5 Tips to Extend the Life of Your Gravel Driveway

If you have a gravel driveway, you know that while it is a cost-effective and durable solution, a little maintenance can go a long way. Unlike asphalt or concrete, a gravel driveway is not something you can just leave to chance. Without proper care, your gravel driveway will develop potholes, drainage issues, and ruts, which can make driving unpleasant and create wear and tear on your vehicle. The good news is that a few simple routine maintenance steps can extend the lifespan of your gravel driveway and maintain a smooth functional drive for years to come. Southern Dirt & Land is here to share the ins and outs of maintaining your gravel driveway over the years. We install gravel driveways across the state of Tennessee, offering an affordable and durable option to navigate your property.

How to Maintain a Gravel Driveway

Over the years, your gravel driveway will need a little TLC to prevent small problems from becoming larger, more expensive structural issues. Maintaining your gravel driveway will enable it to last years longer while also maintaining the integrity of your vehicle and creating a smooth ride for you along the way.

Southern Dirt & Land is here to share some of the best tips for maintaining a gravel driveway that will enable it to last for decades longer without structural problems or expensive gravel driveway repairs.

1. Redistribute the Gravel

Rain, turning tires, and regular usage will push gravel away from the center of the road and out into the edges. This will create ruts for your tire tracks that can quickly turn into water channels and lose their traction and efficiency. Using a heavy-duty landscape rake or small tractor, pull the displaced gravel from the edges of the road back toward the center and fill in any ruts. Regular raking is the most efficient way to ensure that your gravel driveway remains strong and durable for as long as possible. 

2. Maintain the Crown

Proper drainage is essential to the lifespan and longevity of a gravel driveway.  Water is the biggest threat to your driveway’s integrity and the way to avoid potholes and ruts is to ensure that water does not penetrate the important areas of your driveway. Any Tennessee gravel driveway installation company worth its salt will ensure that the crown is perfect – this is where your gravel driveway rises in the middle of the tracks. This ensures proper drainage and moves the water away from the most used areas. After a heavy rain, it’s important to inspect your driveway to analyze where the water is moving. The crown should exist in the middle, moving water away to the edges of the road. You may need to regrade in order to re-establish the slope in the middle of your gravel driveway. You also may need a catch basin, French drain, culvert or other drainage solution to move the water away from the road in problem areas. 

3. Address Potholes

Potholes are a small but rapidly growing and deadly issue for your gravel driveway. Ignoring small potholes allows them to grow quickly, pulling water and displacing the gravel on your driveway. It’s important to dig out the section surrounding the pothole to expose the layer beneath. Then you can fill the hole using fresh gravel. It’s beneficial to use progressively smaller stones with a dense grade layer on top, and then compact the material completely, filling it in with the surrounding material.

4. Add New Gravel and Compact

A regular maintenance task that’s important for maintaining the integrity of your gravel driveway is to add new gravel and compact at least once a year or as needed. You can add a layer of about 1 to 2 inches of fresh gravel and compact it with a plate, compactor, or roller. This can go a long way in maintaining a smooth and compact gravel driveway over the years.

5. Consider Winter Care for your Gravel Driveway

In the Memphis, Tennessee area, snow and rain strip away your gravel roads and decrease longevity of your road, all of which make your driveway less functional and safe. Ensure you have proper drainage for rainfall around your gravel driveway and if you are going to need to utilize a snow shovel or snowblower, leave 1 to 2 inches of snow on the surface so that you avoid scraping the stone and rock layer below. 

Gravel Driveway Installation & Repair Company Memphis, TN

When in doubt, the best course of action is to call on the experts to maintain and restore your gravel driveway. Similarly, you’ll want to have a professional dirt work company install the gravel driveway to begin with, so that you can rest assured that it is constructed properly. Companies like Southern Dirt & Land are well versed in gravel driveway installation and will ensure that the crown, grading, water drainage, and other aspects of your driveway are constructed perfectly. Give us a call today for a free gravel driveway quote!