Are gravel strips any good? Should you have them? Yes, definitely. It prevents the overgrowth of weeds and contributes a lot to the environment of your house. But it can be a bit tricky to lay them out if you don’t know the right way. Choosing the appropriate type of gravel compatible with your house is also important.
But how to lay gravel strip around house? You can find out all about these on the web, but that can be tiresome. Why do all the work when you can find everything you need to know about laying gravel strips in a single article? Keep reading this write-up, and by the end you will be equipped with all the knowledge you need to lay gravel strips around your house.
But before anything else, you have to be sure if you want the gravel strip around your house or not.
Should You Lay Gravel Strip Around House? Top Benefits and Some Bad Sides
If you are wondering why you should lay gravel trim around the house, then let me give you a few reasons. Check out below why landscapers prefer putting gravel around the base of the building.
It Helps With Lawn Maintenance
Having gravel strip around your house can save you the trouble of maintaining the lawn at the edge of the building. If you have experience mowing the lawn, you know how difficult it is to do the border. Gravel strip saves you from trouble. It prevents the weed from growing near your house.
Keeping your lawn in a top-notch condition requires a lot of maintenance, especially in water-scare regions like Nevada. The grasses of these regions don’t get enough natural resources to thrive. To maintain the lawn in such areas, you have to put in a lot of effort. However, you can choose not to do that by laying gravel borders. This will keep your lawn organized while reducing your hassle.
Saves Your House’s Siding From Muddy Water
If you have grass touching the side of your house, chances are it will make the wall muddy during rainy seasons. Huge drops of rainwater from the roof’s drip will splash muddy water on the siding. This makes your house look bad, and it’s quite tricky to clean. But if you have gravel strips instead of grass around the edge of your house, it will save your wall from such mishaps.
So, to reduce soil erosion during rainy seasons, lay down gravel strips all around your house.
Prevents Weeds And Pests From Destroying Your Lawn
An average American uses at least $50 for pest control. The majority of these people purchase pest control services for their lawns. If you want to do this yourself, it’s undoubtedly a hassle. Preventing the overgrowth of weeds is also another pain in the neck. You can avoid all these just by laying down gravel strips.
First of all, gravel strips don’t attract any kind of pest. So, you can be sure that your lawn will stay healthy if you get pebble beds. And, if you think about it, this can save you hundreds of dollars every year while keeping your yard looking attractive.
Prevents Excess Moisture Build-up In The Lawn
As you probably know, unlike grass, gravel strips don’t facilitate moisture build-up. In other words, your lawn foundation will not get too damp if you have pebbles lying around.
Having too much moisture also leads to the infestation of harmful termites. So, by laying gravel beds, you are keeping your lawn foundation perfectly healthy.
In addition, gravels heat up from sunlight and radiate the heat back after the sun goes out. As a result, the excess moisture evaporates from beneath the grass. This facilitates the growth of Mediterranean plants such as lavender.
Gravels Play The Role Of Natural Drainage
You see, Stack Exchange is buzzing with the discussion of gravel strip benefits.
Gravels are impressive when it comes to drainage. A perfectly laid gravel strip prevents unwanted water accumulation even during severe rainfall. As a result, your plants and grass don’t drown.
Pebbles are also effective in preventing puddles. As stones don’t absorb liquid like soil, water drains quickly from gravel strips. In other words, your lawn remains perfectly walkable even during the worst rainy seasons.
Gravel Strips Give Your House An Attractive Look
WGH says gravel strips make your house look super classy. The texture gives an attractive appearance to your house.
If your house walls are white or grey, you can use black pebbles for the gravel beds. Or you can use mixed pebbles, too if you want. This will give your house a unique look.
However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Gravel edging around the house is a good idea as long as you are willing to put up with some hassles. There are some cons of having a pebble strip on your lawn as well. Knowing about the downside of having them around your house can help you finalize the decision.
For starters, pulling out a perfectly laid gravel strip is challenging. This is a time-consuming and delicate procedure, and the cost of such an arrangement isn’t something you would call cheap.
Having a gravel strip is a curse if you have a pet running around the lawn or if your lawn is shadowed by a tree. Litters and debris can get easily clogged into these pebbles. But that’s not even the main issue. The problem is the work it takes to clean the dirty strips. You may need to clean the strip inch by inch.
If you think these issues won’t bother you, then you can lay down a gravel trim around the house without any worry.
How To Lay Gravel Strip Around House Easily
Considering the average size of gravel strip on the lawn of American houses, the cost of laying down gravel can get up to $2,000. But you won’t have to spend even half as much if you do the work by yourself.
Besides, if it’s about a gravel driveway, you should ensure if you need a permit for this or not.
The process may take up to 2 to 4 hours. It’s not much considering how much you are going to save and the attractive beauty you are adding to your home.
But before getting into the main process, collect the following tools and keep them near your reach-
Got all the equipment near your reach? Maintain the following steps to lay gravel strip in your yard-
Step 1: Create An Outline Of The Gravel Strip
You have to start by outlining the shape and path of the gravel strip you want to lay out. As you are going to put the pebbles bed around your house, do the measurements and lining properly. Take a rope, and cut it to the width you want your gravel strip to be. Now measure the area around your house with this rope and mark the line with spray paint.
After appropriately marking the area, take the spade and dig out the gravel path’s shape. Digging 4 to 5 inches deep should be enough.
Step 2: Preparing The Trench Properly
Make sure to use a square-edged spade while digging the trench. This way, the edges of the trench will be straight, and the bottom will be even. Make sure to check if the depth is okay now and then. After you are done digging, take the steel rake and smoothen out the bottom of the whole trench.
And while digging, put the extra soil on a tarp or in a bag. This will make it easier for you to remove the excess dirt.
Finally, fill the trench with a 2.5-inch layer of stone. Again, rake the surface to smoothly level it.
Step 3: Preparing The Stone Base
Now it’s time to get the stones ready for the gravel bed. Spray water on the stone with a watering can. A garden hose will do the trick too. Your goal is to dampen the rocks.
After you are done, lay the stones on the trench and put another shower of light water spray on the rocks. Now use an 8-inch hand tamper to pound the stone layer into a solid surface.
Don’t worry. As you have already dampened the stones, they will crush easily with slight pressure.
Step 4: Spread Out The Landscape Fabric
Put out another layer on the trench, this time of the landscape fabric. You can find them easily on Amazon.
Put the landscape fabric on top of the stone pack you have just laid out. Remember to put the landscape fabric with its shiny side upwards.
You may face problems with the extra fabric around the edge. For this, contour the fabric around the curves with a utility knife.
What if the fabric bunches up in the midway while laying it down? Use spikes to push them down and keep them level on the surface.
Step 5: Setup The Edgings
First, create a spreader bar to hold the edgings lined up at the ideal distance apart. For this, you just have to take a scrap wood of 2X3 and cut it into two grooves. Set the grooves spaced in a similar length to the gravel bed’s width. It’s also important to ensure the cuts are wide enough to slide into the galvanized-steel edgings smoothly.
Now, join both the edging by lining them on the inside of the trench’s edge. They are supposed to land on the landscape fabric you planted earlier.
At this point, slide in the 2X3 template you prepared a while ago. Remember, this template will go on both pieces of edging on either side of the path.
Now comes the hammering. Use a hammer and a wood block. Never hammer the steel edging directly. This destroys the protective zinc-galvanized coating of the edging, which eventually causes rust. Put the hammer on the edging and tap the edging into the ground right through the fabric. After every three taps, make sure the frames are going straightforwardly. They should not lean into the trench.
Step 6: Spread Out The Gravel
You should have your preferred gravels near your reach. Pour them out on the path and spread them all around. They should be evenly distributed on the bed. But don’t overflow the edges. The gravels must remain at least half an inch lower than the edge’s height.
Spread the gravel with the rake carefully. Make sure none of the landscape fabrics peeks through the gravel.
Finally, decorate the surrounding of the gravel path with sods and flowerbeds. This will make the pebbled strip look even more gorgeous. And remember to occasionally rearrange the gravels to maintain their attractive look. You may need to use extra gravel sometimes. So have them in stock.
This Video Might Help You To Get A Practical Idea!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Will gravel around the house help drainage?
Yes, gravel strips work great as a natural drainage system. The rocks are excellent at resisting water. Liquids can slide right through them as they are not absorbent. This is why gravel around the house can help with your house’s drainage.
Can you put gravel straight into the soil?
Yes, you can put gravel right into the soil. But for this, you have to spread the soil evenly and level the ground surface.
Is it better to put mulch or rocks around the house?
Rocks can perfectly prevent weed growth, while mulch is not so effective in this case. In addition, rocks don’t demand much maintenance. On the other hand, mulch retains lesser heat than rocks. In other words, mulch is better than rocks for a highly sunny garden.
Is sand or gravel better for drainage?
Gravels are a much more effective drainage agent compared to sand. As you already know, stones don’t absorb water. But sands absorb too quickly. This is why gravels are better when it comes to drainage.
Does gravel soak up water?
No, the gravels don’t have any capacity to soak up water. Unlike sand, gravels facilitate water to run through. Their smooth and larger surface area is the reason here.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to lay gravel strip around the house, you can start dreaming of having a dreamy home. As you can see, there’s no reason not to have a pebble bed. Well, there are a few, but none of them should be your concern unless you live in a vulnerable environment.
Though Lawn More Gainesville pointed out some cons, the advantages of having the strip are too many. So it’s recommended to have one. With a bit of effort and dedication, you can turn your dull lawn into an attractive garden. That too with the least amount of investment. Keep in mind everything mentioned in the article. That should be enough for the beautiful yard you deserve to have.
You Can Also Read:
- Do You Need A Permit For A Gravel Driveway? Know the Law!
- What is Washout Gravel? All that’s Needed for You to Know!
- What Is Considered A Small Lawn? Know and Expand Your Ideas
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Often called Jason’s “better half” Shelley excels with her hands in the dirt. Growing up on a homestead in North Carolina gave Shelley a love for work and cultivation. Early in her career she cultivated minds inside a first grade classroom. Organic gardening has long been her passion and the internet age has allowed her to make it a side hustle. Shelley’s joy is made complete by sharing gardening tips with her friends, neighbors, and two grandsons.