PUTTING LOOSE ROCK IN YOUR DRIVEWAY? GRAVEL AND STONES TO CONSIDER
You can easily upgrade your driveway by placing gravel over the existing area. Gravel adds beauty and helps reduce dust production from constant vehicular traffic. It's also the least expensive driveway option (compared to asphalt and concrete) and can last upwards of three years before needing to be redone.
There are many types of gravel on the market that you can choose to make your driveway look more modern and organized. Consider these types when buying loose rock for your property, and contact a landscaper for more detailed information about the options you're interested in.
Road Base
Road base is exactly that: the base placed on a road before the area is covered in asphalt or concrete. Road base provides added durability and works well as a stand-alone stone for your driveway.
Road base is very dense and allows for ideal water runoff. The hard rock takes longer to deteriorate and crumble than other styles and can be easily installed with a skid steer by your landscaper. The only downside to road base for your driveway is the color options: the material typically comes in a rich black tone or the more popular yellow tint.
Limestone
Limestone is a loose stone, and each piece of the small rock has its own shape and design. Limestone is fairly versatile in its color, coming in hues as light as mint or as rich as a soft blue-green. Limestone will wear down with time and constant vehicle traffic, but one way to help preserve its longevity is to tightly compact the stone when it is first applied in your drive.
Marble Chips
If you want your driveway to glitter with color and have a charming effect, then opt for marble. Marble chips are nearly transparent in their individual design but form a rich hue when compounded in your drive. Marble often comes in a bright white but is also available in other hues that can be mixed together to give you a colorful, ethereal driveway.
Marble is very durable and holds up to high traffic. It's also among the most expensive types of rock, so compare its cost to other gravel and stone with your landscaper so you stay within budget on your project.
Pea Gravel
Known for its bright, varied colors and tiny round size, pea gravel is a common choice for homeowners who wish to gravel their driveways. This gravel is also seen on playgrounds and flower beds and is relatively inexpensive. The lightweight gravel makes it very easy to install. Your landscaper will recommend how much gravel you need to buy to fill your driveway completely and lessen risk of dirt emerging through the rock once applied.
Gravel and stone driveways are very easy to maintain and can last for many years. Weeds and other nuisance plants don't thrive well
in plain rock so you can maintain the streamlined, organized appeal of your drive longer when you choose these types of material for the area. Since gravel and stone come in a variety of hues, textures and sizes, you can customize your driveway easily (and your flower beds as well, if you have material left over that you'd like to use).
Make sure to consult with your landscaper before you buy any stone or gravel for your drive. They will be able to tell you how much to buy and the best way to apply the material so it lasts and looks attractive. Count on our team of landscaping experts at AA & Bob Allen Inc. to assist you in choosing the best stone or gravel for your driveway project.
