Best material for landscaping around foundation?

[arz71]

I am fixin to call them on Monday to find out thinking a full dump truck load or more. Need to put some on the driveway and then will be able to cart it around with a wheel barrow.

 

[sld]

Thanks for all of the replies, I was thinking about putting some edging around the house. Found a place that has river rock most likely get a ton of it (not all at once have to use a trailer think it is 10 foot long.

On the grading, thinking I will have to move some dirt around up close by the house by hand.

Question, on the gravel up by the house what type of weed barrier did you use?

Another question, how deep does the river rock need to be around the house as well?

thanks

My rock probably averages 2-3 inches. I hate the weed barrier stuff as it never seems to last and makes a big mess down the road.

I use a product called Preen. It's a granular that prevents any germination for up to 2 months. Home Depot carries it but Walmart may be cheaper. When I put it down in the spring and water it in I will get very few weeds. Those that do survive I kill with weed / grass killer. I only have to spray the herbicide 3-4 times all year, if even that....and that is just for a few stragglers.

Also, try and keep your dirt as far below your siding even if it means more work to create the slope. Some of mine was too close and I recently had to replace some bottom boards. On the brick parts, no problem.

In some areas I used pavestone edgers and they work great. On the rock apron I have around the deck I just dug a shallow trench and the rock interfaces with the grass. This works pretty well and is very easy to mow around. If the grass is thick and healthy it will keep the rocks in place.

 

[SPIKER]

I am fixin to call them on Monday to find out thinking a full dump truck load or more. Need to put some on the driveway and then will be able to cart it around with a wheel barrow.

dont envy ya as getting those rocks INTO the wheel barrow is going to be the REAL hard part!

Be sure to have the fall of the land done and dug out ready for the rock before ordering. Lay the fabric and toss on enough rocks to hold it down... I would also maybe put down a couple layers, if ya have enough fall put down layer of plastic first to FORCE all the water away from foundation with a layer or two of fabric on top to protect the water barrier.

Mark

 

[SCOOBY14B]

I've put down about 6 tons of small river rock this year in beds and around the house.

I try to put it between 2-3" thick. I use weedblock, but NOT for weeds. I use it to keep the rocks from sinking into the ground.

 

[GLyford]

I have used the fabric but for the weeds I have, it's not much a of a barrier and it just makes it harder to weed (long rhizomes, some thick, some thin). If you don't need to worry about shrubs or other plants the thickest black plastic you can find would be better. Don't be surprised if you have to do some maintenance every 10 years or so regardless of what you use.

As for edging, there's a number of different pavers and edging stones out there these days, pick the cheapest you can stand to look at since you're going to be using a lot of them. Even simple shapes (the red and grey concrete "bricks" are about as cheap as you can get) can be interesting if you lay them in interesting ways. On edge, flat, flat with long sides together, alternating colors, herringbone, whatever. I'm not a big fan of using wood since even the pressure treated stuff doesn't seem to last very long here in contact with the ground. Even if it lasts twice as long as untreated, that's only a few years here in New England. No way would I put it on the ground against the foundation due to termites and carpenter ants. I've even had coworkers tell me I was nuts for using mulch.

 

[flusher]

I use 10 mil plastic and cover it with redwood bark. I keep about 12" of bare ground between the concrete foundation and the bark/plastic. Helps keep the termites away from the house or so they say.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I am looking to put the gravel around the foundation of the house. I am looking to buy river rock in bulk not a huge amount at first but needing some advice on how to get the area prepped before hand. What type of fabric did you use or put down on the ground, did you dig down removing soil then put down the fabric (weed barrier), then apply the gravel.

Last question, edging what is the best recommended edging it is can get pretty expensive.

Any help advice would be great, I am going to be grading the area around the house foundation as well. I think it should drop 1" per foot correct for drainage?

I have small river rock around some parts of my foundation and mulch around others. For the small river rock I have used fabric and heavy plastic, it works okay but if the sun hits bare places it will eventually rot. One thing I did try for gravel/river rock was buy the pond liner Lowes sells and cut it in strips and put the rock on it. It works great and the water will not penetrate it so it keeps the water away from the foundation. The rock is heavy enough that water will not move it but does not work well with mulch.

I used this edging Shop Oldcastle 6-Pack 3.33-ft Black Landscape Edging Section at Lowes.com and really like it. you can roll over it with the lawn mower tire and it bends and pops right back up. There is 20' per pack.

 

[arz71]

dont envy ya as getting those rocks INTO the wheel barrow is going to be the REAL hard part!

Be sure to have the fall of the land done and dug out ready for the rock before ordering. Lay the fabric and toss on enough rocks to hold it down... I would also maybe put down a couple layers, if ya have enough fall put down layer of plastic first to FORCE all the water away from foundation with a layer or two of fabric on top to protect the water barrier.

Mark

I checked around and found some river rock not to far from where we live more in Earlsboro, OK. We used to live in Arkansas so finding places or finding where to get things is a bit tougher.

Going to use the suggestion of the plastic putting it down for sure. Got to get the grading down, after a day soaker rain I cut a few trenches by hand with a shovel to let the water run off.

Guess I will get some stakes and string and start getting a birds eye view of the areas that need to be graded away. One of them is by the cellar under the house.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and help on this I will be asking some more questions for sure!

 

[arz71]

I have small river rock around some parts of my foundation and mulch around others. For the small river rock I have used fabric and heavy plastic, it works okay but if the sun hits bare places it will eventually rot. One thing I did try for gravel/river rock was buy the pond liner Lowes sells and cut it in strips and put the rock on it. It works great and the water will not penetrate it so it keeps the water away from the foundation. The rock is heavy enough that water will not move it but does not work well with mulch.

I used this edging Shop Oldcastle 6-Pack 3.33-ft Black Landscape Edging Section at Lowes.com and really like it. you can roll over it with the lawn mower tire and it bends and pops right back up. There is 20' per pack.

Liking that material, thinking of getting this done while the ground is little easier to work with by hand. Where we living at seems to get quite a bit of rain about the same as northern part of Arkansas we were living at.