Vent: My $80 gravel order was a total waste

I wanted a small path from my deck to the shed, so I ordered a cubic yard of pea gravel online. It showed up and looked fine, but after a few heavy rains, it just washed away into the mud. Turns out I completely skipped putting down a proper weed barrier and base layer first. Now I have a muddy ditch and a pile of gravel in my grass. Has anyone else had to fix a washed-out gravel path, and what did you use underneath?

3 comments

3 Comments

elliot_gibson2723d ago

I used to think gravel was just a dump and spread job until my own driveway washed out. I had to dig out six inches of mud and put down a layer of crushed stone first, the kind with sharp edges that locks together. On top of that I used a heavy duty landscape fabric, not the cheap stuff. It was a ton of work but after two years it hasn't moved an inch, even with our spring rains. That base layer is honestly the only thing that keeps it from sinking.

joel_jones23d ago

Right? Why does nobody talk about the fabric? I used the cheap stuff first and it just ripped apart in a year. Switched to the heavy duty woven kind and it's been solid ever since. That base layer is useless if the fabric fails.

jade_jenkins23d agoTop Commenter

Wait, you dug out six inches by hand?