!
!
HOW TO MAINTAIN A GRAVEL DRIVEWAY
!
•
!
•
•
•
•
!
!
!
•
!
•
Weed it. If you allow weeds to grow in the gravel, dirt will accumulate and then rain will be able to get
down into the base of the driveway. However, use weed killer instead of pulling the weeds so you don’t
pull up the roots and make holes.
Rake it. From time to time, the gravel tends to move around and it will need to be raked into place. The
problem is that if you have a driveway of any length, it will be virtually impossible to rake by hand.
Instead, use a weighted metal frame and drag it with your yard tractor or truck. It should smooth out the
gravel, filling in the low spots and leveling the high spots.
!
Collect the gravel that the snowplow, shovel or snow blower removes during the winter. You will
commonly find an accumulation of gravel down at the apron of the driveway or up at top. Rake the gravel
onto the driveway, filling in ruts and leveling the portions that show evidence of gravel removal.
!
Make sure that the driveway is pitched towards the proper drainage so that water can run off.
!
Use a leaf blower to remove the leaves in the fall so they do not break down and become dirt in the
driveway. Try to stay caught up with removing them while they are dry or it will take much longer to
move them once they are damp
!
TIPS
Check the gravel driveway after every rain. Rake any gravel that the rain washes away back into place to
keep the driveway level.
Avoid procrastinating when it comes to fixing potholes or ruts in your gravel driveway. The longer you let
these problems go, the worse they will become.
!1