HOW TO LAY DECORATIVE AGGREGATES

We want to help with your decision in making the right choice for your garden project, but how do you choose which is best for you. Do you pick by colour, durability or texture?

First though, you need to plan the area where they will be going. Here are some tips on how to prepare.

1. Clear The Area

Firstly, you will need to clear the whole area where you will be laying your gravel or decorative stone. Remove all loose material around the garden area – you really need to be thorough here, using weedkiller on any deep-rooted weeds to make sure your finished garden landscaping remains weed free.

2. Level the Ground

Once you have cleared the area, level using a steel rake. Keep raking until all stones, twigs and leaves are removed, creating a smooth flat and levelled area.

3. Lay a Weed Control Membrane

We highly recommend using Proweed Landscape Fabric to cover the area and  help reduce weeds – our heavy duty weed control membrane allows water and air nutrients to permeate the ground and helps maintain healthy and fertile soil underneath, whilst helping with weeds and contributing to keeping a low maintenance garden.

You will need to lay the membrane to a depth suitable for the type of decorative stone you are using – for a garden this is generally 40mm for the smaller 10mm aggregates, 50mm for medium aggregates from around 20mm in size and large cobbles and rocks will usually require around 100mm of depth. Please ask a member of our staff for assistance if you are not sure.

5. Laying Slate Chippings, Stones or Gravel

We advise laying your decorative stones to a depth of around 40-50mm for the best coverage, but this measurement will generally depend on the size of the decorative aggregate used. Once your gravel or chippings are down, use a rake or similar to create a flat and even finish. To help reduce movement in your decorative stone you can create a barrier around the edge, either using larger stones, timber or stone edging. This will also help reduce the likelihood of your membrane moving around or weeds poking up around the edge.

6. Choosing the right size of aggregate

As smaller chippings lock together well, they are best for areas that will be walked on and can be great for fitting in awkward spaces and gaps around the edges. Paddlestones, cobbles, pebbles and rockery stones can work better in larger areas and as features.

7. Get the right look for your garden

Choose a stone that complements the rest of your garden. Chippings like slate or polished black pebbles can look striking in a contemporary garden, whilst others like Cotswold Buff might fit a more traditional garden scheme. And remember your aggregate will look different when wet.

8. How much gravel do I need

We generally say that 1 bulk bag covers approximately 10m², if you are laying it at a depth of 50mm. We also offer various sized bag pallets that consist of 25kg bags. A 50 bag pallet will cover around 12m² and 25 bag pallet covers around 6m², again if you are laying to a depth of 50mm.

To calculate the amount of gravel you require you need to measure the length and width of your space. Then multiply them together to work out the area in square metres. For example, a garden that is 3 metres by 5 metres is 15m². We have a handy gravel quantity calculator on our site to help you calculate how much gravel you need.

If you have any doubt about the suitability of a particular gravel or chipping product for your application, our friendly sales team are just a phone call away to answer your queries.