Neither Concrete Nor Gravel: The Eco-Friendly Driveway Alternative That's Cheap To Install

Concrete and gravel are both popular driveway materials. Traditional concrete is hard-wearing and durable, but its production is harmful to the environment. While eco-friendly concrete now exists, it is comparatively expensive. Gravel is a more sustainable alternative and very affordable but needs regular work to keep it stable and looking good. Decomposed granite is a driveway material that goes beyond concrete and gravel. It's affordable, more eco-friendly than concrete, and lower maintenance than gravel.

Granite is a hard-wearing rock often used for kitchen worktops. In its natural state it will eventually erode due to weathering, and it breaks down into smaller particles known as decomposed granite (often just DG). Unlike gravel, it varies considerably in size, from around a half inch down to what is effectively sand. When compacted, it creates a much more stable surface than gravel, yet it will still drain readily.

Decomposed gravel comes in subtle earthy tones from grays and browns to reds and greens, allowing it to be matched to both traditional and contemporary homes and paired with driveway border ideas to boost your curb appeal. While typically it may not be quite as cheap as gravel (depending on the type chosen), it does offer major savings over concrete driveways.

Although stability is one of the key benefits of a decomposed granite driveway, and it doesn't need regular raking like gravel, on its own, it doesn't have the resilience of concrete. The surface will eventually be disturbed by regular traffic. There are two solutions. One is to install stabilizing permeable pavers (made from recycled plastic) and fill them with the decomposed granite. The second is to bind it with resin, which holds the material together while still retaining much of the permeability. The resulting surface is somewhat like asphalt, but with your chosen granite color.

Either approach will, of course, increase costs. While it's possible to lay a plain decomposed granite driveway yourself (you'll probably need to rent a plate compactor), digging down and laying base pavers makes it considerably more time-consuming. Further, installing a resin-bonded decomposed granite driveway is a specialist task. 

Although decomposed granite is often used for the whole driveway, there are no hard and fast rules. A clever driveway layout is sure to boost visual appeal, and decomposed granite can be mixed with other eco-friendly materials to achieve the desired look.