Assuming that you have enough gravel base to repair the imperfections in your driveway, we can usually grade most gravel driveways in less than 2 hours. This will involve identifying problem areas, determining the areas where you have too much and too little gravel so we can provide a uniform end product. In some cases, there is not enough material base to work with and a fresh layer of gravel is needed to resolve the problem.
Gravel driveways are a very popular and cost-effective choice for many homeowners, especially those in suburban or rural areas where trees and wooded areas are common.
A properly installed gravel driveway will provide years and years of service, add to the curb appeal of you home and make access to your property easier inclement weather.
Graystone Tractor Services offers gravel driveway construction, repair and maintenance. We can assist you with constructing a brand new driveway or repairing or re-surfacing an existing one.
Pre-installation considerations;
Pre-installation work is just as important as the actual construction of the driveway as it considers factors that will affect the actual contruction
and your future use of it. It greatly influences the materials needed.
Ground type- Is the ground solid year around, or soft during winter months? Is the
composition of the soil allow it to drain well?
Is there any water problems?- It is very important to identify any potential water problems and resolve them before they present a problem for you. Underground springs that may soften the ground or seasonal runoff may not be apparent in the summer months. A nearby creek may overflow during times of high water runoff. If there are water problems in the area, it is important to divert the flow of water away from the driveway to prevent future problems. This is usually done via standard french drains, which are designed to percolate surface water and direct it to an area where it will not negatively impact you.
The size of the individual rock material (aggregate size) is an important factor for both successful long term use and also cost of installation. If you have a
drive cut into a steeper soil hillside you would typically want to ensure you have a solid construction base to prevent it from degrading in the winter weather.
We usually recommend future-proofing your driveway, so if you will be having regular heavy vehicles on your property in the near future, ie: building a home
(Excavator trailers, concrete trucks, delivery trucks etc), you should design your driveway with that in mind and not just your regular passenger vehicles.
Other considerations will be how you will be planning on using your driveway. For example, if you will be regularly walking along your driveway in addition to
driving your vehicle, large aggregate material will be uneven and more unpleasant to walk on than smaller material.
A popular choice for a top level layer is
known an 5/8 minus material, which is a gravel/rubble mix, which compacts well, allowing for a solid drivable surface. If you prefer a non-solid compacted
driveway that can be raked easily, loose rock material is also available. Once the material is on site, we can install it quickly and easily.
Please reach out to us to talk about your gravel driveway project. We can be contacted via phone, text message
at (360) 542-6460 or email at graystonesolutionsllc@gmail.com.
We also offer gravel driveway repair and maintenance services to customers with existing gravel driveways.
1. Driveway grading for driveways to level and fill in potholes, level our wash boards.
2. Installing new gravel material on existing driveways
3. Re-sloping problematic areas to improve drainage
4. Adding rock material to fill in low spots in terrain
Please reach out to us to talk about your gravel driveway project. We can be contacted via phone, text message
at (360) 542-6460 or email at graystonesolutionsllc@gmail.com.
We offer Washington State gravel driveway construction and repair services in Arlington, Stanwood, Camano Island, Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island, Conway, Darrington, Granite Falls, Lake Stevens, Marysville, Everett, Snohomish, Monroe, Mount Vernon, Burlington, Bellingham, Ferndale and areas in-between in Island County, Skagit County and Snohomish County.
Frequently asked questions:
5/8" minus - By far the most popular choice for homeowners. As the name suggests, it consists of aggregate material 5/8" and finer material (rubble). The finers material allows the gravel to compact over time which creates a stable compact surface. The smaller aggregate size also makes it possible to rake if needed and it can be graded to repair potholes, washboards and other issues.
3/4" minus - Similar to 5/8" minus material, except with a larger aggregate size of 3/4" and finer material (rubble). This material will also compact well and is suitable for driveways that may have larger vehicles using it regularly (ie. your heavy business or work vehicles). Because of its larger size, it will take more material to complete the project than smaller material.
1 1/4" minus - Similar to 3/4" minus material, except with large aggregate size of 1 1/4" and finer material (rubble). This material will also compact well and is suitable for driveways that may have steep slopes or larger vehicles using it regularly (ie. your heavy business or work vehicles). Because of its larger size, it will take more material to complete the project than smaller material. This material is more difficult to rake due to its size but can be graded as needed.
1 1/4" washed rock - This material has no fines and consists of aggregates approximately 1 1/4" in size. Washed rock does not generally compact and so it makes a good construction base layer for softer solid types where additional stability is required. As it is loose rock material, it is usually unsuitable as a final surface material. As such, compactable material such as 5/8" minus is usually layered on top of the construction base to provide a compactable surface.
Pitrun - Pit run is a mixture of gravel, sand, and clay that is dug from the ground. Pitrun is commonly used as a base layer for new driveways where some additional stability is required. It is also a good cost effective choice to build up low areas effectively prior to laying the actual driveway material of choice.
If the path of the driveway is cleared of vegetation, it is usually a straight forward process. We will mark off the path of the new driveway, then first level the path of the driveway, smoothing out as many humps and bumps as possible. If the structure of the soil is solid, driveway fabric can optionally be laid to prevent the growth of vegetation or grass along the new driveway. Once complete, the area is measured and a 3-4" deep or greater layer of 5/8 minus gravel material is spread along the path of the driveway and lightly compacted.
If the path of your driveway has soft or wet ground, a solid construction base, usually 1 1/4" rock material is required first to stabilize the ground, followed by the fabric and 5/8" minus material. Any natural springs or streams should be diverted away from the driveway via french drains or other means to prevent premature erosion.
Typically this is caused by natural surface water runoff pooling in a section. This is resolved by diverting the water runoff and repairing the damaged area, usually by filling in the low spot with some construction base material, such as 1 1/4" rock and then putting a fresh layer of 5/8 minus material on top. The rock material will provide a new solid base for the problem area.
We can arrange to measure the area where your material will be installed so you will know exactly how much material you will need. Although we don't deliver the material directly,
1. We can either provide you with the contact numbers for the gravel suppliers in your area if you prefer to coordinate delivery of the material prior to us coming to install the material.
2. We can coordinate the delivery and of the material for you. In such cases, we require a deposit for the cost of the delivered materials prior to delivery.