Build And Maintain A Gravel Driveway

If you have a moderate slope, or even a flat surface, a gravel driveway can be one of the easiest car paths that you can design and make yourself.  Unlike asphalt, concrete, or brick, gravel driveways can easily wick away water without losing any traction for the vehicle.

Tools Necessary:

A flat shovel, a wide rake, a wheelbarrow, and a string (line) level. It would be a good idea to rent a weighted roller from a local hardware store.

You will want to make sure that the angle of the driveway is less than five degrees in most cases, as the gravel will have a tendency to migrate towards the bottom of the drive after a period of use. If it is more than five degrees in slope, you may have to rake up the gravel now and again towards the top. Try to avoid sweeping curves, as the gravel will also bunch up on the corner.

Driveway design is critical towards producing a workable end product. If you so desire, you can put in a border of brick or treated wood to keep the gravel from spreading out during use.

The driveway area should be nice and level, at least as far as smoothness goes. Any large rocks or roots should be removed, and the ground should be heavily raked. It is an extremely good idea to place down a high-quality weed-blocking cloth over the area that has been prepared. Once the surface is prepared, wet it down slightly with a light spray of water.

For most gravel driveways, you want a depth of about 2 to 3 inches of gravel to provide a solid base that won't scatter too much. This will pack down to a finished depth of around 1½ inches. The larger the gravel, the deeper you will want the base, fine gravel (¼ inch) will hold its shape much better, and requires less material. 

The gravel will probably be delivered by a large dump truck, it is a good idea to get the driver to place the pile of rock as close as possible to the new driveway, to save on the number of trips you will be making using the wheelbarrow. Starting at the top of the gravel driveway, start making piles of gravel scattered over the area, 1 about every 2 feet or so. Now you can begin scattering the gravel using the flat shovel, and start raking it out. When it looks fairly straight to the eye, place one stake in the ground at the top, and another at the bottom. String your line level from the upper stake to the lower, and looking at the line, rake out any dips or hills until the whole gravel driveway is straight and even.

Wet down the gravel thoroughly with a hose, and tamp it down completely. This is where using the weighted roller will really come in handy, but you can achieve the same results by driving back and forth over the new gravel driveway with your vehicle. Keep on spraying the gravel down until the grade is consistent.