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Best solution for sloped gravel driveway?

Hi, I'm looking for advise on how to manage a drainage issue with a sloped driveway. This slopes towards the house from uphill and flattens out onto a large front area. The cement guttering is damaged which diverts the water onto the middle of the driveway, and the gravel has washed away over time to the flat surface at the bottom. Any advice on the drainage and guttering would be appreciated - the drains are a DIY job from the previous owners. A guy who does excavating suggested getting rid of it and a new trench. But I don't want it to look rough. The drive needs building up again - cambering away from the house (towards the right of the photo) and after any suggestions about type of gravel/surface to use? I'd like a finer compacted stone towards the front but realise that it probably won't work up on the slope? Look forward to some solutions!

driveway long shot.jpg

gutter close up.jpg

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Comments

Jewelleryrescue

Hi @Fionab111

I think I am seeing the drive way collecting the water and running towards the camera position and not really using the dish drains unless drive it was remounded higher in the middle.

So Option 1 add more Crushed granite and mound the drive slightly.

If your adding more crushed gravel is what my parents used on a property and usualy cheaper per ton and there are some places that recycle similar materials and are cheaper ( just watch for building junk in deliveries ask for clean granite.)

Option 2 put a drain in at the lowest point if the water pools there. Drainage the full length of drive way would see cost skyrocket.

May people on workshop will be able to offer additional solutions. 🙂

Dave-1

Afternoon @Fionab111

Rain and time will shift stuff always 😕 Unless you like shoveling then its no fun 🙂 Id like to say howdy and welcome to the Bunnings community page 🙂 You will find lots of questions about driveways/stormwater issues and also projects to stop the same issues 🙂

I have been followingthis type of product for at least 5 years and really havnt heard of any issues with it. strol surepave tradepack 100 pack

It allows gravel to be placed over it and gives it stability so the gravel wont wash away, you can drive over it and it lets the water through. (I only posted the Bunnings link 🙂 but there are others.)

The concrete gutter dosnt look too badly damaged (If that is the cracked part in the second photo) or if its cracked towards the center it may be an idea to replace that section. Cutting across the width with a concrete cutter and then reforming that section.

Do you have any areas that the water pools in or floods to? If you do head back up the hill and have a look (would like to know also 🙂 ) You could put in diversion banks to stop the water getting to that dish drain so it isnt overwhelmed or some other drainage to take the pressure off that dish drain.

Dave

EricL

Hello @Fionab111

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's a pleasure to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your sloped driveway.

It's great that you've received excellent advice from @Dave-1 and @Jewelleryrescue. Just to add to the suggestions made, I recommend repairing the dish drains by patching up any cracks or broken spots to regain the integrity of the flow in the channel.

If you have access to a grader, I suggest changing the slope of the hill starting from the top and making it shallower. This will reduce the speed of the water coming down and thereby slowing down the gravel erosion.

Another method you can try is by putting in a diversion channel across the driveway, it's basically a straight "V" shaped ditch that catches the flowing water and diverts it towards the dish drain. I recommend putting in a minimum of three with a distance of two meters per channel.

The first channel will receive the brunt of the rainwater flow from the top of the hill, The secondary will catch the overflow from the first and the third and final channel will divert whatever gets through from the first two.

This will greatly reduce any water from pooling at the bottom of the driveway.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

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