Pea Gravel Installation Prep

Submitted by cdog77777blue t3_11av9ad in DIY

Hi all I was looking for some advice on installing pea gravel in my backyard. I recently got a town home and it has a very small fenced in backyard that is 16 ft by 6.5 ft. Ive been doing some research on what to put down back there that looks decent and works well for my dog. It seems like pea gravel fits me the most but I need help figuring out how best to install it.

Ive read that by simply using a weed block paper you can put the pea gravel right on top but the paper can rip easily and let weeds back through. The other options Ive read is either geotextile paper or larger rocks that should be placed beneath the pea gravel.

I don’t know if I should spend all of the time to dig 5 inches down to fill in these larger rocks considering the backyard area is so small. It wont have heavy foot traffic or anything that would cause the weed blocking paper to rip. I also don’t want to spend large amounts of money on geotextile paper if its not needed. Please let me know your thoughts as the only things Ive heard against weed block paper don’t really bother me but I don’t want to make a mistake that ill regret a few months down.

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Boredbarista t1_j9uvuwk wrote

Pea gravel sucks to walk in. I would rather do bark chips over fabric with some small-medium sized shrubs.

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biggerken t1_j9v4w6e wrote

Having had both pea gravel and wood mulch for area where dog does it’s business, I would do wood mulch. Found it easier to cleanup, and hides the mess better if you can’t clean up regularly. The base is the same idea though. A layer of weed barrier, and then 4-6 inches of mulch worked for me. Any weeds that do come up pull pretty easy.

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cdog77777blue OP t1_j9vbypd wrote

Ive never been a fan of mulch because of how sharp it can be.

Edit: (just having to walk on it barefoot and I kindof wanted pea gravel for my dog. If you think they both feel the same for a dog maybe Ill go mulch as Ill never really be out there barefoot myself.)

Personally I got a small trash can and a small hose and my goal is to always pick up and spray the spots where the dog goes to the bathroom. Is your only issue with pea gravel the cleanup or do you also hate how it is to walk on? Also you mentioned 4-6 inches of mulch would you say id need that much for pea gravel if I went down that route?

Double Edit: (I was thinking Id like the look of pea gravel more and was going to try and make the area look nice with a little fire pit and some potted plants. If I didnt care about the look I probably wouldnt be pushing so hard for little rocks lol)

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biggerken t1_j9w2kwo wrote

Sounds good, pea gravel will work.

I don’t think I would bother digging down to put a base of larger rocks. Seems like a lot of work 😂

At our old place it was just weed barrier and then pea gravel on top and we had no issues.

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cdog77777blue OP t1_j9w6gxu wrote

Awesome and yeah I was originally planning on just using weed block and a light layer of pea gravel. I then decided to watch a quick diy just in case and noticed everyone and their mom said that you needed to dig down 5 inches and use 3 inches of larger rocks which just sounded like 10 extra hours of unnecessary work. Thank you so much for your input because if not for your comment Id be paying a ton more for stupid extra rocks lol

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cdog77777blue OP t1_j9w87lt wrote

Also final question what would you recommend for a boarder? The whole area is fenced in but the fence Im assuming is super old and is crazy warped. Im debating between having wood around the edges or larger bricks/stones.

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biggerken t1_j9y8wm2 wrote

If you have 6 inches to go up I’d put in a few inches of gravel, tamp it down level, then just place a 2x4 frame out of pressure treated with the top level with your patio to hold the pea gravel. At my new place I had to come up about 8 inches, so did a 4 inch tamped level gravel base with 2x4 frame filled with wood mulch.

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Better_Ad4073 t1_j9up0hf wrote

If you mean you want a place for the dog to do it’s “business” then pea gravel is an option. Definitely put a weed proof thick cloth under it. My warning is this. If it’s windy and there are trees and shrubs nearby that shed seeds and leaves you have to clean that up quickly. Otherwise it will fill up with baby trees, grass, and weeds.

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cdog77777blue OP t1_j9uyutf wrote

Yes it is mainly a doggy business spot and I just wanted something better than dirt. There are no bushes or anything other than trees that drop pine straw which i can hopefully brush away… thats one of my small issues that I dont really know how to deal with. Unless you think getting bigger rocks could be better and if so what kinds of rocks?

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splifingate t1_j9wna31 wrote

A synthetic fabric such as this (found at Lowe's) is what you want.

You need-not dig, unless your soil grade is equal-to, or above, your walking surfaces (e.g., concrete patio, stepping stones, etc.).

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cdog77777blue OP t1_j9wyu2f wrote

Thank you so much. And yeah the backyard area is already like 6 inches lower than the concrete patio

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splifingate t1_ja03b0k wrote

You are most welcome :)

These things seem like really daunting tasks, but are actually rather easy (more-so when looking-back, of course <smile>).

Remember that Your yard is your playground, and you can always modify what you have done, later, if your mind&perspective changes.

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