Cooper Paving offers professional driveway grading services in the Annapolis, MD area. The purpose of driveway grading is to make sure the ground is sloped away from the house and garage so that any rainfall will run away from your foundation.
If water is able to drain and pool around your foundation, this could result in many issues, including foundation damage, leaks, or mold under your home.
Proper grading will also create a safe and stable surface to drive your vehicle on. If rainwater and runoff are able to pool up on your driveway, this could create a slick, unsafe driving surface and will eventually damage your drive.
Driveway Grading Services in Anne Arundel County
You might notice throughout the years that your gravel driveway will become bumpy or uneven. With regular use, this is very normal and unavoidable. This is why grading is an important part of the maintenance process for gravel and stone driveways.
Over time, loose gravel can cause portions of the driveway to settle, resulting in unwanted potholes and ruts. Grading can maximize the longevity of your gravel driveway and help cut down on long-term repair and maintenance costs.
One of the most important parts of new construction is grading for the new parking lot. Most driveways and parking lots will connect with public sidewalks and roadways.
It’s imperative that driveways have the correct slope. This ensures that water drains safely and doesn’t put motorists and pedestrians at risk.
Driveway Grading FAQs
Grading your driveway before installing the driveway is the most important step, yet not a lot of people understand how it works. Read through our frequently asked questions about grading, and contact us if you have further questions.
What is the standard degree of slope for a driveway or parking lot?
The degree of the slope is dependent on the location of the property. A general rule is there should be no more than four inches of water that pool on the surface of your driveway fifteen minutes after it rains.
The professionals at Cooper Paving in the Annapolis, MD, area are able to figure out the correct degree of the slope. It has to be able to drain water but cannot be so steep that it’s difficult to drive on.
There will typically be a minimum and maximum range we will adhere to based on where you live. We will direct the flow of water toward the nearest sewer for proper drainage.
Any type of new driveway will require proper grading to ensure water flows away from the home and doesn’t pool.
What does “grading the driveway” mean?
A “grade” in engineering and landscape architectural construction is the angle of slope or gradient of a leveled base.
The amount of vertical inclination of a given surface in relation to that surface’s horizontal length is precisely calculated by our paving experts to ensure your driveway or parking lot meets project standards.
What is the difference between paving and grading?
Grading is the process of ensuring that your driveway is level and even. Grading is done after paving has been laid. Paving is the process of laying asphalt down.
How often should you grade a gravel driveway?
Driveways should be graded once or twice annually. This ensures that your driveway is even and safe to drive on.
How do you grade an asphalt driveway?
To grade an asphalt driveway, you must first level the land. This is done by filling or cutting land to level out the degree of your driveway so that water run-off is appropriate.
Can I provide my own grading, DIY style?
It is possible to grade your gravel driveway or parking lot by hand using a heavy metal rake or similar tool to even out the gravel. This is at least a short-term solution.
However, it is far better to use more professional and precise means to grade your driveway, as this will produce the best and longest-lasting results.
The most common way of grading a driveway is to attach a large grading blade to a truck or heavy tractor. These tow-behind devices are similar in many ways to a large metal rake.
Drive up and down the driveway with the blade attached to the back of a vehicle. The blades of the tool will dig into and redistribute the gravel, evenly layering it to a flat surface.
This in turn fills holes and strengthens weakened areas. This will also help make your driveway drainage work more efficiently if done properly. Always remember, while there is an expense to grading your driveway, it is still far lower than the expense of costly repairs.
Driveway Paving Services
We offer driveway paving in Maryland for residential and commercial customers.
Our paving contractors go through a paving process that consists of several phases.
Asphalt or concrete removal is the first phase. In this phase, our machines and workers will remove all of the asphalt or concrete. We will haul all old material off-site. Next is our sub-base preparation.
This means the gravel underneath the old pavement may need to be replaced. The base is graded and pitched for water drainage.
Once the base is graded, it is condensed before asphalt or concrete installation. Lastly, the asphalt or concrete is installed over the condensed gravel base. We install asphalt using our standard paving machine.
We pour concrete onto the pavement. Asphalt is then rolled and condensed onto the pavement. After this is done, concrete is leveled, finished, and allowed to settle.
Why Choose Cooper Paving?
At Cooper Paving, we know the importance of having proper driveway drainage and a safe, stable surface for vehicles. We have been providing driveway grading services since our doors opened for business, and we guarantee the quality of our grading work.
We are a family-owned and operated company.
We are a paving company in Maryland you can trust. The team at Cooper Paving provides unbeatable customer service, no matter how big or small the job.
With nearly 50 years of grading services and on-site estimating experience, you can count on Cooper Paving to deliver superior quality that will stand the test of time.
We value your time, which is why we provide fast, free estimates! Whether you need a complete driveway grading or simple touch-up, our experienced operators can handle both large and small areas. We will make sure your driveway is graded properly.