Decorative Aggregates 101: Decorative Gravel

Decorative aggregates, such as decorative gravel and decorative chipping, are used to landscape outdoor spaces of commercial and residential properties. These are often used as an alternative to mulch and offer endless landscaping possibilities. Whether you have been wondering “how much decorative gravel do I need?” or questioning “where to buy decorative gravel?”, today is your lucky day. At Mainland Aggregates, we are a family-run business focused on providing recycled, quarried and decorative aggregates to both trade and private buyers. Today, our expert team will answer some of the most frequently asked questions about decorative gravel. When to use decorative gravel? Decorative gravel is used in a variety of exterior décor or landscaping projects, including driveways, paths, borders, pond edging and much more. Decorative gravel can brighten up dull areas of outdoor spaces as well as create interesting outdoor features. How to choose the right decorative gravel? With the large selection of decorative gravel available to purchase, it might seem difficult to choose the right decorative gravel for your property. To make it easier, we recommend considering both the size and the colour of gravel in line with what you are wanting to achieve. For instance, angular gravel that will not displace easily, such as 10mm gravel or 14mm gravel, is ideal for walkways. In terms of colour, we suggest choosing decorative gravel that either stands out for an eye-catching feature or simply complements your other outdoor features and your property’s architecture. Some of our best-selling decorative gravel and chippings include Dove grey limestone, ice blue chippings and flaming chippings. To create more visually interesting outdoor features, decorative gravels can be mixed with some of our larger decorative cobbles. How much decorative gravel do I need? The quantity of decorative gravel required will depend on the project at hand. To find out the quantity required for your project, use our quantity calculator available in our decorative gravel product pages. For this, you will need the length, width and depth required for your project. How deep should decorative gravel be? Depending on the project, you will either require a more shallow or deep decorative aggregate coverage. As a rule of thumb, decorative gravel is often laid at a depth of around 40mm-50mm to offer good coverage. It is important to keep in mind that if you are laying decorative gravel for walkways, gravel shouldn’t be laid too deep as it will become difficult to walk across. What to put under decorative gravel? Landscaping fabric, such as geotextile membrane, is often put underneath decorative gravel. Membrane is used for separation purposes to separate the surface from the decorative aggregates and to prevent weeds from growing through the rocks. It is also used for filtration purposes to prevent land drainage systems from clogging by allowing water to easily drain. Additionally, membrane is used for reinforcement purposes. How to lay decorative gravel? Decorative gravel will be laid differently depending on the project. To learn how to lay decorative gravel for a driveway, view our gravel driveway construction guide. Our easy-to-follow guide will break down all the steps involved in constructing a new driveway. Where to buy decorative gravel? Decorative gravel can be purchased at Mainland Aggregates. We supply a large selection of decorative gravel and decorative chippings for sale. If you are searching for “decorative gravel near me”, search no further as we can deliver decorative gravel and decorative gravel bulk bags all across the country. We stock a variety of gravel sizes, from 10mm decorative gravel to 20mm decorative gravel, such as 20mm harvest gravel and 20mm Trent gravel. In addition to this, our gravel is available in a variety of colours, including white decorative gravel, such as 20mm York cream chippings, and grey decorative gravel, such as 10mm Dove grey limestone. How to clean decorative gravel? Decorative gravel and other garden stones can be cleaned with a garden hose. The water pressure will help loosen any dirt and make the gravel look brand new once again. Larger garden stones can be swept with a stiff outdoor broom. How much does decorative gravel cost? Pricing will depend on the type of decorative gravel and how much you require for your project. Contact our team today to further discuss your project’s requirements. Our team will be able to advise on which decorative gravel will best suit your project and how much you will need.