McCarty Mulch & Stone on stone recommendations for the driveway.
Replacing your driveway can be complicated. But you’re determined, thrifty, and know what you want. Stone driveways are affordable, efficient, quick to install, and easy to maintain.
But with all the different types of rock to use on the driveway of your dream build, choosing the right one isn’t easy. Here’s a quick guide on choosing the best stone to use for your driveway.
Back to Basics
First, let’s talk about how to pick which stone is for you. Most driveways use a blend of several different sizes of stone. This stone is layered from largest to smaller, with a kind of padding of stone dust in between.
These layers help by creating a solid foundation and ensuring proper and complete drainage of moisture through the layers. Additionally, they make a more solid driving surface. And you only have to replace the top layer once every couple of years!
Picking the right stone is not difficult and there are a lot of options. You’re going to want to find out which size, what color, and what type is right for you. Once you have an idea of what you want, shop around or call a local dealer to ask about their pricing and availability.
A Homeowner’s Guide to Rock Types
So you know how to pick—now let’s talk about what you should pick. Different kinds of gravel have different uses, but here’s where you should start.
CRUSHED STONE
Crushed stone is the go-to for durability and low-cost driveways and will probably be your best option. . If you’re making a gravel driveway for an area with tons of traffic, this is your old reliable. And it doesn’t look half bad, either.
Typically in Indiana when we speak of driveway stone we are referring to crushed limestone which is relatively abundant and affordable because of the proximity of limestone quarries. Crushed limestone for parking areas is easily maintained and is the most cost-effective surfacing when you are looking to save money on your project.
McCarty rock and stone carries Indiana limestone that is screened and crushed into differing sizes for base layers in a driveway or topdressing. For new drives or parking areas, we recommend a base stone such as #2 or #4 stone. #2’s is approximately 3”-4” in size and work great as your primary base layer on top of the dirt and provide that firm foundation so the smaller rock does not get lost in the ground.
For topdressing there are numerous sizes available including #4’s with an approximate size of 1 ½” or the size of a golf ball, #8’s with an approximate size of 1” and they represent the size of a marble, then you have #53 stone. #53 stone is roughly about ½ stone and ½ lime dust, which gives it the ability to pack better than some of the looser limestone.
We also stock white limestone sand, or patio sand/flume. Flume sand is basically just screened limestone dust and provides a great material for tamping and packing in hardscape projects or can be used between flagstone gaps. Our wide selection of limestone varies in size depending on your need.
How Do You Choose
Like we said, picking the right types of rock to use on the driveway can be a hassle. But with this little cheat sheet, you should be able to get right into choosing the best ones for you.
