Gravel Delivery in Washington

Gravel runs through the soil in nearly every reading. The USDA soil survey shows gravelly sandy loam at the Seattle, Tacoma and Kent center points, each classed moderately well drained. The Everett center point reads gravelly ashy sandy loam, also moderately well drained. Gravel mixed into the soil like this can be a sign of ground laid down by ice and meltwater long ago.^[1]

In the east the soil is coarser and drier. Spokane's center point reads very gravelly ashy loam, well drained. Spokane Valley's reads gravelly ashy coarse sandy loam, somewhat excessively drained, which means water passes through it fast. The word ashy in a soil name means it holds volcanic ash, a light, fine material that can turn powdery when dry.^[1]

Deposits of this kind are where much of the sand and gravel for building comes from. Glacial and flood gravel is a mix of round stones of many rock types, sorted by size in layers. Washed and screened, it gives Pea Gravel, River Rock, Drain Rock and sand. Crushed, the larger stones gain sharp faces that lock in a base.^[1]

Ground height splits the state as well. The ground at the Spokane Valley center point stands 2,010 feet above sea level, and Spokane's 1,880 feet. On the west side, Tacoma's and Kent's center points each read 380 feet, Bellevue's 220 feet, Seattle's 150 feet and Everett's 100 feet. Vancouver's center point reads 10 feet. Each value is one spot on the map, and the hills around these cities climb well above it.^[2]

The Washington State Department of Transportation names its rules for the stone layer under its roads Crushed Surfacing Base Course, Section 9-03.9(3), in its Standard Specifications for Road, Bridge, and Municipal Construction, M 41-10.^[3]

Gravelly ground helps a buyer. It drains better than clay and packs firm. On the moderately well drained west side readings, water can still sit on a dense layer below, so a drive needs a compacted base and a path for runoff. On the fast draining east side readings, the work is mostly about binding loose ground so it stays put.^[1]

Rain is the west side factor. The weather station used for Vancouver averages 42.3 inches of precipitation a year. Tacoma's station logs 40.8 inches, Everett's 40.2 inches and Kent's 40.1 inches. Bellevue's averages 37.8 inches and Seattle's 36.5 inches. Much of it can fall as long, light rain over many days, which keeps lawns soft for weeks at a time in the wet months.^[4]

A soft lawn is the main access risk there. A loaded truck can leave deep ruts in wet turf, so plan the drop for a paved driveway, a street edge or an existing gravel pad. Hillside lots in Seattle and Tacoma can be steep, and a sharp grade can limit where a dump truck can stop and tip.^[2]

Snow and cold are the east side factor. The Spokane station averages 45.4 inches of snow a year, and it counts 132 days a year at 32 F or colder. Spokane Valley's station logs 123 such days. Clear the path and the drop spot before a winter delivery, and pick a level place, since a loaded truck on an icy slope is hard to control.^[4]

West side freezes are fewer. The Vancouver station counts 66 days a year at 32 F or colder, Everett's 51 days and Kent's 39 days. Seattle's station logs 30 days, Tacoma's 27 days and Bellevue's 25 days. Snow is light: Bellevue's station averages 3.8 inches and Vancouver's 0.8 inches. A rare snow day can still close hilly streets.^[4]

Look up before the truck backs in. A dump bed rises high, and tall trees, wires and eaves can block it. Tell Gravel Valet about any narrow lane, tight turn or soft shoulder. East side yards get far less rain, with 16.4 inches a year at the Spokane station and 17.4 inches at the Spokane Valley station, so dust is the bigger nuisance there.^[4]

A west side driveway has to stay firm through the rain. On the gravelly sandy loam at the Seattle center point, strip the sod and organic soil, lay a fabric where the ground is soft, then build a compacted layer of Road Base or Crushed Concrete. Top it with Driveway Gravel or 3/4" Crushed Stone, and crown the surface so water leaves both edges.^[1]

Drainage is a constant west side job. With 40.8 inches of yearly precipitation at the Tacoma station, downspouts and low spots carry heavy flows through the wet months. A French drain of perforated pipe in Drain Rock or #57 Crushed Stone, wrapped in fabric, moves water away from a foundation. A rain garden or a swale lined with River Rock slows runoff and lets it soak in.^[4]

Garden beds and lawns use plenty of soil and mulch. Build beds with Garden Soil or Topsoil mixed with Compost, and cover them with Brown Shredded Mulch, Black Shredded Mulch or Red Mulch. Mulch keeps mud off paths and holds moisture through dry summer weeks. Wood Chips suit paths and play areas.^[1]

Many east side buyers build drives and yards that handle snow and dust. On the somewhat excessively drained gravelly ashy coarse sandy loam at the Spokane Valley center point, the ground drains well, so a drive needs less fabric. A layer of Road Base with fines that bind keeps the surface from loosening in dry weather. With 132 days a year at 32 F or colder at the Spokane station, keep fine dirt out of the base.^[1],[4]

Patios and walkways need the same care. Set pavers on compacted Road Base with a bed of Concrete Sand or Stone Dust Screenings. For a gravel walk, 3/8" Crushed Stone or Walkway Gravel packs firm and drains. Pea Gravel makes a soft path and a good bed cover. Riprap holds a cut bank on a hillside lot.^[1]

Moss and wet shade are part of west side yards. Gravel paths under tall trees stay cleaner than bark paths, because stone drains and does not break down into mud. A bed of 3/8" Crushed Stone or Pea Gravel over fabric makes a firm, quick drying path. With 36.5 inches of yearly precipitation at the Seattle station, a light crown on the path and a strip of Drain Rock at its low edge keep it from staying soggy.^[4]