Home Remodel: Do, Don'ts, Advice

[Rideski]

Breeze (crusher fines) is sharp. It’ll cut through landscape fabric eventually.
It’s good for narrow pathways that get walked on a lot, bike trails etc. where the impact kills seedlings.
For a living area where the impact pressure is spread out, you’ll get weeds through eventually, and I don’t think it would be fun to barefoot on, and not fun tracked in house.

Rebar sticking out of the ground to hold the wood, even if below the wood height, is still sharp. I did that to hold in a planter area. Kind of a mini retaining wall just a dozen feet long by a foot tall. The rebar edges popped a dump truck tire when I got a delivery and he put the tire sidewall into it. They make plastic rebar safety caps, but that would mean they need to be pushed away from the wood. Could affix Wood 1x2” strips on either side of the bar.

[oftpiste]

That's why I was leaning towards squeegee (https://www.bedrocklandscapingmateri...-page/squeegee). Smaller than pea to pack down. Was thinking 2" of depth.

I'd visit somewhere that used it to see if it really packs. I don't see what I'm going to use on that website which is called "5/8 minus" gravel. Would probably also be fine as a bed for your expansion foundation down the road.

[zion zig zag]

Significant. And this will probably only be in place for ~5 years. It's in the way of a future house expansion.

Flagstone covers ~120sqft per ton, at about $250-300/ton. So ~$1200 in just the stone.

Squeegee is $30 per ton, need about 4 tons for 20'x20' at 2" depth. $120.

Add delivery to both.

Copy that. I lucked into a pallet of flagstone for cheap a few years ago, had no idea retail pricing was so high.

[doebedoe]

Thanks @Rideski.

I think you're local -- recommendations on materials? Like to keep it DIY-able and relatively inexpensive. Something I could get done in a few weekends worth of effort.

[dan_pdx]

Putting in a 20'x20' gravel fire pit / seating area.

Recommendations on what to use for the gravel? Squeegee (leaning this way)? Pea Gravel? Some kind of crusher fines? This is all new to me. It'll get used frequently, and will be in part of the yard the dog runs through a good bit. Climate is Denver.

Thinking of using some kind of cedar boards for an edging material? With rebar to set it.

Landscape fabric underneath. Build the edging box. Fill with material.

What steps am I missing?

As far as edging material, you might consider railroad ties. The benefit over cedar is you can drill a hole for the rebar to go through, then hammer it flush -- then you don't have to worry about someone tripping over / impaling themselves on rebar. I did this in my backyard where I needed a single step to even out a sloped area and it worked well - just need to have a hefty auger bit and a drill that can handle it.

[nickwm21]

Decomposed granite or the product you linked. Rent a plate compactor from Home Depot. Get the material wet and beat it in with a few passes - it will be super right and last a decade


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[Rideski]

No worries and yeah we’re naighbors. I bought a helmet from truth and he mentioned it.

I’m a fan of mulch. Not unique or beautiful but functional and cheap. You can use a leaf blower over it if you buy the good stuff. Good for kids and dogs, acceptable to barefoot on. Not like grass or flagstone, but ok. Easy to get rid of or re-purpose when you’re done.

I have 3/4 crushed granite for a driveway, I like it. Not good for barefoot, but stays in place, can use a leaf blower. I don’t have any breeze but I bet that would be a problem.

You can find some flagstone free/cheap online but it goes quick. There’s someone with 750 free paver (no holes) bricks local as of last night. Looks like most of the mortar was knocked off but probably still some cleanup. Would be some work to level the ground and then you’d need breeze or sand in between, but it would eliminate most of the above problems.

[Rideski]

As far as edging material, you might consider railroad ties. The benefit over cedar is you can drill a hole for the rebar to go through, then hammer it flush -- then you don't have to worry about someone tripping over / impaling themselves on rebar. I did this in my backyard where I needed a single step to even out a sloped area and it worked well - just need to have a hefty auger bit and a drill that can handle it.

Can you get non-creosote ties? Never looked.

[doebedoe]

No worries and yeah we’re naighbors. I bought a helmet from truth and he mentioned it.

I’m a fan of mulch. Not unique or beautiful but functional and cheap. You can use a leaf blower over it if you buy the good stuff. Good for kids and dogs, acceptable to barefoot on. Not like grass or flagstone, but ok. Easy to get rid of or re-purpose when you’re done.

I have 3/4 crushed granite for a driveway, I like it. Not good for barefoot, but stays in place, can use a leaf blower. I don’t have any breeze but I bet that would be a problem.

You can find some flagstone free/cheap online but it goes quick. There’s someone with 750 free paver (no holes) bricks local as of last night. Looks like. OST of the mortar was knockoff off but probably still some cleanup. Would be some work to leave the ground and then you’d need breeze or sand in between, but it would eliminate most of the above problems.

Hey neighbor -- and thanks! I kinda like the mulch idea. Already killed off all the weeds in the area with a tarp for the last few weeks. Could just lay down some fabric and mulch and call it good. Suppose right around (gas) fire ring we'd want something else. Kinda doubt the fiance will go for it -- think DG is probably her preference. Let me know if you've got any preferred local vendors for this stuff -- appreciate the help.

I'm not wedded to any particular edging -- cedar seemed easiest but perhaps some sort of general flex.

My house is not refined. It's a vessel for living not a show piece that's for damn sure.

[Danno]

Our whole backyard is done in "playground mulch". Softer than regular mulch, I guess. The dog tracks it all over the place and into the house, but our dog is made of velcro, so may not be an issue for you. It's not super easy on bare feet, but ok. And we do leaf blow over it without much issue.

[dan_pdx]

Can you get non-creosote ties? Never looked.

The one I used definitely has creosote, but is that a concern for use outside? I know you don't want to build a dining table out of it.

There is a local company that sells juniper timber (supposed to be naturally rot-resistant) in 6x6 and 8x8 dimensions: https://snwwood.com/Exterior-Product...dscape-Timbers

[Rideski]

Creosote stinks in my limited experience. Gets on your shoes, can’t sit on it. Maybe they are better now. I’m anti petrol anti chemical.


Playground mulch usually designates cedar, naturally rot resistant, and bigger chips that lock together a little bit better.

There’s a local thing which I think is new of tree companies dropping off chipped slash and calling it mulch. I mean it is free but with all the greens it rots/molds easily and grows weeds way easier. Maybe people have been doing this for a while but there’s a company promoting it now called chipdrop. You give them your address and they drop 20 yards (a dump truck full) of indeterminate variety. Shitty deal if you ask me. For a few specific functions that might be cool. Horse stalls, real farms, etc. but for a family sitting area no way. Plus I don’t think you want pine in a garden, I need to check that. Does pine sap kill plants? What’s more they are dropping 20 yards on people that have no idea what that will look like.

D- I’ll get you the number of a landscape supply company I found near us. It’s in a notebook some where need to find.

[muted]

IME mulch decomposes into dirt and weeds are born in 1-2 years And has to be replenished every 2-3 years. Rocks are better but weeds still grow through the expensive weed barrier in a few years. I’ve bought the cheap weed barrier and it grows through in 1 year. Spraying roundup, placing a couple layers of expensive weed barrier and then thick cardboard and then rocks is your best bet, but I’d like to hear someone who has 10-20 years of doing this to say this actually works.

[Rideski]

Fuck the roundup. Fuck the chemicals.
I built my xeriscape more than a decade ago. No rot. I do live in the desert of Colorado though. I charge more to remove rock than I do to install it.

[Name Redacted]

When we bought our place it was a gardeners delight, all kinds of plants along both sides of the house and berm in the back yard, and a large terraced retaining wall. We've gradually worked to downsize all that while maintain some of the stuff we like, but make it all less labor intensive since we work full time jobs and like to enjoy time off on bikes and traveling, and not on our knees in the garden.
Results are still mixed, but getting better. Lots of huge Columbines that now grow naturally all over, including some of the biggest ones in the steps in front of the house. We pulled all of the red mulch and replaced with natural mulch/bark. Replaced weed cloth, which is a PITA of a different magnitude but needed to happen.

Honestly, besides the columbines, I could rip everything out, and replace with some nice bushes that need trimming once a year and be good but the wifey likes some of the other stuff that I don't even know the name of.

Oh and RE roundup, I hate that stuff too, but it seems to be the only good thing for killing weeds in the driveway cracks.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

never use steer manure, that shit is loaded with weed seeds.

[Skidog]

Our whole backyard is done in "playground mulch". Softer than regular mulch, I guess. The dog tracks it all over the place and into the house, but our dog is made of velcro, so may not be an issue for you. It's not super easy on bare feet, but ok. And we do leaf blow over it without much issue.

Same here, not full backyard, but a lot of it, and yeah dog tracks that shit all over. Golden/aussie mix...ugh...

[Rideski]

Barely awake cell phone snap and then zoomed screen shot photo of mine.
Not gonna say it wasn’t a lot of incremental work over the years, but I only spend an hour or two a couple days a week on it now. Some heavy lifting a time or two a year. Pretty much just on autopilot other than the veggies. Didn’t do veggies for a lot of years to give me more freedumb, but this year took on a few more.

[muted]

Fuck the roundup. Fuck the chemicals.
I built my xeriscape more than a decade ago. No rot. I do live in the desert of Colorado though. I charge more to remove rock than I do to install it.

I get the anti-Roundup. I only started using it last year, where my dogs and kids never/rarely go (mainly the out-of-control russian sage in the neighbors yard, ha). But I don't see how spraying round up on dirt, then cardboard, then weed barrier, THEN rocks on top would be harmful. I'd think twice if kids and dogs were involved at the pit, but really it still seems fine to me. Eh, I'm not a roundup expert though.

Edit: and nice garden; that can't be xeriscape can it? I

[Flyoverland Captive]

Preen works well to stop seed germination before the plants even get started.

[doebedoe]

Edit: and nice garden; that can't be xeriscape can it? I

Lots of xeriscape round here looks like that. It often needs some watering in first couple years to get established. But then just goes.

[Rideski]

Hey hey, mine’s at least in the top 5%
laziest xeriscapes

Thanks Muted
I water like 5 or 10 minutes a day depending on rain and sun etc if that’s what you’re asking.

[doebedoe]

FWIW -- went by a place to pickup crowlers yesterday. They had made a quick-and-dirty pea gravel based outdoor area with a few pavers/flagstone for furniture support to expand outdoor seating.

Seemed fine for my use. Cheap, can be walked on barefoot, doesn't create mud concerns, easy to install, and can be repurposed later if necessary. Yeah, it isn't the most stable, or softest to walk on. Heavier than breeze or squeegee so should be able to blow leaves off it and lightly rake.

[Iowagriz]

Since we are talking landscapes. What do I need? Manure, compost or peat moss? Or something else?

Sod between me and the rough of a golf course. Course gave me a bucket of seed to fill in between what was disturbed in the construction process. I've pulled the major weeds and raked, threw some seed down but think it would go better with adding something to it. Soil is clay heavy.

Pic shows sod, grass seed I threw down, then raked area, more weeds, then rough. I'd like to eventually get it to the same as the rough, up to it joining the sod.

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[smmokan]

What do I need?

You need to ask the head groundskeeper to help you out.