It’s officially landscaping season in Kelowna! That means it’s time to load up on the hardscaping materials you need to get the job done right. At Kelowna Sand and Gravel we make it easy to get what you need to accomplish your tasks. From gravel crusher chip to create your backyard oasis to feature stones that are larger than life – this Kelowna quarry knows a thing or two about rocks! This month we’re covering off a few steps to follow when you’re installing your favourite ground cover solutions in a seating area.
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Ground Preparation
Nothing is more important than the planning and organization of any project. With proper planning your project will be easier to complete, and will likely require less maintenance in coming months. While you may want to rush to “finish” the area, you need to consider the surroundings first. Will you require services like electrical, sewer or water? Are you installing plantings or garden beds which will require underground sprinklers? These are all items to consider since you won’t want to see those pipes sticking through your nice level seating area. So this is the stage where you want to dig your trenches in, glue your pipes together and get planting. It’s the ideal time to put your plantings and soil in. This will ensure that you don’t mix soil into your finished rock surface. Just when you think you’re ready for rock, you move to stage 2 of ground prep. Keep reading!
More Ground Preparation
Once you’ve completed the ground work and plantings it’s time to level up and lay fabric. Depending on the ground below, you may need to hire a professional or rent equipment. It’s important at this stage to determine your grade. Proper grading will allow any water to flow instead of flood. Good grading also helps with usability. No one wants to sit on an uneven surface, so making sure your seating area is level is a key factor. There are lots of options to get level but nothing is easier than heavy equipment to get things moving. Make sure you also have a long level or laser level, grade rake and of course a shovel. A few friends to tell you what you’re doing wrong are also fun to have on site.
When you’ve triple checked your level, you can start laying the landscape fabric. Landscape fabric is integral so that you can minimize everything that grows beneath. While you might still get a few stragglers that blow in from the wind, they won’t be as prevalent. With the fabric down it’s starting to look like something, so now it’s time to get ready for placement.
Placement
Now for the fun part! Adding some of that glorious Mountain Ash or Kettle Valley Granite to your space! There are several ways to get rock placed. If you have a budget and a tricky spot then you can always enlist the services of a stone slinger. They use conveyor style mechanisms to direct and place rock from their trucks. This equals less mess and clean up. We advise to check the weather and with your neighbours first. Avoid windy days, which produce angry neighbours. Next in line is a renting or hiring a machine. A bobcat can load and dump much faster than a human. And when all else fails, there’s the 5 gallon pail and a shovel. Move the rock with your shovel into two pails and hike away. The good news is you won’t need the gym for a few days, the bad news will be announced by your back shortly afterwards.
Finishing
Well it looks like it’s done now! Congratulations, because it’s always more work than you first intend. Now for the finishing. Pull up a couple of Adirondack chairs and a cool beverage because that’s what we call finishing around here.
Are you looking for crusher chip for your next patio project? Give us a call at Kelowna Sand and Gravel today!