- It can be cheaply re-graded
- Helps control erosion while allowing water penetration
- Isn't mud
- Less dusty than dirt when dry
- Doesn't have oil and tar runoff
- Better traction in snow and ice
- Is the basis for concrete and asphalt
this post was submitted on 10 Mar 2024
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Casual UK
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Yup, I have about 1000 ft of driveway I need to re-top. The cost of doing it in gravel is an order of magnitudes cheaper than any other method other than just regrading with a tractor, which would need to be done again in a year or two. The current gravel was put in 30 years ago and it's just now getting to the point that it's bad enough that I need to do it.
Allowing water penetration is coming more and more important as greater urban areas become covered in impermeable surfaces.
- Sounds nice when you drive over it
- Hobbit deterrent
- Makes it easy to perform power slides when you're bored on the long drive up to the manor
I don't have gravel, but I'm considering using some round the back of the house in a few places, whenever we get round to doing up the "garden".
- Opportunist/casual burglars and thieves tend not to cross it because it's noisy, "Crunch, crunch, let's rob next door instead".
- If you have weed-proof membrane under it, it's low maintenance.
- You can plant things deliberately through it, which get water and grow happily, whilst being defended from weeds.
- As long as you have a way of transporting the bags, it's petty easy to install by an amateur.
- Allows soak-away of rain/flood water.
- Durable and cheap to repair - no cracking from tree roots/weather, repair by pouring more stones in.
- Doesn't become slippy/slimey/muddy with rain or flood.
- Turns wheelie-bin day into an exciting all-terrain rally adventure :)
All the things you say are totally true though, it's just sometimes a case of weighing things up in your specific circumstances.
Lawn mowers also pick up stray stones and fling them in random directions at great velocity.
That's the worst part about mowing my gravel path. But if I don't cut it the stones get too long.
Stray stones.
You get hidden ones in the lawn that have escaped the path.
So all you have to do is get your family, stand in a straight line, and walk up and down over the lawn picking up any stones that you find. Like they do on aircraft carriers.
Fun for all the family, of course the neighbors think you're a little weird.
Yes, my neighbor installed a cute post fence so the previous tenant would not drive his truck over his lawn. The fence has a gravel base. I get rocks on my lawn across a two car wide driveway. They sometimes manage to fling from under my lawnmower at crazy speed aiming at cars and people randomly. It happens so rarely you get to let your guard go and then BAM.
You have to admit that sometimes this has humourous results though.
It's cheap.
Maybe that's why it's so prevalent.
Useful for drainage channels & such.
As a garden surface, it makes me angry. So ugly, so annoying, so depressing.
I think we are alone with this opinion. Seems lots of people like it.
"Like" is a strong word. I understand the use for it, and will be using some of it in a few particular locations, but I don't really like it like it.
As a garden surface?!?
Uh, not sure how else to describe when it is laid down in a garden (other than for drainage or whatever).
Expanse of gravel? Visible gravel?
Canadian here.
I remember watching quite a few episodes of some reno show where the homeowner had to choose between two designs for the garden, and both choices usually ended up putting gravel down, which horrified us when we saw it.
When I think of gravel in the back yard (garden), it's the base layer for the paving stones that go on top of it
For me, it means I could never walk barefoot without it sticking to my feet in addition to it being uncomfortable to walk on.
Because this cost under $3000 USD in materials and I just have to get the gravel delivered and I can spread it myself with my own equipment. A concrete or asphalt road would require hiring a crew and I'd expect to have to spend closer to $20-30k+ for materials and labor.
I was thinking, "holy moly, tarmac is expensive in the states", then I saw the size of the drive!
At least it isn't astroturf
"Gravel driveway and path; gravel driveways and paths make it harder for burglars to go undetected." according to the Metropolitan Police.
It usually comes in decorative colors, helps prevent erosion, and can create a lower-maintenance surface.
It can consolidate a heterogenous surface into a finished, uniform appearance.
It can be used in pet areas to reduce mud from your pets running around on bare dirt also reducing them bringing mud or dirt into the house.
Gravel allows water to soak into plants, not just runnning off so landscape plants and trees live!
Burglars hate it
Is gravel common in your part of the world? Like gravel pathways? That sucks. Why would anyone do that?