How to grade a bad driveway
How to repair a lumpy, bumpy driveway with a tractor and grader blade.
1 Assess the driveway
A driveway in need of maintenance will tend to have:
■ wheel ruts;
■ potholes;
■ very little surface gravel;
■ an exposed base (rock or clay).
You may need to buy in extra gravel, but first, look along the grass-covered sides of the driveway. Often, significant amounts of stones are:
■ smothered by grass on the driveway edges;
■ sitting on the outside of corners;
■ at the bottom of a slope.
All of it can be moved onto the driveway, so you may not need as much (or any) gravel as it first appears.
2 Choose a good day
It’s easiest to grade a driveway after rain as water helps to loosen gravel and dirt and then provides lubrication as it’s packed into its new position in step 7.
3 Set up for the first pass
If this is your first grader blade, a professional seller will supply instructions – or better yet, a basic, in-person tutorial
– on how to attach the blade to your tractor.
Attach it on a flat surface. When you’re done, the blade should be leaning forward, with its front edge touching the ground.
Move the tractor to the right side of the driveway and adjust the blade angle so the right end is closer to the right rear tyre than the left. Next, tilt the blade so it’s about 4-5cm lower on the right-hand side.
Depending on your tractor, you’ll want to choose a low to middle range. This will give it the power it needs to move forward while scraping.
4 Make the first pass
Go slowly as it’s difficult to move hardened gravel and soil. Also, if you have the tilt angle wrong, you can correct it before you go too far. Gravel on the outside of the driving surface will move from the right, towards the middle (falling into the ruts and holes). Turn and repeat on the other side.
5 The second pass
Scrape any extra gravel at the edge of the driveway (if you spotted it in step 1) back onto the driving surface. Position the blade, so it’s offset to the right of the tractor. Tilt it, so the outer edge hits the area you want to grade, and the inner edge isn’t hitting the middle of the driveway.
Use very light pressure, so you’re only moving a small amount of gravel at a time. It may take multiple passes to get all the stones back onto the driveway. This will also help to reshape the shoulder or even a drain if you go far enough.
Lots of dirt, grass, and roots will become mixed in with the gravel – it will disappear in the following weeks as you drive over it. By now, you should have enough gravel to fill the ruts, holes etc.
6 The final pass/passes
Float the blade over the surface – the idea is to very slowly and steadily raise the blade as you move forward, so you’re leaving an even layer of gravel. If you find it difficult, go slower.
At this stage, if you still have ruts, holes etc, you will need more gravel. An experienced truck driver will be able to dump a light, even layer of stones as they drive along, saving you having to grade it from a pile. You may need to float the blade over the top to smooth it down after they’re done.
7 Pack it down
Use the tractor (not the blade) to pack the gravel in place. Work in slow, steady movements so you don’t create new holes or ruts.
The ideal driveway is the same shape as a road, with a crown in the middle, sloping sides, shoulders, and drains.