A stone driveway easily lends a touch of warmth and charm to the curb appeal of your home. It also provides you with an excellent surface to drive your vehicle on and helps in minimizing deluge on your lawn. However, with frequent exposure to the elements outdoors coupled with the daily traffic it receives, a stone driveway may develop cracks and potholes that can affect its appearance and the way it functions. As such, regular care is an important aspect of owning a stone driveway.
What follows below are some tips on how you can look after your stone driveway, which will ensure that you will be able to keep it in tip-top shape and enjoy its service for the years to come.
Keep vegetation at bay
It is important to regularly inspect your stone driveway for weeds and grass, as these vegetation can make their way into the gaps between the stones. If left unattended, not only will they make your driveway look like a disheveled mess, they can also cause cracks, holes and depressions. And because they collect moisture, they can weaken the integrity of the stones.
To avoid these things, carefully remove weeds and other invasive plants growing on the driveway by hand. Make sure not to forcefully rip them away as you may end up damaging your driveway. Or, to ensure that such invasive vegetation won’t grow back, you may spray your stone driveway with a combination of vinegar and rock salt or pour boiling water over the unwanted growth. These things will naturally kill the plants that have taken hold in the stones.
Level it down
With the foot and vehicle traffic it receives on a daily basis, your stone driveway may eventually lose its leveling. In such case, you need to address the problem immediately before it gets worse. If you find potholes, fill them with pea-sized gravel, then run over your car onto the filled holes to compact the stone. To bind the stones in place, apply sand on top. Also, make sure that the middle part of the driveway is slightly higher than its sides. This slight slope will allow water to drain off properly and prevent puddle formation.
Remove clutter
Always keep your stone driveway free of clutter. Remove leaves and other debris that have accumulated on the surface as well as in the drainage ditches on the side of the driveway. If you allow the leaves to decompose on your driveway, they will leave behind a thin soil that will settle in the gaps of the stones. These can then create a place where weeds and grass can grow.
Caring for your stone driveway definitely takes time and effort. However, routinely attending to its needs is one of the best ways to fortify it and lengthen its service life. Nonetheless, caring for your driveway can can save you money from costly repairs.
This article was written on behalf of Ace Driveways, a company specializing in general groundwork, including driveway construction, block paving, patio and wall integration and turfing. If you are looking for a driveways Scotland specialist, Ace Driveways is the company to get in touch with.
