The Pea Gravel Mistake To Avoid In Winter (And What To Do Instead)

As satisfying as it may be to watch snowflakes fall and cover everywhere in a cozy white blanket, the fun ends when you have to think up ways to get rid of the resulting snow buildup. Thankfully, there are many simple ways to make driveway snow removal easier, whether with salt, a shovel, or something more heavy-duty like a snowplow. But if you have a pea gravel driveway, using snow plows to clear snow would be a mistake. 

You see, the smooth rounded stones that make your pea gravel driveway so appealing are also why using a snow plow isn't a good idea. These stones can easily shift and scatter, so when plowing over them, you risk displacing the gravel with the snow. You might not notice the effects during winter but when the snow melts, you're bound to have patches with either too much or too little gravel. You're also at risk of damaging your plow's edge due to excessive contact with the gravel.

When dealing with snow on your pea gravel driveway, the best thing to do is to leave about an inch of snow. The major reason why snow needs to be removed in the first place is because of loss of traction on your tires. But gravel offers a lot of traction, especially in the colder season, and one inch of snow wouldn't do much to reduce that. However, that inch will prevent stone displacement and also protect whatever tool you're using to remove snow.

When it's time for removal, you can choose to use a snow blower, regular shovel, or leaf blower. Snowblowers are one of the best ways to remove snow from your driveway. A good approach is to get an adjustable skid shoe attachment. This will raise the height of the blower's scraper bar and keep the blower from displacing your gravel. It also protects your machine because, without the skid shoes, your blower can pass the gravel through its chute, possibly damaging it. 

For light snowfall, you can use a leaf blower too. Leaf blowers produce controlled gusts of air that can easily remove any light dusting of fresh snow over your driveway without affecting the pea gravel. Unfortunately, this wouldn't work for old, icy snow.

A regular shovel can also work. They aren't designed with a curve like snow shovels, so they wouldn't dig into the snow and displace the gravel. Instead, you'll be able to remove the snow in layers until you have about an inch left. This method would require some elbow grease, though. For stress-free snow removal, you can try the brilliant tarp hack that saves you from shoveling snow entirely.