DIY Builds
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What type of gravel is used for foundation?

Construction gravel, which comes from crushed limestone, is utilized to make a solid foundation. Whether you are making a driveway, patio or walkway in your own backyard, a gravel is a perfect choice.

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How long does a Keter shed last?
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Are shed plans easy to follow?
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These are! They guide you every step of the way to complete your dream shed.

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Types of Gravel Used in Construction

Construction gravel, which comes from crushed limestone, is utilized to make a solid foundation. Whether you are making a driveway, patio or walkway in your own backyard, a gravel is a perfect choice. Bigger rocks are dug in a quarry and crushed into smaller pieces. The outcomes – construction level – is categorized by coarseness and size. Picking the right kind of gravel to utilize as the foundation for your project means examining the size and climate of construction, and taking into consideration what will be lying atop of the pavers once the project is done.

QUARRY ROCKS AND RECYCLED CONCRETE GRAVEL

You can consider using recycled gravel and salvaged quarry rocks on your pavers. Did you know that recycled gravel is made by crushing salvaged and used-up concrete? It also comes in different sizes like coarse, medium and fine as common types of gravel. In case you didn’t know yet, quarry rocks are the left over from inland quarry jobs. Both of such options help restore limestone rock, from which the commercial gravel is derived, and both of them come at a cheaper cost compared to new gravel. Further, both are sustainable resources for paver foundation material.

COARSE GRAVEL

When your driveway sees much traffic or maybe holds more than one vehicle at a time, you can consider utilizing coarse or big gravel to support the pavers. On the other hand, if you have a poorly draining soil or clay or your yard sees a lot of runoff and rainwater, you can consider using this type of gravel beneath your construction. Coarse gravel is the biggest type of gravel and feature optimum drainage and could support the heftiest of loads.

MEDIUM GRAVEL

On the other hand, medium gravel is the type of gravel that is go-to for the majority of pavers. It pacts tightly however not as tightly as fine gravel and leaves enough space for water to drain through. Perfect for regular and loamy soil with enough amount of drainage, this type of gravel utilized in construction is middle-of-the-road when it comes to supporting and drainage. Moreover, a layer of medium gravel, which is around 6 to 8 inches thick has the ability to support to the heaviness of the majority of cars; however is also appropriate to lighter use like heavy foot furniture and traffic.

FINE GRAVEL

Last but not the least, fine gravel has a texture of slightly coarser compared to sand and compacts to a solid surface. Due to its gravel compacts so firmly, it does not enable for enough drainage and must be utilized where water collection isn’t a concern, such as whenever using pavers to create the floor or covered enclosure or patio, or where the temperatures hardly drop below freezing. Besides, fine gravel could stand up to the heaviness of large foot traffic and furniture but shouldn’t be utilized for many heavy-duty applications like driveways. For well-draining or sandy soil, fine gravel stops drainage, while water can cause your pavers on top to break or buckle.

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Should I put tarp under gravel?

Landscape Fabric. Putting a tarp or some other form of heavy plastic sheeting under the gravel instead of landscape fabric can be an appealing alternative in some cases. It may be less costly than high-end fabric, for example, and the plastic can be found in relatively large sizes.

Landscape fabric serves a few key purposes under rock landscaping. First, and most importantly, it keeps your rocks and their supporting sand or gravel from sinking into the soil under their own weight. The fabric also helps stabilize the soil and reduce erosion, a key consideration in areas where it rains frequently. Landscape fabric is also used to help deter weeds, and it's often advertised as "weed-control fabric." That's a bit misleading because it only provides truly weed-free ground for a year or two. After that, organic material begins to build up between the rocks, weed seeds blow in and weeds begin to grow again. They can be even harder to eliminate because their roots eventually become entangled in the fabric. Also, all but the best and highest-cost landscape fabric breaks down after a few years, allowing weeds to begin growing up through the old barrier again.

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