Vent: My 'quick fix' gravel path turned into a $300 mud pit

So I decided to put in a little walkway from my deck to the shed last spring. Thought I'd save cash and time by just dumping a few bags of gravel over the dirt. Didn't bother with any weed barrier or digging down. Big mistake. After a couple rainy weeks, the gravel just sank into the mud and weeds shot right up through it. Ended up with this lumpy, messy swamp trail. Had to dig the whole thing out, put down proper landscape fabric, and re-buy all the gravel. Wasted about $300 and a whole weekend. Anyone have a better method for a simple path that actually lasts?

3 comments

3 Comments

terry_carter157d ago

I read that a solid base is key for any gravel path, which makes sense after seeing what happened to you and @thomas.parker's neighbor. The article said even a few inches of compacted crushed stone underneath stops the sinking. It's more work upfront but saves the headache of doing it twice.

thomas.parker7d ago

My neighbor's driveway did the same thing with just pea gravel.

-1

brown.gavin21h ago

Saw a buddy skip the base layer on his patio project. Had to redo the whole thing after one rainy season.