Building a Driveway on a steep Hill

When your house is situated on a steep hill, you are likely to have an unobstructed view of the stars, vistas, and surrounding landscape. However, the major problem with this setup is realised when you are building a driveway from the road to your house. In fact, the road should accommodate all types of commercial and personal vehicles.

Here are some things to consider when you are building a driveway on a very steep hill:

• Choose the right design

When your driveway is perpendicular to the road, you can quickly build a straight-line road to your house. However, if your house is situated on a steep hill, you may need to implement an S-shaped driveway design which is aesthetically pleasing and practical for most vehicles since this will allow them to climb the hilly road little effort. However, if you are constructing a driveway on a man-made ridge that is cut in the side of the hill, then having retaining walls is a must.

• Straight stretches and angles

To accommodate commercial and large vehicles, your driveway should have widths of between 10 and 12 feet, and the curves on the path must have a minimum of 14 feet wide. This means that the driveway must be navigable in all types of weather. Also, the turnaround space in the front portion of your house must be at least 12 by 18 feet to accommodate large delivery trucks, especially when unloading goods and turning around without damaging your lawn or any part of your property.

It’s a must to have a large turning area that will provide ample space for large vehicles to manoeuvre through your driveway.

• Gravel-covered driveways

It is essential to plan the design of a steep driveway, and you must also determine what surface to install. We recommend using gravel and concrete for the surface as it is cost effective, durable, and aesthetically pleasing. Most importantly, it provides good traction under all types of weather. However, you may need to build a stone or brick barrier in between the driveway and surrounding land to prevent the gravel from travelling to other areas of your landscape. It could even interfere with your lawn.

That is why you should get in touch with a contractor who knows how to mix gravel and concrete to get the best results for your driveway.
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• Hard surface drives

Concrete driveways will make your house look neat and finished and are likely to add value to your property (learn more here), but if your house is on a steep hill, it may be impassable during the winter months. Therefore, it is worth considering mixing stones and pebbles into the poured surface since this gives the driveway thread.