Gravel, Stone and Soil Delivery in High Point, NC

Mecklenburg loam on rolling ground

The USDA soil survey maps Mecklenburg-Urban land complex, 2 to 10 percent slopes, at the center point of ZIP 27260. Urban land makes up 30 percent of the complex and the Mecklenburg series 50 percent, so a yard near that point may hold native soil or fill depending on how it was built.^[1]

The top layer of Mecklenburg soil is loam. The survey rates it well drained but places it in hydrologic group C, slow infiltration. Soil like this lets water pass through over time, yet a heavy storm outruns it, and the extra runs downslope across lawns and drives.^[1]

Shrink-swell in the top 100 cm is moderate, at 5 percent. A loam surface with that rating can sit over a firmer, clay-rich subsoil that swells when wet and shrinks in dry spells. Slabs and walks feel that movement most where one side stays wet and the other dries out.^[1]

Urban land in the complex means some yards sit on fill from road and building work. Fill can settle unevenly, so probe a patio or wall site with a steel rod and dig out soft pockets before building.^[1]

The USGS state geologic map shows Metamorphosed Granitic Rock at the center point, metagranite of Cryogenian age. Weathered granite rock breaks down into the gritty, clayey material many Piedmont diggers know well.^[2]

The ground surface at the center point is 900 feet above sea level.^[3]

Heavy rain and short winters

Weather normals for ZIP 27260 come from the NOAA station at High PT, NC, about 1 mile away. It averages 48.3 inches of precipitation and 1.9 inches of snow a year.^[4]

The station's low falls to 32 F or colder on 68 days in a normal year, most of them mild freezes that thaw by noon. That still adds up to a lot of freeze and thaw in the top layer of any wet surface.^[4]

Snow is light, under two inches a year on average at the station, but an ice storm can glaze a drive. Angular stone gives better traction on a frozen surface than smooth, rounded gravel.^[4]

High PT has a median last spring freeze of March 30 and a median first fall freeze of November 5. Plant after the March date. Fall, once summer heat breaks, is the favored season for seeding cool-season lawns and for hardscape work.^[4]

Summer thunderstorms drop a lot of rain in a short time. On group C soil and slopes of 2 to 10 percent, that water moves fast and carries loose gravel, mulch and soil with it. Planning where runoff goes is the first step of any project.^[1],[4]

A drive that sheds hard rain

Strip the topsoil to firm subsoil and shape the subgrade with a slight crown. Lay woven fabric, since loam over clay softens when wet and can pump fines into a base. Then add a coarse layer of 1-1/2" Crushed Gravel or #4 Crushed Stone for strength.^[1]

Compact Road Base or Crushed Concrete over the coarse layer in thin, damp lifts. Finish with Driveway Gravel or 3/4" Crushed Stone. On sloped stretches, Asphalt Millings resist washing better than loose stone, since they knit into a firm mat.^[1]

Shallow swales along the drive, lined with #57 Crushed Stone, catch runoff before it crosses the gravel. Where swales and culverts empty, a pad of Riprap keeps the flow from digging a gully into the slope.^[1],[4]

Walk the drive after the first heavy rain of summer. Soft spots and puddles mark places where the base needs another compacted lift, and fixing them early stops a small dip from turning into a pothole.^[1],[4]

Drainage around the house

With 48.3 inches of rain a year at the station and slow-infiltration soil, water often collects against foundations. Grade the soil away from the house, and send downspouts to a splash bed of River Rock or a buried line in Drain Rock.^[1],[4]

A French drain along the uphill side of the house intercepts water moving through the topsoil. Set a perforated pipe in Drain Rock or #57 Crushed Stone, wrap it in fabric and lead it to a lower outlet. Keeping the clay under the foundation at an even moisture helps with shrink and swell.^[1]

Gutters overflow in the heaviest storms, so the ground under the eaves gets hit hard. A drip-line strip of River Rock or #57 Crushed Stone over fabric keeps soil from splashing onto siding and stops a trench from forming.^[4]

On rolling lots, a dry creek of River Rock can carry storm water across a yard and look good doing it. Line it with fabric and set larger stones at the bends where water hits hardest.^[1]

Clay subsoil also limits dry wells. A pit dug into clay fills and drains slowly, so make it wide, keep it well away from the house and fill it with clean #4 Crushed Stone.^[1]

Gardens on loam and clay

Loam is a good start for gardens, though the clay below can hold water after heavy rain. Mix Compost into beds to keep them loose, and use raised beds of Garden Soil for vegetables.^[1]

Keep beds that need frequent watering a few feet out from the foundation, since clay with moderate shrink-swell reacts to the extra moisture.^[1]

Mulch matters in this climate. Brown Shredded Mulch, Black Shredded Mulch and Red Mulch hold moisture through hot summers and protect bare soil from storm runoff. Spread a fresh layer after the March 30 median last freeze.^[4]

Topsoil fills low spots before seeding. Walkway Gravel and Stone Dust Screenings make firm, dry paths, Pea Gravel suits play areas, and Wood Chips cover woodland edges.^[1]

With the median first fall freeze on November 5 at the station, fall plantings of shrubs and trees have time to root before winter sets in.^[4]

Homes in ZIP 27260

ZIP 27260 is part of Guilford County. The Census counts 11,025 housing units in the ZIP, and 68 percent are detached single-family houses.^[5]

The median home in ZIP 27260 was built in 1973, and owners live in 42 percent of the occupied homes.^[5]

Across High Point, the Census counts 49,131 housing units, with detached houses at 63 percent. The city's median year built is 1989.^[5]

Many houses built in the early seventies still have their first driveways. Rebuilding one as a compacted gravel drive, or laying a Walkway Gravel path in place of a cracked slab, freshens a yard without new concrete.^[5]

Detached houses make up most homes in ZIP 27260, though renters occupy more than half of the occupied units, so landlords handle a good share of yard work such as drive top-ups and mulch refreshes.^[5]

NCDOT lists Aggregate Base Course in Section 520 of its Standard Specifications for Roads and Structures (January 2024) for the base under its roads.^[6]