In the book "Build Walks, Walls & Patio Floors," Steve Cory touches briefly on choosing the right materials for loose patio floors. He advocates using a fine-grained gravel like crushed granite for high traffic areas, and packing the stone with a drum roller after it's laid. Alternatively, lay a packed gravel base beneath looser stone to supply a firm footing under an inch or two of pea gravel or larger stones. For stability, choose furniture with thick feet or flat bases that are less likely to tip or be wobbly.
Play with the Shape
Whether you're trying to fit a patio into an oddly shaped interval, gravel may be your boon possibility for a mannequin. Unlike brick, paving stones and wood, gravel Testament agree to honorable approximately any shape you yearning to bag without the bother of cutting tiles or bricks to fit curves and angles. A gravel patio can curve along the limit of a sweeping driveway or fit itself along the edges of a flower Bedstead or vegetable garden. It's child's play To erect a gravel patio that surrounds a pool or pond, or has built-in insets for raised herb or flower beds.
Choosing the Right Gravel for a Patio
Gravel has a name for activity unstable and ambitious to jaunt on, nevertheless a properly built gravel patio is as stable underfoot as cement.Gravel Patio IdeasPatio floors are most oftentimes paved with either paving stones or with poured concrete, on the other hand those are not the exclusive flooring options for patios. According to scenery contractor Roger Cook, quoted in "This Gray Box" Periodical, a crushed stone floor is one of the easiest ways to effect added outdoor living period. A gravel patio is little To erect, Unceremoniously to preserve and offers a Broad area of decorating and composition options.
Landscaping Accents for a Gravel Patios
Crushed stone or gravel creates a subtle, natural background for landscape timbers, mulch and plants. Create a tranquil backyard spot by taking your inspiration from Zen gardens of the East. Use landscape timbers to create a raised platform for a rock garden or carve out curved flower bed along the corner of the patio. For a more rustic look, allow creeping sedum or another ground cover to infiltrate the edges of the gravel or sink a wooden tub several inches into the stone to create a small container water garden. Strive for a balance between soft and hard, using plants, water and wood to offset the hardness of the stone.
