Ideas for Sidewalk Gravel Material

White Gravel

• Gravel made from white or light gray stone can provide a striking color contrast to greenery or brightly colored flowers. White gravel is the historic choice for traditional style gardens for this reason. The gravel can be made from white marble, bluestone, limestone, granite or seashells. White gravel made from crushed marble is generally lighter in color than crushed bluestone gravel, which is available in many colors, from mottled white and gray to dark gray.

Colored Gravel

• Depending on the stone used to make the gravel, landscapers can find gravel in many different colors, including red, yellow, blue and multicolored gravel made from mixed stones. Pea gravel made from river stones is often multicolored. Stone used in colored gravel includes stained white marble, red canyon rock, sandstone, dolomite or other decorative stone types.

Gravel and Concrete

• Gravel is often a component of concrete used for sidewalks and walkways because it adds stability, and this gravel usually matches the color of the concrete. However, landscapers can also mix colored gravel with white or light gray concrete for a speckled look. Another method of creating concrete and gravel sidewalks involves pouring concrete, allowing it to set halfway and then sprinkling a thin layer of colored gravel over the wet concrete. This method makes for a permanent gravel surface.

Gravel With Paving Stones

• Gravel can also fill in the spaces between larger paving stones. Landscapers can choose gravel that matches paving stones or natural stones in the environment for a uniform color, or they can choose a contrasting color to highlight paving stones. Paving stones should always be placed first and then gravel poured into the cracks.

Rubber Gravel

• Rubber gravel, sometimes called crumb rubber, is a product made from shredded rubber that is used in horse arenas and playgrounds. Crumb rubber products are made of pieces of rubber that are roughly pea size with rough edges, resembling rock gravel, which can be a good walkway material because it doesn't decompose, comes in a variety of colors, resists mold and provides a soft surface for walking.