Steep Gravel Driveway Drainage Solutions

Steep driveways are the bane of many homeowners’ lives; difficult to cover, and in many cases, very hard to maintain. While your property may be perfect, having a steep gravel driveway can very quickly detract from the appeal of your home.

There are many common problems associated with gravel driveways, such as the seemingly endless growth of unwanted weeds, a challenge that countless homeowners face on a daily basis.

However, whilst these are somewhat easy to deal with, if a little time-intensive, there are some serious problems that can cause much bigger issues to occur.

One of the biggest problems that homeowners face, especially if they have steep drives, is issues with drainage. After paying out so much for your new drive, the last thing you want is for it to wash down into the street.

Luckily, there are some top steep gravel driveway drainage solutions that you can implement, to try and stop your driveway making its way down your drive. Here’s a selection of the best of them to get you started…

The Best Ways To Drain Your Gravel Driveway

If an initial quick-fix, like raking the gravel into the middle of your drive doesn’t work, then the likelihood is, you’re going to need to invest in bigger steep gravel driveway drainage solutions.

This can often be rather costly, and may involve you pulling up your driveway with the help of specialist machinery, but in the end, they can return your drive to it’s previous state.

Three of the best steep gravel driveway drainage solutions include: raising the crown, building new drains, and supporting your gravel with pavers. Let’s take a look at each of these three options in detail:

Option 1: Raise the Crown

The first step of the majority of steep gravel driveway drainage solutions, is to completely remove the gravel and any bottom lining. For larger drives, this may include hiring machines to make the process quicker.

The first of the steep gravel driveway drainage solutions, involves shovelling mud or dirt into the middle of the driveway, raising the crown. With an even size either side, the water should then run to the sides rather than down the drive. After you have raised the crown, you can replace the gravel on your drive.

Option 2: Create Adequate Drains

While raising the crown creates sideways drainage, it doesn’t completely solve the water problems, simply moves it to a place that doesn’t involve the majority of your gravel appearing at the end of your drive.

The second drainage solution involves digging drainage ditches either side of your drive. These can then be used to add drainage piping with holes to allow the water to enter, and gravel on top to disguise their presence.

A trench may need to be dug again at the bottom of the drive, to avoid the build-up of water. This is a process very similar to the installation of a French drain.

Option 3: Lay Pavers or Gravel Netting Under Your Gravel

The final solution if you are still having drainage problems, is to invest in under-gravel pavers or gravel netting. These are special kinds of grid that helps water to drain, and gravel to stay in place.

Again, it will involve removing the gravel, this time to fit the pavers or netting underneath, but can benefit you in the long-run.

If you’re concerned about drainage in your drive, and are looking for a solution that won’t require such extensive maintenance going forwards, then our team at Home Logic can help!

Are There Any Easier Ways To Solve Driveway Drainage Issues?

If you’re tired of constant gravel driveway maintenance and concerned about drainage, then choosing a different style of drive to fit your property needs better, could be more beneficial in the long-run.

There are a number of driveway materials that are well-suited to steep drives, including resin bound driveways.

Void of the common problem of loose stones and puddles, resin driveways are well-designed to fit the needs of steep driveways that have drainage problems.

Conforming to the regulations of the Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems guidelines, this highly durable material requires minimal maintenance to keep performing to the very high standard that you would expect from a driveway.

If you’re concerned about drainage in your drive, and are looking for a solution that won’t require such extensive maintenance going forwards, then our team at Home Logic can help.

As experienced, driveway experts, you can count on us to help you design a new drive that not only works for the individual requirements of your property, but that looks fantastic as well. Simply call 0800 1700 636, or click the button below to start refreshing your driveway today!