Up until now, gravel driveway technology has been relatively unevolved. Gravel driveways have been around for ages, and come with a few benefits as well as a plethora of problems. Asphalt and concrete have made better-looking driveways for a long time, however, that’s not the case anymore.
Thanks to companies like TRUEGRID, the gravel driveway is making a big comeback. If you’re a homeowner looking to install a new driveway, let’s go over a few of the many reasons why the modern gravel driveway of today is far superior to any other option you’ll find available to you.
Stabilized Gravel is the Best Driveway Material
Unstabilized gravel tends to migrate and become pulverized, which leads to bare spots, ruts, dust, erosion, and more. The right DIY driveway pavers will eliminate all of these problems at once.
TRUEGRID’s gravel pavers allow you to keep your gravel driveway firmly locked into place. They prevent all of the common gravel driveway problems from occurring while providing you with many other benefits as well.
Ease of Installation is Unparalleled
The benefits of gravel driveway pavers begin with the ease of installation. The typical driveway takes multiple days to install and perfect. TRUEGRID’s gravel pavers, however, allow you to complete the installation of your brand new driveway in less than one day. That means you can receive your driveway pavers in the morning and be ready to park your vehicle on them by sunset.
First, the driveway area may be excavated from 1 to 10 inches depending on your soil and stabilization needs. Then, a thin cloth is laid at the bottom to block weeds and keep the separation of the soil and gravel layers. When needed the base rock is laid and rolled. Typically 6 to 10 inches of the base are when stormwater detention and pervious cover credit is desired or when the soil is soft and needs stabilization. In cases where the driveway needs to be stabilized form ruts and mud only, then scraping the top layer, 1 to 2 inches may suffice The gravel base is compacted with a roller or plate compactor.
Once that’s done, the gravel driveway pavers are locked into place over the top of it. After that, more gravel is poured and spread filling to the top of the grids and compressed down into them with a roller or plate compactor. This easy process locks the surface gravel into place and prevents it from being crushed or moved. That’s the entire process in a nutshell. Pretty simple, right?
Another benefit of the gravel driveway pavers from TRUEGRID is the eco-friendliness of the material. In a world where the climate crisis is coming to a head, TRUEGRID has made the effort to ensure maximum eco-friendliness of their products through production and installation.
100% post-consumer recycled plastic products and no heavy equipment required make the driveway pavers from TRUEGRID the single most environmentally-friendly driveway product on the market. Allowing rainwater to infiltrate through the surface into the soil helps keep local waterways clear of auto pollutants and nasty runoff.
Permeability is a Plus
In addition to being easy to install, TRUEGRID permeable paver will completely eliminate any chance of flooding or erosion. Since they are 100% permeable, even the heaviest of rainfalls will simply drain right through your driveway and directly into the soil beneath.
This prevents unnatural water displacement and keeps your driveway in perfect harmony with nature. If you’ve ever had to deal with a flooded-out driveway, you know that prevention is the wisest route to solving flooding problems.
Your Style Won’t Suffer
The aesthetic of a gravel driveway is nearly unmatched. Aside from gravel, you can choose from a wide variety of aggregate for your driveway. Limestone, blackstar, crushed granite — any type of angular gravel will work. Even if you’re in the middle of the suburbs, this affords you unmatched stylistic diversity, color choices, and unique charm.
If you want to stand out from the crowd or if your house would look better without an asphalt driveway, there’s no better way to mix it up and introduce some natural beauty to your home than with gravel driveway pavers.
It’s Time to Make the Switch to a Gravel Driveway
Now that gravel driveways have evolved, there’s really no excuse not experiment with a gravel driveway, especially with permeable pavers from TRUEGRID to build with, there’s never been a better time to install a gravel driveway.
You can easily and quickly install a new driveway in under a day’s time. It’s so simple, you can even let your family pitch in and help.
Asphalt and concrete require regular maintenance to stay in pristine shape, but due to the incredibly durable nature of a driveway built with gravel pavers, you can enjoy your driveway for decades to come without spending a dime on maintenance.
If you want a uniquely beautiful and durable driveway that will never flood, erode, or degrade over time, you couldn’t ask for a better solution than TRUEGRID’s gravel permeable pavers.
option for the base layer of a gravel driveway is item #4. Item #4 is comprised of sand, dirt, and golf ball-sized stones. This type of gravel is available in a few different variations including recycled item # 4, which is made up of recycled stones, brick, blacktop, concrete, and rock.
There is also quarry item # 4, or crushed limestone, gray item # 4 which appears dark grey in color, and crushed bluestone item #4. Crushed bluestone item #4 is usually found in municipal driveways, though.
The middle layer of a gravel driveway features stones closer to golf ball size, with #57 stone being the prominent type of gravel. Otherwise known simply as crushed gravel, #57 stone also helps promote drainage.
5 Types of The Best Surface Gravel for Driveaway
There isn’t a lot of variety for the bottom layers of a gravel driveway, however, there are more options when it comes to finding the best gravel for driveway surfaces. Among the other options are crushed stone #411, quarry process, pea gravel, jersey shore gravel, marble chips, and river rock. These are the best options for driveway surfaces gravel, because they are small stones combined with rock dust, which makes a more solid driving surface.
1. Crushed Stone #411
It is crushed up #57 stone combined with rock dust. This mixture is able to handle moderate traffic from heavy vehicles.
2. Quarry Process
It is also called “crusher run” and works well for the surface of both driveways and walkways. It’s made from stone dust fines and crushed stone.
The stone dust will settle and become compact to create a semisolid surface that is smooth. It is important that you know that this type of surface gravel needs to be sloped towards the sides of your driveway for better drainage.
3. Pea Gravel
Pea gravel is popular gravel for driveway aesthetics. It’s made up of round, small stones that can come in many different colors. This type of gravel will easily migrate and spread under the weight of vehicles, though, and needs to be stabilized for long-term, maintenance-free usage.
4. Jersey Shore Gravel
It is made of yellow, tan, white, gold, and brownstones and looks quite a bit like sand. It’s similar to pea gravel since it needs borders or stabilizing pavers to prevent it from spreading.
5. Marble Chips
Marble chips are white and they sparkle in the sunlight. They typically cost more than other gravel types but are another favorite when it comes to being the best gravel for driveway aesthetic appeal. This type of gravel also needs a border or stabilization to prevent it from spreading, migrating, and washing away.
6. Blackstar or Blacktrap Rock
A very attractive dark gray gravel, this is an excellent choice as it is angular and locks together. When combined with stabilizing grid paving system, this provides a super durable and beautiful driveway.
A Better Alternative to Typical Gravel Driveways
Some of the aforementioned gravel types require stabilization, but the best way to construct any gravel driveway is by using TRUEGRID permeable pavers to lock in your gravel.
TRUEGRID PRO LITE and PRO PLUS stabilizing pavers simply require fill gravel and surface gravel, although you can use the same type of gravel for both. The fill gravel is poured over the top of a piece of fabric at the bottom of the excavated area where you want your driveway that provides drainage for water and other liquids.
It is then compacted and leveled before TRUEGRID permeable pavers are snapped in place over the surface. Next, your surface gravel of choice is poured over the pavers and locked into place using a heavy roller or vehicle. This weighs the pavers down and locks them securely into place.
The main benefit of using TRUEGRID pavers to build a gravel driveway is that they will keep your gravel in place, eliminating the need for almost any maintenance during the course of your driveway’s lifetime.
A properly installed and maintained TRUEGRID gravel driveway is durable enough to handle all types of vehicle traffic and will last up to 60 years without cracking or breaking down in the sun, rain, or other types of weather like asphalt does.. Choosing the best gravel for driveway usage is only part of the equation.
If you want to build your gravel driveway the maintenance-free way, get in touch with the pavement professionals at TRUEGRID today for a quote.
