How To Gravel a Lawn

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Pique318

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Hi,

We moved into our new house a couple of months ago and after our 2 young dogs running around the garden for the month of September, it's a mess. It doesn't seem to be drained properly and it's basically unuseable (unless we come in covered in muck!).

We want to have it graveled over so that it's weatherproof. I've worked out that it'll take about 9 m3 (105 m2 x 8.5cm deep) of gravel. We want a 'nice' coloured stone (ie. not grey!) and were quoted €550 for a 20T load of nice yellow/brown stuff...does this sound ok?

What would need to be done to the existing lawn in preparation for this? Some people say to remove the top layer of soil to the depth of the proposed gravel, others say it's not needed. I'd prefer not to as there's only a 3ft gate to access it and it's going to be a lot of work to wheelbarrow 20T of gravel in, without doing the same with the soil out !!!

Should we spray the lawn to kill the grass or just lay plastic sheeting instead?

Any tips and tricks would be most welcome....as would a price for getting someone in to do it.

Cheers,
PK.
 
Don't know the answer to your question but it took my dog less than one year to dig through big areas of plastic sheeting and reinstate the grass - albeit in patches!

Sarah
 
€550 for a load of gravel seems a bit expensive. Must be fancy stuff, perhaps chips from a river origon?? Hope that is delivered inclusive of Vat.

If I was doing it as a long term job I would definately remove 6 inches of topsoil, lay 4 inches of limestone chippings (called 2" down) and top it off with 2 inches of your chosen gravel.

Otherwise I would lay 4 to 6 inches of limestone chippings anyway, and then the gravel. Soil is a very 'plastic' material and in time can swallow the gravel, even just with pedestrian traffic. Besides without a hard layer underneath worms etc will continually cast, quickly reducing your 8.5 cm of gravel.

Without question spray grass with roundup or equivalent. You can lay typar or some such geotextile membrane which will keep gravel in place by supporting the load and preventing action by worms.

Well thats my tuppence worth
 
We went with Roadstone and found them great...they're on the Belgard Rd and are open to the public
 
How far is your garden from the road? If stone is being delivered in 1 m3 bags the deliveryman may have an hydraulic lifting arm on his truck. Or if theres a building site near by you could give the teleporter driver €20 to lift bags over wall.
 
Bear in mind your dogs may not like the gravel, it can be quite harsh on their paws.
 
Beaky - Yeah, 550 is a fair bit but it's incl of delivery & VAT. Don't think it's a river origin, but it's the colour that makes it more expensive. it's not going to look horrible when wet like the cheaper stuff available.

What you are saying about the worms, do you mean this is an issue where you don't lay the plastic 'cos that will be laid regardless.

What is this Typar stuff, is it just a thick plastic course and where would I look for it ? I'm in Donegal, by the way. How much per sq metre am I looking at?

Thanks again.
PK
 
Yea worms could be an issue without plastic. Typar is made by DuPont. It is a thermally bonded polypropylene goetextile. Used in road and drainage projects. May be overkill if only pedestrian traffic as I guess the cost could be €2.5 per metre.

My main point is that a good layer of compacted 2" down will do a better job than the plastic which will offer no resistance to your gravel. And the best job will be if you remove topsoil. If it is not drained well, why will the soil be any better when asked to carry 20 tonnes of gravel as well as the dogs. Do you see what I mean?
 
What would need to be done to the existing lawn in preparation for this? Some people say to remove the top layer of soil to the depth of the proposed gravel, others say it's not needed. I'd prefer not to as there's only a 3ft gate to access it and it's going to be a lot of work to wheelbarrow 20T of gravel in, without doing the same with the soil out !!!

- best to dig so that pebble is the same level

Should we spray the lawn to kill the grass or just lay plastic sheeting instead

- not necessary to spray lawn as blocking of light will solve that

quoted €550 for a 20T load of nice yellow/brown stuff...does this sound ok?
- price ok depends on the name and 'exact colour - but thats not bad

- you need 'mypex' a semi-permiable membrane to put beneath
- make sure to tuck it in at the edges
- or use some same colour rocks/ stones to hold it down at the joins, corners etc - the pebble will do the rest

best of luck
oirish
 
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