Is gravel a pain?

[iarebaboon]

we need to create a path across a lawn to our front door. We're going to have to do it ourselves and as cheap as possible

We thought gravel would be easiest / cheapest but does gravel get caught in your pram wheels and shoe treads and tracked all through the house, or do you have to keep sweeping up bits that have escaped?

Also it's quite noisy isn't it, does this bother you?

Odd question I know but it's been bothering me

[Bugsy2]

Don't go for the small pea shingle type gravel as it disperses very quickly & cats think it is kitty litter.

[Gonzo33]

Agree with Bugsy. I hate gravel with a passion though

[marge2]

Also no good with trees around. The leaves get into it and it turns into mud.

[HelloSweetie]

if it has proper edges would imagine it would keep the gravel more contained. and big chunks better than small ones.

[OneHandFlapping]

I love our gravel. It's not a path, but the whole front drive. It's easy to weed, doesn't get caught in shoe treads particularly, we could drag a pushchair over it, but not push one (when DCs were smaller).

A quick rake every now and again gets rid of leaves, and it hasn't deteriorated in 15 years, whereas the neighbours' 7 year old block drive is looking decidedly uneven now - and was probably a lot more expensive.

[CointreauVersial]

Go for bigger stones, not gravel, and sink it will below lawn level, or you will be picking stones off the grass for ever. Lawns and gravel do not mix!

Ditto the kitty litter problem. My DSis spent a fortune having her courtyard garden gravelled and couldn't use it after that as every cat from miles around crapped in it.

But surely the easiest/cheapest will be to sink a row of paving slabs into the lawn? Dig each one well down so it won't interfere with the mower.

[iarebaboon]

hmmm kind of backs up what i was thinking

we have got stepping stones across the lawn at the moment, i know you mean a continuous line CointreauVersial, but i want the path curved

we would dig out a trench, edge it and i guess line with some membrane to stop the weeds

but still have concerns about all the things mentioned here

[Pagwatch]

We have gravel everywhere. But no cat shit. I think the dogs kill them.
I also enjoy when it sneaks on to the lawn and dh mows it and shreds his legs.
Great stuff

[bigTillyMint]

And don't forget young children throwing / kicking the gravel.....

[iarebaboon]

Perhaps gravel is a no go then

We may have to teach ourselve how to do paving by watching YouTube or something

[CointreauVersial]

You can do a curved path with paving stones if you leave gaps between them.

[TapselteerieO]

If you are feeling confident you could make your own concrete slabs, my SIL did it, they looked like real stone slabs because she coloured the concrete and polished it (was for inside, she made her own moulds to create an authentic shape, was very impressive, but she is very creative/does a lot of furniture building etc.).

[HelloSweetie]

paving must be fairly easy. DH has done some and created flat things for putting sheds on and stuff.

[SilkandSteel]

How about crushed slate instead of gravel? I have found that it is heavier so doesn't stray as easily into unwanted areas.

[HouseOfBamboo]

Gravel is the work of the devil - unless you keep it down a 6 foot pit with a lid on then it WILL creep out from its bounds and get everywhere.

And it's positively dangerous if allowed to creep onto pavements - DD went head first over her scooter when an 'escaped' gravel stone got caught in its wheels.

Paving stones much better for across a lawn.

[Ponders]

if you do loose stones (of any kind) you must have edging AND - most important - that membrane that lets water through, & stops weeds growing, underneath

we have smallish stones (not gravel as such, just small pebbles) without the membrane; the weeds get worse every year, and the stones have gradually sunk into the dirt underneath