Gravel Path--will this work?

[Matt Meiser]

8-9 Years ago I created a walkway between the concrete pad outside my shop's entry door and the gravel driveway by removing sod, installing some edging, putting down landscape fabric, and putting about 3" of gravel down. Its worked fairly well, just some weeds at the edges and occasionally in the middle until this year. When I started pulling numerous weeds that suddenly appeared in the middle I found that the fabric has disintegrated. One option would be to remove all the stone and install new fabric and put the stone back. That's a good bit of work. Another is concrete but its enough that I'd have to have concrete brought in and a good bit of work. LOML likes the idea of sandstone or the like but even more work than the fabric and not exactly cheap.

I got to thinking though, what if I just bought enough bags of cement to cover the whole area an inch deep or so, spread it over the stone and water it in really good to wash it to the bottom where it could create a hard layer? I don't expect it to be strong but that would mean I could break it up down the road and spread it on the driveway too.

I'm more concerned with the stone mixing with the soil underneath in the spring when the ground gets really soft in that area than I am with the weeds which can be dealt with by weeding by hand or chemically. I already spray the whole driveway 1-2 times a year I'm thinking this would create sufficiently large pieces that they would stay on top.

[Gordon Eyre]

The city did this on a trail beside a river it worked quite well. Another alternative is to spray the path with a good weed killer (the scorched earth variety) that can be found at a farmers outlet. Nothing will grow for at least a couple of years.

[Ted Calver]

+1 on spray with a good weed killer. Just add fresh stone where needed if it sinks into soft subsoil. Sooner or later it will stop sinking and you will be good to go. You might also read up on soil cement mixtures if you are still considering the cement idea. I've had some success with just root-tilling soil and cement to create a stable base for paths.

[Tom Fischer]

Hi Matt,

Any concrete you pour is subject to winter heaving/cracking, especially if you have a thin layer.

Gravel walks are popular around here, but deeper. I have a couple like that, more like 6" to 8" deep. Locally we use QP gravel (quarry processed). It's finer than the 3/4" and has some crushed limestone. After a good rain soaking it sets up, somewhat very weak/old concrete.

Would you consider digging up all the gravel, remove another 4 inches of soil, then just fill with more gravel. I don't think the landscape fabric is necessary.

[Joe Mioux]

Use a pre-emergent herbicide and you eliminate weeds for months. Weed impede is a brand I use. It is also known as Surflan.

[Jason Roehl]

When you say "gravel", what exactly are you using? A good gravel for drives and walkways is known as #53 stone--it's crushed limestone, 3/4" and smaller. Spread it out and run a plate compactor over it, getting it damp (not wet) in the process. This will help prevent weeds from coming through.

What you really probably needed up front was better landscape fabric. Like most things, there's what's available to the general public, then there's the stuff the pros use--it's much thicker.

[Matt Meiser]

Better fabric probably would have been good--it was probably "better" stuff from the big box. Part of the problem is that the area between my house and shop catch all the water running toward an even lower area in our side yard where there's a drain. In the spring or after heavy rains it can get quite soft. Plus we have pretty sandy soil and the ground likes to eat stone.

Stone itself is the same pea-sized gravel which is pretty common around here for driveways.

I'm not as worried about the weeds as having a firm surface when the ground is soft. Weeds are easy to deal with.