How do you cover a pea gravel patio?

Category: home and garden landscaping
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Compared to other hardscaping materials, installing pea gravel is relatively easy. Generally, you work the soil about 6 inches deep, remove any weeds, lay down 2 inches of coarsely textured base rock (also called crushed rock), and cover that with a 3-inch-deep layer of pea gravel.



Beside this, how do you cover pea gravel?

How to Coat a Pea Gravel Patio

  1. Remove 8 inches of topsoil from the site of the patio with a shovel.
  2. Lay landscape fabric over the tamped dirt to keep the gravel foundation from sinking in the ground.
  3. Spread a 3-inch-deep layer of 3/4-inch gravel over the fabric, and tamp it.
  4. Spray a coat of hot RC-250 over the first layer of compacted gravel.

Also, how do you make a pea gravel patio? How to Build a Gravel Patio
  1. Tools and Materials.
  2. Select the Patio Space.
  3. Order and Accept Delivery of the Gravel.
  4. Level out the Ground.
  5. Build a Frame to Contain the Gravel.
  6. Secure the Landscape Fabric.
  7. Deposit the Pea Gravel in the Frame.
  8. Level and Smooth out the Pea Gravel.

Similarly, it is asked, how deep should a pea gravel patio be?

Similar to pea gravel walkways, most pea gravel patios are constructed to offer a depth of about two inches, though you may need to dig deeper if the underlying soil isn't firm enough to provide an effective foundation.

Can you put pavers over pea gravel?

While pea gravel can be used as a mulch alternative, garden border and other landscaping purposes, it is not the best choice for a patio base. If you use pea gravel beneath a patio, take a few simple steps to ensure the stability of the base before setting your surface stones, pavers or bricks.

35 Related Question Answers Found

How do I make my gravel more solid?

Level the surface of the driveway, compact the dirt, and install a weed barrier. Place a border, and you are almost good to go. At this point, you can start laying and spreading the gravel. This is the point when some experts recommend adding a little cement to make the gravel more solid.

How do you stabilize gravel?

How to Stabilize a Loose Gravel Driveway
  1. Remove organic matter from the driveway. Tree limbs, leaves and mud can end up on the driveway.
  2. Fix any drainage issues. Look carefully at your driveway after a rain.
  3. Fill potholes and other low spots. Most gravel driveways develop low spots over time.
  4. Compact the gravel.

How do you make pea gravel look wet?

Use polyurethane exterior coating to give stone a wet look. This is a type of sealant that hardens when it is dry. Apply polyurethane exterior coating by brushing it on with a paint brush or spraying it with a spray gun.

How do you keep pebbles between pavers?

It comes in earth tones, grays or blues. To install gravel between pavers, remove the grass at the same time you dig it out for the pavers and to the same depth. Install gravel on top of landscape fabric to prevent it from sinking, and with lawn edging to keep it from straying into the yard.

Can you spray paint pea gravel?


Many gardeners and homeowners choose to paint the gravel for their paths or other garden areas. Acrylic paints are often used for painting rocks because they are durable, come in a wide variety of colors and are easy to apply. Gravel can be painted to give a garden a more unique or uniform look.

Can you compact pea gravel?

Smaller rocks in pea gravel can wedge themselves in the soles of shoes, and can be transferred into a home or other areas of the yard. Because the pea gravel has a smoother, rounder surface it does not compact. Simply walking on the path will lead to dips and require repeated raking to smooth the path.

Can you seal gravel?

Yes, it requires maintenance, but most people are aware of that before they start. If you choose to seal your gravel, you may be setting yourself up from problems that you could have avoided by choosing a hard driveway such as resin bound in the first place.

Should landscape fabric go under gravel?

For all that, weed cloth does have a use: under hardscape. It may be bad under bark dust, mulch, soil, or compost but it works very well under river rock, gravel, decomposed granite, or flagstone. It certainly does help with weeds, but it also keep mud and aggregate separate during our wet winters!

How much does a pea gravel patio cost?

The general range for a cubic yard of plain pea gravel is about $30 to $35, and a ton will cost about $40 to $45. For a colored variety, expect to add an extra $20 to $50 to those prices. If you buy in bulk, or 10 or more tons at a time, you may be able to get the price down to as low as $15 to $20 per ton.

How much pea gravel do I need calculator?


Measure the length, width and depth in feet of the area to be covered. Multiply the three numbers together. Divide by 27 to get the number of cubic yards of pea gravel needed. For example, if the area is 9 feet square and the gravel is to be a foot deep, multiply 9 by 9 by 1 to get 81.

What to put under gravel to stop weeds?

Black plastic sheets form a barrier between the soil and the gravel cutting out light so kills existing weeds and stops weeds seeding and growing up through the gravel. Plastic sheeting is cheap and easy to cut to shape with a knife or scissors.

How do I stop weeds growing in my gravel?

Using salt to prevent weeds in gravel:
  1. Dilute the salt and water. You'll need roughly 1kg of salt per 2 litre of water.
  2. Add the dish soap last otherwise it will foam up when adding water. Shake or stir it.
  3. Spray you're whole gravel driveway, you may need to make a lot.

Is pea gravel good for drainage?

Since it has a smooth finish, pea gravel is also regularly used for walkways, dog runs, playgrounds, patios, and a variety of other high-traffic areas. Like crushed stone, pea gravel can also be used for underground projects, such as drainage and pipe bedding.

What is cheapest patio material?

Poured or stamped concrete ($$)
Concrete is one of the most popular patio materials and the cheapest material you can use to build a hard-surface patio. Concrete is made of aggregates and paste—concrete aggregates can be crushed stone, sand, gravel, or even shells; the paste is made up of water and cement.

Is a gravel patio a good idea?


Low cost and low maintenance, DIY-friendly pea gravel patios appeal with wonderfully non-pretentious beauty. Outdoor spaces add value, not only for resale, but in lifestyle terms as well. If you're in the process of designing a patio, the breadth of possibilities may strike you as overwhelming.

How do you build a crushed stone patio?

Crushed stone is one of the most reliable base materials you can use under a patio surface of pavers or slabs. Dig a patio base 10 inches below grade and lay a flat base of 2 inches of sand. After leveling, place sheets of erosion-reducing fabric over the sand. Place a 6-inch depth of crushed stone on the fabric.