Why Choose A Gravel Driveway?

Why choose a gravel driveway?

We get asked many questions about gravel driveways so we have put together a quick guide.

What are the benefits of a gravel driveway?

1. Drainage. Gravel allows water to quickly and easily sink through into the ground helping to prevent flooding and pooling.
2. Cost Effective. From basic local gravel to high end premium products there is a gravel to suit all budgets, easily to install so you can save on labour costs too.
3. Flexible. No matter what shape your driveway is gravel will easily cover the area creating a seamless finish, no cutting or awkward shapes to manage.
4. Easy Installation. There are no special skills required to lay a gravel driveway, just a bit of elbow grease!
5. Low Maintenace. You may need to do the odd bit of weeding but there is no pressure washing, re-sanding or crack repairs to undertake.
6. Durability. If your gravel gets low just top it up and you are good to go again, gravel driveways can last for decades.

What size? Gravel typically comes in 10mm, 20mm and 40mm sizes, this means that the gravel has been sifted and to mainly contain those sizes, however there will be a percentage of smaller stones in the mix. For a driveway we suggest 20mm is the perfect size, 10mm will get caught in tyre treads and move around a lot.

Which type of gravel? Any hard wearing gravel will be fine like flint or granite, softer stones like Cotswold will crush down too quickly under the weigh of vehicles.

If you like the look and feel of Cotswold stone we would suggest South Cerney as an alternative, a great hard wearing gravel that has the same colour palate and rounded edges of Cotswold.

We have a wide selection of colours and textures to choose from, so come and have a browse.

How do I stop the gravel from spreading? There are a few ways you can edge the area you want to gravel, a simple brick edging laid on a mortar bed using granite setts, block pave or clay paviours all great a solid long term solution. Alternatively you can use wooden edging or sleepers, patio edging or Core Edge as a quick easy solution.

To stop the gravel from sliding around we supply Core Drive which is a grid system that holds the gravel in place.

Becoming more and more popular is the resin method, whereby you coat your gravel in a resin that sets solid allowing zero movement.

How do I create a gravel driveway? You need a firm base for a driveway to prevent your vehicles sinking and creating ruts. A compacted base of scalpings is laid to a depth of 5 inches. A geotextile membrane similar to weed control fabric is sometimes laid before the scalpings go down to suppress weeds and prevent rutting in the drive. Gravel is laid to a depth of about 2 inches. If gravel is laid deeper than this, cars tend to sink in leading to wheel spins.

More information can be found on our helpful hints page.

Helpful Hints from Rivar Sand, Gravel & Stone Suppliers

With so many different gravel options available now, you can choose the perfect gravel to suit your driveway!