3 Reasons Why Gravel Driveways are Perfect for Life in the Midwest

There are certain things that only Midwesterners can appreciate. It’s possible that a gravel driveway is near the top of that list (just below cheese curds and KwikTrip’s). Have you ever stopped to ask yourself: Why are gravel driveways so popular in the Midwest? It’s not happenstance. There are many advantages to a gravel driveway. Here are the top 3!

• Practicality.

  Gravel driveways, specifically those that use asphalt milling, are cost-effective, low-maintenance, and incredibly durable. Need we say more?

• Speed.

  From start to finish, a gravel driveway is much quicker to install than other driveway types.

• You can feasibly install a gravel driveway all on your own, and DIY property projects are definitely on that list of things only Midwesterners love. Ready to learn? Put your cheese curds aside and get ready to take notes.

  1. Stake out the path of the driveway.

  2. Remove all grass and topsoil from the staked area.

  3. Determine cubic yardage of gravel needed for each driveway layer. This sounds complex, but there is a fairly simple formula. To perform these calculations, first measure the length and width (in feet) of the driveway you’ve staked out, and multiply those two numbers together to know your driveway’s square footage. Then, multiply the square footage and the desired depth of each layer individually to calculate the number of cubic feet of stone you will need to order for each individual layer (there will be three layers total, and we recommend each layer be 4 inches). So, then, we need to divide the square footage that you calculated by 3, since 4 inches is equal to one third of a foot. Lastly, now that we’ve ascertained the volume of stone in cubic feet, we need to convert that number over to cubic yards. To do this, we divide by 27 because there are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard. Take that final answer, and apply the fact that you will need 1.4 tons of stone per cubic yard, PLUS 4% to make up for compaction. The sum of this equation equals the total stone order in tons, for a single layer.

  4. Schedule gravel delivery.

  5. Level out the land along the path of the driveway.

  6. Spread the first layer of gravel and compact it.

  7. Apply the middle layer of driveway gravel.

  8. Even out the surface layer of gravel and shape it to your liking!

And hey, you know if you’re not in the mood to DIY it, our team of professionals here at LandEx Co. is always ready and eager to help. Hit the button below to set up your free consultation.