Gravel Walkway Installation

Some homes have walkways winding through the yards as protection from wet grass, mud or snow. These walkways can be made of concrete, bricks or loose stone such as gravel. Cheaper and easier to install than concrete or brick, a gravel walkway prevents stormwater runoff because the water can seep into the ground through the stones. Gravel also has a more natural appearance than a slab of concrete.

Spray paint
Shovel or spade
Rake
Tamp
Crushed stone
Garden hose
Landscaping fabric
2-by-4 board, 4 feet long
Saw
Tape measure
Metal edging
Wooden block
Hammer

Instructions

- 1
  Use spray paint to outline the walkway on the ground.
- 2
  Excavate a 4-inch-deep trench between the lines, using the shovel or spade. Keep the sides of the trench straight, rake the bottom of the trench smooth and tamp it down.
- 3
  Add a 2 1/2-inch layer of gravel into the trench. Rake the gravel smooth and dampen with the garden hose.
- 4
  Tamp down the gravel in the trench to compact it.
- 5
  Cover the gravel with landscaping fabric to prevent weeds from growing.
- 6
  Cut a piece of 2-by-4 into a 4-foot-long section.
- 7
  Cut two 1/4-inch notches in the board 3 feet apart from each other. The notches will slide over the edging for the walkway.
- 8
  Install the edging along the first edge of the trench. In most cases, you'll drive stakes or pins through the notches on the edging and into the ground.
- 9
  Install the edging on the other side of the trench. Slide the notches on the 2-by-4 board over the edging across the trench as you set the second side. This provides a guide for setting the edging on the second side. Do this every few feet along the trench to ensure a uniform width for the length of the walkway.
- 10
  Add dirt to fill any gaps between the outside of the edging and the surrounding ground.
- 11
  Add gravel to the trench to a half inch from the top of the edging. Rake the gravel smooth.

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