Pea gravel driveways offer many benefits to homeowners, including curb appeal and a relatively low cost of installation.
These advantages make it one of the more popular alternatives to asphalt, and it’s also environmentally friendly.
Installing a pea gravel driveway is relatively easy and inexpensive, especially if you’re building a brand-new driveway from scratch.
However, if you’re going to replace an aging asphalt or brick driveway, you may want to enlist the help of an experienced contractor, since loosening and removing these types of permanent materials requires specialized equipment and expertise.
With those factors in mind, here’s a breakdown of the various considerations you should make if you’re thinking about switching to a pea gravel driveway.
Driveway Shape
Is your driveway going to be straight, or do you want it to bend or twist? How wide or long is it going to be? Certain styles of gravel suit specific shapes and designs in different ways. For example, pea gravel products with smaller stones make driving over the driveway easier.
Larger driveways benefit from smaller varieties of pea gravel. This will give the driveway a more refined appearance; large chunks of stone covering a relatively broad area tends to create a somewhat haphazard look, which you’ll most likely want to avoid.
Driveway Use
When choosing a variety of gravel for your driveway, you should also consider how much use you expect the driveway to get.
While pea gravel is a highly durable material no matter what size you choose, you should keep in mind that smaller types of gravel will demand more maintenance in heavier-traffic situations. This is because moving vehicles will dislodge small gravel stones more easily, making ongoing maintenance a more likely necessity.
Larger stones will stay in place a little more easily, but again, they might not be the best option from an aesthetic standpoint. If you need any help choosing a gravel size or style, don’t hesitate to consult an expert — they’ll be more than happy to offer you the guidance you require to make the best selection for your purposes.
Pea Gravel Maintenance
One of the very best things about gravel driveways is that they are very low-maintenance. Concrete driveways crack and chip over time, creating unsightly gaps that can be costly and inconvenient to repair.
Asphalt driveways need regular coats of tar and other protective products or they, too, will start to wear down. Interlocking brick does liberate you from these drawbacks, but only if you’re willing to pay slightly more for installation.
Pea gravel requires very little maintenance, other than the occasional topping up of dislodged pebbles.
Otherwise, gravel is highly weather-resistant and you will never need to worry about the material losing its natural appearance. If you’re looking for a no-chipping, no-cracking, low-cost driveway material, pea gravel simply can’t be beat.
Buying Pea Gravel
Before you purchase gravel, you should take the time to research various local suppliers to determine which of them offers the best product at the best possible price.
Remember: there’s more to consider than just the bottom line. You should also consider the supplier’s customer service track record and expertise, since these intangibles can make a huge difference when it comes to getting value for your money.
To that end, it’s best to buy your gravel from a quarry that produces it themselves. Not only does this ensure you’ll get a top-quality product for a competitive price, but it also ensures you’ll have access to knowledgeable staff who can help you choose the right gravel product for your specific application.
Third-party vendors and suppliers often lack the specialized knowledge needed to guide their customers to the best decisions.
Braen Supply is a leading supplier of pea gravel, with the capability to make bulk deliveries to areas across New Jersey as well as New York State, New York City and Pennsylvania.
Braen Supply quarries its own gravel, and its expert staff is always happy to help customers make the right decisions for their unique project needs.
