Gravel Driveways Can Bring Out the Beauty of Your Landscape

A gravel driveway can bring out the beauty of your landscape, while being quite cost-effective. The stylish colors, shapes, and textures are incomparable when placed against traditional asphalt driveways. The installation process is quick and easy and takes less than one week to settle. Gravel driveways are known to be environmentally friendly and enables ground water to recycle back to the Earth. A sure win for our eco-friendly clientele! The gravel is easy to maintain, requiring periodic fill-ins to level out sink holes caused by excessive rain water or snow. There are some cons to choosing gravel versus an asphalt surface. For example, snow removal can prove to be quite challenging as the gravel tends to shift or loosen, forcing owners to rely mostly on salt to dissolve the snow and ice. Since the gravel is predominantly made up of grated stone and stone dust, a dirt like substance may appear on the exterior of your home or car. If your driveway is also used for recreational purposes such as bike riding, the uneven surface may make balancing quite difficult.

While many homeowners may opt for the diversity of the colors, shapes and sizes available for gravel driveways, others have decided to convert their gravel driveways into asphalt for several reasons. Asphalt driveways can have a life expectancy of up to 30 yrs. with proper installation and routine maintenance. For prolonged life, sealcoating every 3-5 years is recommended to protect the asphalt from UV rays, vehicle fluids, and water. Notably, the ability of the asphalt to contract and expand during hot/cold seasons proves to make asphalt one of the most weather resistant surfaces. Since the asphalt is black by nature, it draws heat from the sun, making snow removal a cinch.

Recently, one of our most valuable customers decided to take the plunge to convert his gravel driveway to asphalt. Citing that although he loves the beauty of the stones and easy maintenance, he was ready for a more silent, smooth and clean drive along his driveway. The conversion process was quick and easy! By simply re-grading his existing stone, adding crusher run stone, and proof rolling it out for compaction, we created a solid and durable foundation for the asphalt overlay. The overlay consisted of a 2-inch hot mix type C (asphalt) over the foundation, and surprise! His new asphalt driveway was complete!

Contact Us Today About Your Driveway Project!