There are many reasons why a gravel driveway might be right for your home or property. In order to maximize those benefits, proper maintenance is important.

Here are some tips for how to keep your driveway looking and functioning as it should:

Keep an eye out for potholes

One pitfall of gravel driveways is that weather-related erosion, typically driven by high-precipitation events, can cause potholes. These should be tended to at the first sign of trouble in order to prevent bigger problems later to vehicles or to the safety of you and yours.

Alignment, tire and wheel issues can come about in your car or truck, and a sprained ankle from stepping the wrong way into a hole is no one’s idea of a good time.

Keeping a reserve of gravel on hand is one way to stay on top of this problem. Excavation companies, such as Little’s Excavating, can be a big help here also.

Watch for water drainage issues

This goes hand-in-hand with the pothole point made above. Identifying trouble spots can allow for tweaks to the driveway to redirect stormwater and prevent potholes and other erosion.

Rake the driveway

This is a form of preventative maintenance – a common theme on this blog – which can move debris out of the gravel, smooth out developing holes and keep the driveway level. This should be done regularly in order to keep the driveway functioning at a high level and improve its safety, for drivers, riders and walkers.