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gravel path

13 years ago
How do you clear the leaves from the path without blowing gravel everywhere? I had crushed granite between flagstone and it didn't mix with my large oak trees that shed tons of leaves. Broom or blower made a mess of the gravel. I love the more natural look though so would like suggestions for an alternative. Thank you.
North Arlington Residence · More Info

Comments (13)

  • 13 years ago
    try a vacumm. It might not work depending on strength of suction and weight or size of rock but this works for a river stone flower bed.
  • 12 years ago
    would it be possible to make a sidewalk out of the pea gravel to keep it neat and tidy without sacrificing the look?
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    There are a few questions that I need to ask first. Is this a public sidewalk? Will there be lots of pedestrians?
    The trick is to install gravel on a compacted sub base.
    Pea gravel should not feel like you are walking in sand. I only recommend a 1/2 " as top coat. This means you need to add gravel about once a year until its properly compacted.
    It's also good to rake it to keep it neat and contain it with some type of edging.
    Hope this is helpful.
  • 12 years ago
    It would be on private property, and with wild animals and children, figure heavy traffic. Let me rephrase the question. Would it be possible to use pea gravel in combination with concrete, or mortar to give the natural look of a pea gravel path? By the way, I admire your work. I was again studying some of the photos shared on here. I have been studying my new property and trying to figure out how I will landscape it. Some of my challenges, a corner lot, wrapped by a public sidewalk, a slope into a small stream. This summer I will be digging up lots of ivy and juniper, but for now I am enjoying the research aspect of it all and was ultimately inspired by your work. Thanks for the tip of the compacted sub base and wonder if over time that would help to solidify it some more.
  • 12 years ago
    I would give it a try (on a compacted sub base with a nice edging, as recommended) before solidifying the gravel. You might find that it works well. We did. Plus, it's so much more attractive. You can always solidify it later if it doesn't work. :)
  • 12 years ago
    You can mix pea gravel with epoxy resin and float it like concrete. I've personally seen it used as a decorative element that received some traffic [and held up well] but I've never seen it done on a high-traffic area. Regardless, it is done for everything from sidewalks to driveways these days.

    If you were going to install a path like this.. you'll definitely want a good base to support it. I've seen this applied over concrete patios on the home shows. If the base wasn't uniformly supportive, it'll split.

    One thing I didn't like about the installations I've seen.. the epoxy has been very glossy. You loose the natural look of the gravel.

    Upside.. it's water permeable. Water will drain through it so you don't have run-off concerns. It's better for deep roots like trees too.

    You'll need to buy LOTs of 2-part epoxy for this. [gallons] The epoxy is typically mixed in a 5Gal bucket or cement mixer with the pea gravel. Epoxy isn't particularly cheap when you need more than a few ounces.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    It all depends on the look you like... I prefer natural ( or the more natural the look the better).
  • 12 years ago
    Love this look-would love to see it in our backyard
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    Not difficult to do...give it a try:)
  • PRO
    10 years ago

    Looks like something you'd see in a calendar :)

  • 10 years ago
    I recently visited Appomattox court house in Virginia. They have gravel paths that are very stable. They said they are top coated with something and I didn't get the name. If you call the national parks service there I'm sure they could help. They are very natural looking.