Gravel Driveway Snow Removal

In this article, we shall take a quick look at professional recommendations from Eden, the leading landscaping and lawn care agency, and find the best tips for removing snow from gravel driveways. 

How to remove snow from a gravel driveway?

Here are 5 tricks to remove snow from a gravel driveway with the least effort:

1. Use a shovel and rake

If you have a small-sized patio or driveway to clear, you can use the conventional snow shovel and rake. Make sure to begin shoveling snow from the top of the driveway and work your way towards downhill, or towards an outlet. Keep in mind to clear the snow one layer at a time. 

Once the bulk of the snow has been removed with the shovel, you can use the rake to remove or break up remaining snow in the gravel which will enable it to melt quicker. It is recommended to try a few different types of rakes, like roof cleaning or gardening rake to see which works best for your gravel driveway.

2. Use a leaf blower

You can also use your leaf blower to clear snow from a gravel driveway. Leaf blowers are extremely effective for melting fresh snow and can save you a lot of tedious effort. A leaf blower can help to get rid of the snow in your gravel driveway in mere minutes. However, you can only use this technique to remove freshly fallen dry snow as it is not as effective for old, icy snow. 

3. Use a snow blower

A snow blower is highly recommended if you have a large gravel driveway. Make sure to put skid shoes before using the snow blower to remove snow from a gravel driveway or walkway, else it may scatter the gravel all over the place. Skid shoes are often called skid plates. These are adjustable pieces that are attached to the snow blower, and help to raise and lower the auger, according to different surfaces. 

Make sure to raise the snow blower to at least ½ inch above-ground on the skid shoes to prevent it from coming in contact with the gravel. The bigger the driveway, the more clearance you will need on the snow blower. 

4. Use a plow 

You should not keep the plow blades too low or you can unintentionally plow your entire driveway along with the snow. Similar to using a snow blower, you can adjust a plow to hover a ½ inch above the driveway surface to make sure you only remove snow, and not gravel.

This is important to remember as you can easily plow snow on the second pass, but might not be able to refill the flung gravel easily. Make sure to check that the tracks are at the required height above the ground surface before using a plow to remove snow from a gravel driveway. 

5. Using salt

When you get a forecast for a major snow storm after you have plowed the driveway, you should add a melting agent, such as rock salt to the gravel. This lowers the melting point of snow and ice and keeps it from forming again on the gravel in the driveway or walkway. 

Conclusion

The best tips to gravel driveway snow removal is to use a shovel and rake, a leaf blower, a snow blower, a plow and adding salt to gravel driveway. If you believe that the accumulated snow in your porch and driveway will take too much of an effort, we recommend you to hire professionals, such as at Eden for affordable and easy snow removal from gravel driveways and walkways.