Living on Gravel Roads vs. Paved Roads

[CateP]

Any opinions on living on a gravel road versus a paved road? (year-round) I have seen a few house listings that are on gravel roads and I'm thinking dust, dents and mud. Am I wrong?

[PapaDon]

I lived on a gravel road during the two years I worked in Maine. No problems with dents, not too much dust, but definitely mud was a problem. Of course, meeting a car coming the other way was interesting, as we were both back and forth trying to avoid the bumps and potholes. On the other hand, nobody went speeding by, as the bumps and potholes kept speed to something just more than a crawl.

[Belmont Resident]

As long as the town has a decent schedule for maintaining it then it isn’t a problem.
I’d check and see if it is done as needed or say once a year. As needed is better because when you call to complain they will usually at least come look and determine if grading is needed.
On the other hand you’ll NEVER have a clean car. When its wet your car has road spray no matter how slow you go. When it’s dry you have dust from yours and all your neighbors’ cars getting in and on it.

[wifi]

Lived on a dirt road most of my life. My house it 300 feet from it, so no dust problems, the road is well maintained, so only seasonal pot holes. On black ice days, I don't notice any until I hit the pavement, then the problems begin. As a previous poster mentioned, dirt roads are sort of self limiting on speed

[Slickcraft]

We have lived on gravel as well as paved. We have a slight preference for gravel but each situation is unique is some ways.

Dead end gravel roads have less and slower traffic and usually less dust issues. Also usually good for walking.

Maintenance varies greatly by town. Some towns are very good and some horrible.

Horse people normally like gravel roads. Bikers maybe not so much.

Mud season can be an issue but it is really road specific. Some gravel roads are well designed as to drainage and the mud problems are minor. Some are horrible for a few weeks (Sanborton) and you really need 4WD.

[CateP]

Does anybody care to comment on how well Alton does on maintaining gravel roads? Should I call the town office and ask?

[NoRegrets]

My mother (dad pased away last year) lives at the end of a 1/2 mile single lane dirt road. There are no problems except during the spring thaw when frost is still in the ground and the top foot is melted. It only lasts for a few days and is known as mud season. Only all wheel drive vehicles make it with certainty through some of the ruts. They have been there for years. The town plows and sands appropriately for the winter season.

[Misty Blue]

Cate:

We live on a gravel road that is private. We pay to maintain it and at about 1/2 mile we pay about $1200 per year for grading and adding gravel. One good thing that we did was to pave our driveway. Before that with the dirt road and dirt driveway the house was a mess from people, kids and pets tracking it in. Just some thoughts.

Misty Blue

[SAMIAM]

I'd stay away from dirt/gravel roads. Not only does your car stay dusty but also your house if the wind carries that way. Also, roads that aren't paved are usually muddy in the spring, harder to plow in the winter, prone to washouts and not much fun to ride your bike on.
Lived on a dirt road for many years....never again.

[Rattlesnake Guy]

We are quite familiar with a dirt road in Alton for about 8 years. It has a fair amount of traffic on it and I would give it a B+. The town seems to do an annual grading. One of the things that happens on dirt roads is that you get a washboard effect when the tires get into a pattern that keeps getting worse. Hole bump, hole bump etc. Once this pattern starts, it seems to continue getting worse as the sine wave increases in height. Depending on the soil, the road can get pretty hard waiting for the grader to come by and redistribute the top 3 inches.

There is a huge difference between a well draining gravel road and a poor draining dirt road with lots of clay. If you look at the road on a day like today where it has rained for a few and just been through a weekend, the amount of ruts if any would be a great indicator of how good a particular dirt road is. (2nd to a rain storm in Feb when the ground is frozen under the dirt)

We are in Alton today, if you want a picture of a particular road just PM me.

[Happy Gourmand]

Did it once..never again. Besides the dust and mud when it rains...and especially the mud and ruts in the spring, your car will have the living begeezes beat out of it...tires....additional wheel alignments...increased and more frequent maintenance like oil and filter changes,,,and not least of all, an always dirty and dusty vehicle inside and out. I don't even want to mention the always dusty house interior...and exterior. We lasted less than 4 years in that house even though we had it built for us. We loved the house, but absolutely hated everything that living on a dirt road brought with it.

[Lakepilot]

We're in Wolfeboro and for the last 10 years or so our private road has been paved. Prior to that it was gravel. When it was gravel we didn't have major issues with dust possibly since we "oiled" the road. The road was tough during mud season though. I prefer paved roads, but gravel is doable.

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by CateP

Does anybody care to comment on how well Alton does on maintaining gravel roads? Should I call the town office and ask?

While I may be a little biased, Alton does a pretty good job. The most common complaint is summer dust as budget constraints limit the amount of dust control chemical that is spread.
If you are considering a specific road, call the highway dept and ask about it.
http://alton.nh.gov/Highway.asp

[CateP]

Well I hit the jack pot with the Alton Highway dept. Turns out the secretary lives on the road in question. How cool is that??
I asked a ton of questions and now have a much better idea about the area and the road. She said it is "ledge pack" and was rebuilt in 2009. Lots of drainage. Little dust. None of those ripples. The residents had a chance to get the road paved, but they voted it down because they wanted to keep the speed down and the country feel.

Hey I figure if the secretary of the highway dept lives on the road, that road WILL be maintained...doncha think?

Anyway, great conversation with yet another wonderful lakes region resident.

(Is it something in the water that makes everyone seem so nice and happy?)

[RLW]

I was going to say that I live on a dirt road in Alton and that Ken does a great job keeping up with it all year long considering that Alton has a lot of town dirt roads to take care of. You called the right person and you got all your answers right from the horses mouth so to speak

[MAXUM]

Every time I've ever considered the purchase of a piece of property I always have re-sale going through the back of my head. Think of it this way there is never a reason to second guess or explain living on a paved road, dirt, well that may only appeal to a certain audience therefore limiting potential buyers. It's like the location there are some things you have no way to change once you're bought in.

Bottom line, for me personally I'd prefer not to be on a dirt road but it wouldn't kill me either way - however I would never buy on a dirt road for the reason stated above. Resale value.

Just something to think about!

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by CateP

Well I hit the jack pot with the Alton Highway dept. Turns out the secretary lives on the road in question. How cool is that??
I asked a ton of questions and now have a much better idea about the area and the road. She said it is "ledge pack" and was rebuilt in 2009. Lots of drainage. Little dust. None of those ripples. The residents had a chance to get the road paved, but they voted it down because they wanted to keep the speed down and the country feel.

Hey I figure if the secretary of the highway dept lives on the road, that road WILL be maintained...doncha think?

Anyway, great conversation with yet another wonderful lakes region resident.

(Is it something in the water that makes everyone seem so nice and happy?)

I thought that you might have been considering that road, close to Wolfeboro but low Alton taxes, and yes I knew that she lived on the road. The drainage was completely redone with a closed system in the steep parts. The ledge pack is almost as hard as pavement, used on a lot of "gravel" roads in Vermont. Anyway, the gravel road under consideration is probably one of the best in NH.

[CateP]

Originally Posted by MAXUM

Every time I've ever considered the purchase of a piece of property I always have re-sale going through the back of my head. Think of it this way there is never a reason to second guess or explain living on a paved road, dirt, well that may only appeal to a certain audience therefore limiting potential buyers. It's like the location there are some things you have no way to change once you're bought in.

Just something to think about!

Re-sale is definitely on my mind these days as I am trying to sell my current house so I can buy the next one.

[MAXUM]

I know the feeling, it's amazing to get feed back as to what turns off potential buyers. When I sold my first house (one that both my wife and I built) we spent a lot of time really putting thought into everything we did knowing that the house was not going to be the last place we ever lived. We were looking to make the house pleasant and in some ways a little unique. Well come the time we put it on the market and I was pretty surprised at what we heard back from buyers. We heard complaints from the landscaping to the carpet color. So it goes to show you how important the little things are. Eventually the right buyer comes along and just has to have the house and it sells, but the process can be frustrating at times.

[TheProfessor]

Originally Posted by CateP

Any opinions on living on a gravel road versus a paved road? (year-round) I have seen a few house listings that are on gravel roads and I'm thinking dust, dents and mud. Am I wrong?

Best to check if this is a private road.

Best to check what class of road this is.

Best to review your thoughts if you ever plan to sell this home.

Best to check for hills and such. Dirt roads act differetly in winter. Ice build up and frost. Is there more salt used or less salt used on dirt roads? Rusting automobile might be an issue if more salt is used.

The dust has already been mentioned.

[Belmont Resident]

Definitely take into consideration if there is any incline on the road or the driveway. Also take into consideration if the area is a low or no salt area. In Gilmanton off a now paved road we see many people who have to park their cars at the bottom of their driveway and walk up to their house. Some all winter long. Yes many are on the market and some even have paved driveways. Problem is the developer and town allowed them to be built with grades that make them inaccessible at times.
Also the point about excessive wear and tear on you car or trucks. Alignments that are normally a once a year thing could become a twice a year thing if the road is not properly maintained.
Oh and don’t ask the town, they will always tell you it is properly maintained, ask the people living on the road how well the town does.
Some dirt roads in some towns are very well maintained but you will find the majority will be maintained only when complaints are made especially in these times of budget crunching. I spend good deal of time driving around the area so I’m not just referring to one particular street that I live on.
Good luck in your search for a new home.

[MarkinNH]

I live on a dirt road and I travel more dirt roads in the course of a work week then I do paved roads. Yes my truck tends to get dusty / dirtier quicker, there is this really neat concept, it's called "soap & water". I haven't had to do an alignment on Any vehicle I have owned in probably 20 years. My tires wear great (keep rotated and check the pressure) and I am always told that the vehicle doesn't require one at this time. I have no excessive wear and tear on front end parts beyond normal use and mileage.
As far as winter travel on dirt road hills, I have seen more cars and trucks slipping and sliding on the hill in meredith by the high school then I have on dirt roads. This is New England people, adverse road travel is a regular occurance in winter and spring, irrelevent of the road surface. Personally, I would not own a vehicle if it weren't "4 wheel drive" or "all wheel drive"
If your going to let the type of road surface dictate where you might choose buy a house, to live and make a new home for yourself and your dogs you may well be closing yourself off from alot of wonderful properties and locations.

[hilltopper]

Originally Posted by MarkinNH

I live on a dirt road and I travel more dirt roads in the course of a work week then I do paved roads. Yes my truck tends to get dusty / dirtier quicker, there is this really neat concept, it's called "soap & water". I haven't had to do an alignment on Any vehicle I have owned in probably 20 years. My tires wear great (keep rotated and check the pressure) and I am always told that the vehicle doesn't require one at this time. I have no excessive wear and tear on front end parts beyond normal use and mileage.
As far as winter travel on dirt road hills, I have seen more cars and trucks slipping and sliding on the hill in meredith by the high school then I have on dirt roads. This is New England people, adverse road travel is a regular occurance in winter and spring, irrelevent of the road surface. Personally, I would not own a vehicle if it weren't "4 wheel drive" or "all wheel drive"
If your going to let the type of road surface dictate where you might choose buy a house, to live and make a new home for yourself and your dogs you may well be closing yourself off from alot of wonderful properties and locations.

I also live on a dirt road (town, not private) and I agree with everything Mark said. Granted, I only live a half mile down the dirt road, but dirty cars and a 3 to 4 day mud season are the only drawbacks. As far as living on a dirt road affecting resale value, I don't agree. There may be a small group of potential home buyers turned off by the idea of living on a dirt road but I don't believe it devalues a property. I and a lot of people I know really wouldn't think twice about dirt or paved roads when searching for a home. When purchasing a home there are far too many aspects to consider which are much more important than dirt vs. paved.

[NH_boater]

Our vacation home is on a dirt road in Alton. It is well maintained, graded and no problems with dust or mud. We did our driveway with asphalt regrind (due to drainage ruts) when we put in a new septic system and this driveway system works great and was quite inexpensive.

I might reconsider if I had to drive many miles on it but don't mind it at all. I do think it slows traffic down a bit.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by CateP

The residents had a chance to get the road paved, but they voted it down because they wanted to keep the speed down and the country feel.

I've got both "paved" and "gravel" on a private road, and "gravel" wins. The other eleven residents on my road maintain the "gravel" part year-round, and have properties with a collective value of about $18,000,000. What do you bet that the "paved" part—which is breaking up—is returned to gravel?

Except for those driving other-people's-vehicles , traffic is "tamed", and noisy bikers don't want their chrome dusty.

If your lot is dense with trees, any dust tends to settle-out on their leaves: our vehicles have an awful look, but it's because they're covered in pollen!

A neighbor's private road was a dirt road, then a new neighbor moved in with a Ferrari, and convinced his neighbors that the road just had to be paved.

But I'd take a look at the paving on Winnipesaukee Drive near the Alton/Wolfeboro line before paving! (Big permanent bumps! ).

Originally Posted by CateP

(Is it something in the water that makes everyone seem so nice and happy?)

It's the granite.

You can buy the "granite dust" saved from granite engravers to spread on your garden!

[Piston]

Just to add to what people have already said about the Alton roads, I find the road my grandfather lives on to be exceptionally well maintained. It is a dead end gravel road with a fairly decent incline going up, so it's very prone to the washboard effect. As Rattlesnake Guy said, once that starts, it gets exponentially worse.
I was speaking with Ken (Alton Road Agent) a couple weeks ago and I believe he told me there was 6 miles of gravel roads in the town. I'm not sure how other towns compare but to me it seems Alton is above average as far as maintaining the roads.
The nice thing about gravel roads, is once they do get heaved up and rutted and banged around from bad winters, a quick scrape from the road grader turns the road back into great shape. Try that with a paved road, I know many paved roads in Alton that were beat up quite a bit from the past winter and it will take a while for them to get fixed.
I have to admit the road my grandfather's house is on sees very little traffic and I think that contributes to the condition. It honestly is better than paved roads for most of the year. In the winter it seems better as it doesn't seem as 'slippery' in adverse conditions.
I would certainly not hesitate to live on a gravel road in Alton, they keep them very well maintained. In fact, I will be moving up onto the same road I'm speaking of within the next couple years and am looking forward to being on a gravel road.
I also wouldn't worry about any vehicle issues unless your the type to be heavy on the foot over rough terrain.

Gravel vs. dirt there can be a big difference. No mud issues on a well drained gravel road but before his road was redone many years back, it was all regular dirt, you couldn't get up it in the spring time. Those years are gone though!

[Kamper]

"doncha think" I would agree unless her staff gets in a spat with the road crews!

My experience with dirt roads is the ones that are raised above the level of the edges will have better drainage and are less likely to get washed out.

[nj2nh]

Echo Point Road used to be a gravel road. My brother, in his youth, called it the Big Bumpy. I think that says it all. We were very happy when it finally got paved in the late 1970's.

[BroadHopper]

In Gilford was a dirt road until recently. My family and others never had a problem other than the annual spring melt. Up until the '70's the road was not plowed for the winter and snowmobiles was the mode of travel.
In the 90's when the macmansion owners became 'dominant', the road is paved. Bringing even more macmansion owners. The neighborhood will never be the same closed knit group with block parties almost every weekend. I vote for to keep dirt roads.