How to fix a gravel driveway
Every home needs a driveway. It's that part of a property which is seen as just a “practical necessity” but it actually provides the first impression when visitors arrive at your home.
Image via HERE
Laying a gravel driveway is an easy, attractive and affordable driveway option; when compared to costly concrete, asphalt or paving methods.
The only downside are the potholes that develop, especially after periods of heavy rainfall – which, in Auckland, is quite often!
Do-it-yourself solution
As a short term DIY solution, you can use a pick and shovel and even out the gravel and then tap it down to compact. But this leaves weak spots that will only produce another pothole in the same place - and it won’t take long for them to reappear.
The more long-term solution
There's no need to live with a bumpy, puddle-ridden driveway when, within a few hours, The Little Digger Company can repair the potholes for you!
We use our Bobcat/Skid Steer Loader and its Box Rake attachment to fix your potholes and give your driveway that brand-new look and feel again. The box rake attaches to the front of the Bobcat. Guided by two front wheels it uses its spiked barrel to churn up the existing gravel and redistribute it into the pothole areas. Running back and forward over the whole driveway ensures the whole area is flattened, smoothed, refreshed and compacted.
You may need to add more gravel/metal to your driveway. Achieving the correct density of gravel will help reduce future potholes. We can supply and deliver the gravel in our 4t Tip Truck and spread it evenly using the Bobcat.
If there is a certain area of your driveway which seems to develop holes a lot quicker, it may be from water drainage issues. The solution is to address the water issue. You may need add drainage such as install a culvert or ditch to pull the water away from the place where it flows over the gravel and compromises it with a swale.
Our team are drainage experts, so give them a call or arrange a site visit to work out the best long-term solution.
It’s important to remember that a gravel driveway will need maintenance/repairing yearly just prior to winter. And as with everything, it's better to maintain than to have to re-do a job which has been neglected for too long.
Take a look at the Bobcat in action on a recent job, repairing a heavily potholed area.
Give our team a call today - we can come out for a site visit an assess what the best value solution is to keep your driveway looking fantastic all year round!