Using gravel as decorative covering??

chrest

Hi we are going to put black membrane down on the garden and use decorative stone/pebble etc. I think we roughly have a 20-25m2 (40-50 bags) area to cover and have looked at b&q, wickes and homebase and there bags are about £5. A bag covers 0.4m2 which would obviously cost us alot of money. However I found this gravel at b&q for 1.83 per bag, which I think looks alright for the job, but is there any reason why we shouldn't use it for decorative purposes? ie: too sandy, wouldn't do the job etc.

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=9273143&fh_view_size=150&fh_start_index=0&fh_sort_order=1&fh_sort_by=_price_rrp_min&fh_location=%2f%2fcatal!!!1%2fen_GB&fh_search=aggreviates&fh_eds=%c3%9f&fh_refview=search&ts=1238686809657&isSearch=true

Thanks

RLH33

Get on the phone to your local builder's merchant, someone like Travis Perkins, or even B&Q as some branches have a builders depot, and get some quotes for a tonne bag of gravel. You can get it in the style you want and is a hell of a lot cheaper, last time I got some it was about £30-40 a tonne, including delivery. You then just need to get as many bags as a tonne will cover, which the merchants should be able to help you with.

adandem

Hi, it may be worth trying a quarry, we managed to find one that supplies all our local garden centres etc. we paid about a third of the cost. They'll also work out what quantity you need based on the the area needed to be covered.

misgrace

chrest wrote: »

Hi we are going to put black membrane down on the garden and use decorative stone/pebble etc. I think we roughly have a 20-25m2 (40-50 bags) area to cover and have looked at b&q, wickes and homebase and there bags are about £5. A bag covers 0.4m2 which would obviously cost us alot of money. However I found this gravel at b&q for 1.83 per bag, which I think looks alright for the job, but is there any reason why we shouldn't use it for decorative purposes? ie: too sandy, wouldn't do the job etc.

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=9273143&fh_view_size=150&fh_start_index=0&fh_sort_order=1&fh_sort_by=_price_rrp_min&fh_location=%2f%2fcatal!!!1%2fen_GB&fh_search=aggreviates&fh_eds=%c3%9f&fh_refview=search&ts=1238686809657&isSearch=true

Thanks

Dont forget to put a solution of week killer in first, leave for approx 5-7 days, then put your membrane down.

olias

Whatever you do, make sure you put proper fabric weed membrane pegged down. DON't use a plastic membrane, these rip and ride up through the gravel to become visible and look bloody awful!

Olias

chrest

Thanks, I have bought proper weed membrane from wickes last week as was half price. I didn't realise I needed to put down weed killer before the membrane (thought the membrane stopped the light to the weeds and they died?), is that right?
As if i need it, i'll have to invest in some weed killer tomorrow.

olias

Personally, if you don't have weeds showing (ie just bare earth) then the membrane should be fine on it's own. If you have visible weeds growing, then kill them off first.

I didn't use weed killer when I did mine (just membrane) and in the three or four years I stayed at the house I never had one weed come through

Make sure you peg the membrane down (you can get these little plastic spikes with circular tops to do the job from DIY places. If you don't, then the membrane can lift as you rake the gravel (or if you have a dog like mine that scratches in the corners!)

Olias

misgrace

chrest wrote: »

Thanks, I have bought proper weed membrane from wickes last week as was half price. I didn't realise I needed to put down weed killer before the membrane (thought the membrane stopped the light to the weeds and they died?), is that right?
As if i need it, i'll have to invest in some weed killer tomorrow.

Hi Chrest, I'm only telling about the weedkiller as if you any weeds then its best to kill them first, plus the weedkiller goes right down into the earth, and stops any new weeds, with that and the membrane will hold back weeds for years.

My neighbour did what you are doing, I advise him the same, but no, he didnt do it, (maybe he didnt like taking advice from a mere woman):rolleyes:
He put the membrane down, spent a fortune on the stones, and Lo and behold a few months down the line, the dreaded weeds :eek:

Now I have a little chuckle when I see him out there pulling the weeds out.:D

adandem

Ours has been down a year, no weeds here.;)

Suzy_M

misgrace wrote: »

My neighbour did what you are doing, I advise him the same, but no, he didnt do it, (maybe he didnt like taking advice from a mere woman):rolleyes:

He put the membrane down, spent a fortune on the stones, and Lo and behold a few months down the line, the dreaded weeds :eek:

Do we have the same neighbour?

misgrace wrote: »

Now I have a little chuckle when I see him out there pulling the weeds out.:D

Hope you are not downwind!

Barneysmom

We got ours here
http://www.buildcenter.co.uk/index.php
I think it was £35 a ton, you'd have to find the one in your area and pop in?