Just make sure you get good drainage or it’ll turn into a mess after heavy rain... learned that one the hard way.
That’s a key point. I’ve seen DG installations go sideways when folks skip the base prep. Did you use a compacted road base or just lay the granite straight on soil? I usually recommend at least a few inches of compacted class II base, then the DG on top, especially if pets are involved. Curious if you had any issues with weeds coming through? That’s been a headache on a couple jobs for me, even with landscape fabric.
Drainage is one of those things I didn’t think much about until I saw a neighbor’s DG patio turn into a swamp after a big storm. I’m on a pretty tight budget, so I was tempted to just lay the granite right on top of the dirt and call it a day. But after poking around online and talking to a couple folks at the local landscape yard, I ended up doing a thin layer of road base—maybe not as thick as the pros recommend, but enough that it felt solid after tamping it down. Not sure if that’s “right,” but it’s held up so far.
Weeds, though... man, they’re relentless. I did use landscape fabric, but I cheaped out and got the thinner stuff. Now I’m regretting it because I’ve got little green invaders popping through in random spots. Is there actually a fabric that works long-term? Or is it just inevitable that you’ll be out there pulling weeds no matter what? Sometimes I wonder if spending more upfront would’ve saved me time later, but then again, those rolls of heavy-duty fabric aren’t exactly cheap.
Curious if anyone’s tried skipping the fabric and just using a thicker base layer? Does that actually help with weeds, or do they always find a way? And for pets—my dog loves to dig—does the extra base make any difference, or am I just delaying the inevitable holes?
I guess there’s always some trade-off between cost and hassle. Still, if I had to do it again, maybe I’d splurge on better fabric or go thicker with the base... but then my wallet would probably cry.
“Curious if anyone’s tried skipping the fabric and just using a thicker base layer? Does that actually help with weeds, or do they always find a way?”
Weeds are like little green Houdinis—if there’s a crack, they’ll escape. I’ve seen folks go fabric-free with a deep base, and yeah, it slows them down, but eventually you’re still out there pulling. Honestly, your approach sounds pretty smart for the budget. There’s no perfect system, just a balance between what you can spend and how much you want to be out there battling nature. And dogs? They’ll dig through anything short of concrete. At least you’re learning as you go—most people don’t even get that far.