveway breadth can be very specific to ensure entree for emergency vehicle . We cut a composition of Sir Henry Joseph Wood to the needful width , and walked the entire length of our 800 - foot - long [ gravel ] driveway . ( You could also use a piece of string . ) The wood acted as a pre - made guide to help oneself regulate the breadth and stake placement . ”
— Stacey Nash , Contributing Writer
Step 3: Calculate cubic yardage of gravel needed for each driveway layer.
Having cleared a path for the crushed rock drive , now you require to calculate the volume of stones you ’ll demand . To do so , you ’ll need to fix the turn of cubic yards each level will busy .
begin by measuring the length and width ( in feet ) of the drive you ’ve laid out , then multiply these two numbers racket together to find your private road ’s square footage . So , if the width is 10 foot and the length is 15 feet , your driveway will be 150 solid feet .
Multiply that act by the desired depth of each stratum to get the number of three-dimensional human foot of stone you ’ll need for each level . The recommended depth for each layer is 4 to 6 inches . If you want a 4 - column inch layer , divide the square footage by 3 ( because 4 inch is one - third of a metrical foot ) .
Photo: Gary Chalker / Getty Images
Now that you ’ve calculated the necessary volume of stone in three-dimensional pes , convert that bit to cubic M by dividing by 27 ( because there are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard ) . Our 150 - square - foot instance is 50 three-dimensional feet , or just about 1.8 three-dimensional yards ( 50 divide by 27 ) , per layer . You ’ll need about 1.4 tons of pit per three-dimensional curtilage , plus 4 percentage to account for compaction . So 1.8 x 1.4 x 1.04 equals your total lodge of Harlan Stone ( in tons ) for one layer .
Step 4: Schedule and prepare site for gravel delivery.
Think strategically when it comes to scheduling the delivery of the Stone for your gravel driveway . ( Also , bear in brain that some gravel pitch truck are capable of spreading the stones , and not just dropping them off . ) It ’s unspoilt to schedule separate deliveries for each of the three drive layers . Further , it ’s recommended that you swag the deliveries a few days apart , so you have clip to address each layer . If you ’re spreading the gravel manually , ensure you have the right creature on hand , include aheavy - duty wheelbarrow , a shovel with a inflexible trough , and a rip with metal tines .
Step 5: Level the ground along the path of the driveway.
Before the first gravel delivery truck arrives at your holding , you need to even out the soil in the path of the drive . Depending on the area of your driveway , you may palm this work with your own tools or by enlisting the assistance of a pro with a backhoe .
If you are planning to lay down a weed roadblock , the time to do this is after you ’ve end smoothing out the ground . Take pains to ensure that thelandscape fabricdoesn’t bunch up .
Step 6: Spread and compact the base layer of gravel.
The bottom bed ofgravel for the driveway , of course , pass in first . Once you have spread these 6 - column inch stones over the private road surface area in a exclusive , interlocking layer , ideally you ’d bring in a dozer to wad the Lucy Stone with its roller . Failing that , so long as you do n’t think you ’ll peril your tires , repel over the base layer repeatedly with your machine ( or a neighbor ’s truck ) . The physical object here is to pack the crushed rocks into the filth at a lower place , creating as strong a foundation for your crushed rock driveway as possible .
Step 7: Add the middle layer of driveway gravel.
Next comes the mediate bed of 2- to 3 - inch stone . In a perfect Earth , the gravel bringing truck would spread this layer for you . Whether or not that ’s potential , the edge of the driveway are first going to need a petty TLC . Neaten the perimeters with a excavator and rake and , if necessary , your gloved hands .
Step 8: Spread and shape the top layer of gravel.
Finally , introduce the surface layer of crushed rock . To alleviate rainwater drainage , order the stones in such a style that they peak in the center of the drive and incline slimly to the side .
Every few calendar month , you may wish to practice a profligate to restore this peak . Likewise , you may need to neaten the edges from sentence to time . But for the most part , wield a crushed rock drivewayis a pretty low - key function .
Everything You Need for a Lush and Healthy Lawn
Keeping your pasture green and your plants prosper does n’t just take a unripe thumb — it start with the right tools and supply .
