DIY Ideas for Widening Driveways

Adding Gravel

• 1

  Use stakes and twine to mark off the area next to your driveway where you want to expand. The area should be large enough to fit at least one car.

• 2

  Dig out all of the vegetation and top soil in the area with large shovels, digging at least 10 inches deep. There should be no tree roots, spongy topsoil or vegetation of any kind left -- only hard, dry dirt.

• 3

  Tamp down the dirt for a solid, even base. Use a compact roller or vibrating plate machine for best results. You can typically rent either of these at an equipment rental store or home improvement store.

• 4

  Roll out landscape fabric on top of the dirt. This will keep weeds and water underneath the soil from damaging your gravel driveway.

• 5

  Pour a layer of scalping stone on top of the landscape fabric. It should be about 6 inches deep, and you should use the vibrating plate or compact roller to compact it. These larger-sized stones create a solid base for the smaller gravel on top.

• 6

  Pour the smaller stone gravel on top of the paving stone, about 2 inches thick at a time. Compact the gravel in between each layer, filling up the space completely with the gravel.

• 7

  Rake the loose gravel on top into a crown, meaning the gravel at the center is slightly higher than the gravel at the edges of the driveway. This helps when it rains to make the water flow to the edges instead of creating puddles on the driveway surface.