How To Lay A Gravel Path

At Meadow View Stone we supply a wide variety of decorative chippings and gravels that can be used for a wide variety of applications.

As a surface, decorative aggregates can have a lot of benefits for your garden. It can help to reduce flood risk by allowing surface water to drain away quickly as well as providing a low maintenance garden covering. Its distinctive crunch also provides an excellent security feature when walked or driven over.

When using decorative gravel for your driveway we suggest using a chipping that is 14mm or larger as smaller chippings can get stuck in tyre treads, will disperse more easily and may not last as long. For paths we recommend aggregates with a size of 10mm or bigger, this is because anything smaller may get stuck in shoe soles and walked indoors.

Our 14-20mm Flamingo chippings, 14-20mm Butterscotch Chippings and 14-22mm Apricot gravel all have light reflecting properties which are perfect for paths and to help to brighten up dark or shady areas.

When you’re laying the gravel you need to decide on the area that you would like to cover and the design you want to go with. Once this is done, you will need to prepare the ground that you’re going to use.

Start by clearing the area of any plants or weeds and cover it with a weed membrane. For more information on selecting the right type of membrane along with tips on laying it properly, please see our membrane video.

Once you’ve laid the weed membrane you can begin to put down your gravel. Distribute the gravel evenly on the ground either directly from the bag or if supplied in a bulk bag from a bucket or wheelbarrow.

The gravel can be levelled out using a spade or rake and should be laid at a depth of 50mm. This ensures proper coverage without revealing the surface below. Laying the gravel too deep will mean that you sink into the surface and it can become difficult to walk across.

Once you’ve laid the gravel we recommend washing it to achieve the best look. As they are natural products, some gravel can arrive with a layer of dust and look different to what you were expecting so washing them with a hose or watering can will rinse them clean, leaving you with a gravel path to enjoy.