Photo: Tim Douglas

What can I put under my deck to keep it dry?

However, decks can also be susceptible to damage from moisture and insects. One way to protect and improve your deck is to install a gravel bed under it. Gravel helps with drainage, prevents moisture from building up under the deck, and can deter weeds from growing under the deck.

siteprep.com - The Complete Guide to Adding Gravel Under a Deck - Site Prep

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Planning for gravel under your deck

There are several ways to go about laying gravel under a deck. The method you choose, however, will depend on a few key considerations:

Pre-construction vs post-construction

It’s much easier to add gravel under your deck before it’s built, especially if your deck is close to the ground! If your deck is not constructed yet, you can add gravel under the deck area but leave spaces for the footers. Fill in these spots after the footers are installed and the deck frame is built, but before the deck boards are in place. If you’re deck is already constructed and is lower than shoulder height from the ground, you’ll need to plan for getting the gravel under your deck. Besides shoveling gravel under the deck by hand, one idea is to use a sled with a rope to drag stone under a low deck.

High vs low decks

As mentioned above, the higher your deck is, the easier it is to add gravel under it. Plus, the area under high decks can be used for storage space or even for a gravel patio area. Consider whether the area under your deck could be used in some way. If so, it will affect what type of gravel you use under your deck, as well as how you install it.

Leveling gravel under a deck vs spreading gravel “on-grade”

The simplest way to add gravel under your deck is to spread it “on-grade”, meaning you don’t level the area before adding gravel. This method is much faster but leaves a higher risk of gravel washing out over time. The more sloped the area under your deck is, the higher the risk of washouts if the gravel is spread “on-grade”. Under high decks, leveling the ground before installing gravel is a great way to create more usable space under the deck. We recommend installing a treated lumber perimeter under the deck around the area where the gravel will be installed. This perimeter not only keeps the gravel contained but can also be used as a sort of retaining wall to level the area under the deck.

To level the area under your deck, you have three choices:

Build up to level

In this scenario, the perimeter functions as a retaining wall to raise the low side of the area to the same height as the high side. This is the easiest method in most cases.

Dig out to level

With this method, the high side of the area is dug down to the same level as the low side. In this case, the perimeter functions as a retaining wall to support ground outside the dug-out area.

Combination

It’s also possible to dig out the high side and build up the low side for a final grade between the two extremes. The choice between these options really comes down to whether you want the finished gravel area to match the highest or the lowest area under your deck. It’s also possible to use a combination of the two methods if you want the finished gravel area to fall between the highest and lowest points.

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What is the cheapest retaining wall to build?

The cheapest type of retaining wall is poured concrete. Prices start at $4.30 per square foot for poured concrete, $5.65 for interlocking concrete block, $6.15 for pressure-treated pine, and about $11 for stone. Installation or supplies, such as drainage stone or filter fabric, are not included.

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Nature’s uneven terrain has its charm until you try to play croquet on a hilly lawn or enjoy a candlelit dinner on an off-kilter patio.

What Can I Do With a Sloped Backyard?

Install a retaining wall for a sloped backyard and you can carve out functional outdoor spaces where once there were only precarious slopes. To help you, we asked our experts for their inexpensive retaining wall ideas so you can choose which sturdy and stylish structure for leveling your landscape.

What Is the Cheapest Type of Retaining Wall?

4 Retaining Wall Ideas

1. Terrace the Backyard

2. Carve Out a Patio

3. Transition to the Sidewalk

4. Create a Driveway

Reader Clifford Parker of Jamestown, California, raised the grade in his yard and built a hybrid stone-and-timber wall to hold up the outer edge of a new gravel drive.