How to Scrape the Crown of a Driveway

A slight crown ensures proper drainage for a gravel driveway.

Gravel driveways are affordable and practical, but they require regular maintenance. Driveways with curves or frequent truck and car traffic become uneven as heavyweight loads push the gravel to the outer edges. For proper drainage, gravel driveways are crowned so water will run off to the sides. Scraping the crown of a driveway will allow you to fill in any low areas and utilize the full width of the driveway if the crown is too high.

Things You'll Need

• Rake
• Metal frame
• Vehicle
• Shovel
• Buckets
• Board
• Level

Instructions

1. Rake scattered rocks from the grass surrounding the driveway. If the gravel has formed a berm, or mound of rocks, along the edges of the driveway, rake them toward the middle.

2. Attach a metal frame to the back of a vehicle if the driveway is long. Begin at the end near the house, and drive slowly down the driveway with the metal dragging across the top of the crown.

3. Shovel the excess rocks at the bottom of the driveway into buckets and dump them into low areas in the driveway.

4. Continue driving over the gravel with the metal frame attached until the driveway looks level. Lay a board across different sections and place a bubble level on top to see if it is even. Adjust the rocks as necessary with a rake until the surface is level.

Tips & Warnings

• Add a 2-inch layer of new gravel down the center of the driveway to form a new shallow crown so water will drain from the surface.

• Consider adding metal, timber or stone edging along the borders of the driveway to prevent gravel from scattering into the yard. You'll still need to rake gravel back toward the center for drainage, but containing the rocks reduces maintenance and improves the overall appearance of the front yard.

References

• Ask the Builder; Build a Gravel Driveway; Tim Carter

Resources

• Environmental Protection Agency: Routine Maintenance and Rehabilitation