Gravel is a go-to material for many landscape contractors. It has qualities that make it an ideal material for hardscapes, which includes paths, driveways, and patios. While there are plenty of materials which can be used for hardscapes, gravel has certain advantages to offer.
Before you decide to use gravel in your landscaping, there are a few things which you should know about it.
What You Should Know About Gravel
So, you’re thinking about using gravel for your landscaping. That’s not surprising because it is a popular material for pathways and other landscaping projects.
Three Types of Gravel
First of all, you need to know that there are different types of gravel. The main types are:
- Pea gravel
- Decomposed granite
- Crushed stone
- Machine crushed gravel
- River rocks
As its name suggests, pea gravel is about the size of peas and is slightly round in shape. It is often used for walkways and is available in various colors. The main issue with pea gravel is that it is quite easy to be carried to spaces where it shouldn’t be because it is so lightweight.
Decomposed granite is granite that comes as a mixture of tiny rocks and silt. It is ideal for use in patios. The problem with decomposed granite is that it can stick to shoes and when it gets carried inside houses and can cause scratches to furniture.
Machine crushed gravel has somewhat triangular sides. Its shape allows it to be compacted into tight spaces. Crushed stone is similar to decomposed granite although the stone isn’t crushed as fine. River rocks are available in various sizes and can be used to give a rustic feel to a landscape.
It’s important to know these details before you order river rocks or pea gravel in your area.
Installing a Weed Barrier
You shouldn’t just pour gravel onto the ground when you’re landscaping. If you do that, you can expect some problems to come up later on. One such problem is the presence of weeds. Once weeds start appearing on the landscape and there is already gravel on the ground, it can be more troublesome to redo the whole thing.
One way that you can prevent that from happening is by using a landscaping fabric to serve as a weed barrier. You can save more money by using a weed barrier in the long run.
Using Landscape Edging
It might be necessary for you to use landscape edging to keep your gravel in place. You don’t want it to spread into other sections of your yard. Edging can be made from metal, concrete, stone, and other materials and can be decorative as well.
Gravel is a popular material for landscaping and there are a lot of reasons why that’s the case. It’s a versatile material that can be used for different sections of your yard. Different types of gravel are available and you should know more about each type and which one is best suited for your project. On top of choosing which type of gravel is to use, you should be aware of the other things that you need for using gravel in your yard.
