Landscape Design
We design planting beds and pick plants that suit each spot's sun and soil. A patio or walkway can be part of the same plan.
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A gravel driveway wears down a little every day. Tires push the stone to the edges, and rain washes out the fine stone dust that binds it. Water starts to pool where the crown used to be, and potholes and washboard follow. Gravel driveway regrading puts the shape back into the stone you already have.
NS Paving and Landscaping regrades existing stone driveways across Carbon County and the surrounding counties. We cut below the ruts and pull the loose edge stone back into the drive. Then we rebuild the crown so rain runs off to the sides. Regrading is one part of our paving and landscaping work around Lehighton.
Tell us about the job and where it is. We will look it over and put the quote in writing.
Regrading fixes the surface problems a stone drive builds up over time. Penn State's Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies publishes maintenance guides for Pennsylvania's unpaved roads. Its list of warning signs includes potholes, ruts, washboard and loose stone along the edges. Water running down the wheel tracks counts, and so does a middle that has gone flat.
Traffic and water do the damage. Tires press ruts into the wheel tracks and push stone out to the edges. That edge stone traps rain on the drive, where it soaks in and softens the base.
A crowned drive starts out shaped like an A and slowly wears into a W. The wheel tracks sink, and ridges of loose stone build up beside them. Water then ponds in the low spots or runs down the drive and carries stone away.
The first passes cut the surface down to the bottom of the washboard and shallow holes. The Penn State grading guide warns that skipping this cut brings potholes and washboard back. Deeper holes get cut out at least an inch below their bottoms, so they drain and lose their shape.
Next, the stone that traffic pushed to the edges gets pulled back toward the middle. It is blended with the stone dust from the cut, which binds it together. Large stone without that binder comes apart fast, and potholes follow.
Then the drive gets its crown back, high in the middle and sloped to both sides. Penn State's road guides call for a half inch to three quarters of an inch of fall per foot. That is two to three times the slope of a paved road. The last step is compaction while the stone is still damp, which helps the crown hold longer.
Winter is hard on a stone drive. Freeze and thaw swell the surface and break it apart, and snowplowing scrapes at the crown. A plow blade can also push stone off the drive and into the grass. Spring thaw can then leave soft, muddy spots where water sat.
Regrading works best when the stone holds some moisture. Grading goes well after wet weather, and the surface should be rolled before it dries. Damp stone packs tighter, while dry stone separates and makes dust.
Steep drives tend to need regrading more often, because water picks up speed on a slope. If you regrade the same drive season after season, look at asphalt driveway paving.
Call or text for a written quote. We work about 40 miles around Lehighton across Carbon, Monroe, Northampton, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Luzerne Counties.
(484) 545-5072From the first call or text to the finished work, here is how it goes.
Call or text (484) 545-5072 and tell us about the job and the town it is in. Send photos by text if you have them.
We look at the site and measure the area. Soils around Lehighton are prone to frost heave, so we also check the base and where the water drains.
You get a free estimate, with the quote in writing. Once you say yes, we set a date, and paving days follow the weather.
For new paving, we grade and compact the stone base, then lay hot asphalt and roll it smooth. Landscaping work follows the plan we agreed on with you.
We look over the finished work with you and clean up the site. We also tell you when the new asphalt is ready for cars.
Common questions about gravel driveway regrading around Lehighton and Carbon, Monroe and the surrounding counties. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.
We design planting beds and pick plants that suit each spot's sun and soil. A patio or walkway can be part of the same plan.
Learn More
We build patios and hardscapes for homes around Lehighton, decorative concrete included. Each patio starts with a compacted stone base and a slope that sheds rain.
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We install new walkways and sidewalks for homes and businesses around Lehighton. Each one gets a compacted stone base and a pitch that sheds rain.
Learn MoreOne call covers the asphalt and the yard work around it. You deal with one company for the whole job.
We pave home driveways and long lanes. We also pave commercial lots and the roads inside developments.
We look at the job before we price it. You get the quote in writing, so you know the work and the price before we start.
Lehighton sits at the center of our service area. We work across Carbon, Monroe, Northampton, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Luzerne Counties.
Tell us what needs paving or landscaping and where the property is. Call or text (484) 545-5072 or use the form, and we will set up your free estimate.
Tell us about the job and where it is. We will look it over and put the quote in writing.
