Gravel Drives Make an Elegant Home Entry

"I've seen some new expensive houses that have a gravel driveway. Aren't gravel drives a step backward from concrete or brick?"

Gravel drives were once only available to the wealthy. That's when most people only had a foot path to their door. If you were rich enough to have a horse and perhaps a cart or had a horse drawn carriage or wagon coming to your house very often, you would soon have muddy ruts in the rainy season and clouds of dust in the dry. Gravel scooped up from stream beds was used to provide drainage and help support the weight of the wagons.

Today, gravel drives are usually found in two places. The country, where a long concrete or asphalt drive would be prohibitively expensive, and in the city where the owner is trying to capture the look and feel of a bygone era, i.e., the manor house with gravel forecourt.

Most gravel drives today are simply a gravel topping over a concrete or asphalt driveway. It is a nice way to soften the entry to a home without the expense of a brick or tile drive. Round river rock about one half inch in diameter is usually specified, in colors ranging from white to brown. A darker color would look out of place in Florida and be too hot to walk on! To do a quality installation you'll need an impervious base such as concrete or asphalt and some way to contain the gravel from sinking into the ground or running out into your lawn or other landscaping. Concrete is the better base since it is not as susceptible to cracks and penetration by grass runners, making maintenance a snap!

If you are using concrete, usually a four inch thick slab is poured, and finished very rough. Some "tooth" for the concrete will hold the gravel and prevent gravel moving too much under foot or vehicle traffic. Another step to help hold the gravel is coating the concrete with a "tack coat" of asphalt emulsion to stick the lower layer of gravel to the concrete. This is thick, black asphalt paint sold in building supply stores for waterproofing concrete foundations and block walls. It is inexpensive and does a superb job of holding dry gravel to the concrete surface.

If asphalt is the base, after rolling, have the workmen spray another thin "tack" coat and distribute the gravel evenly into that. Then, for either concrete or asphalt, distribute one to two inches of river rock evenly. It will "settle in" in a few days, particularly after a hard rain or two. Thereafter, only superficial raking is necessary from time to time to remove tire tracks. A scattering of small oak or mahogany leaves even looks good on a gravel drive, so constant cleaning is not necessary.

Upon completion you will have a beautiful, timeless, natural approach to your home. You will also know when someone approaches, as you hear the delicious crunch of tire or footstep on the stone. In addition......your own automobile parked on your new gravel drive will look far more elegant!