"Switched to gravel afterward; no regrets so far."
Good call on the gravel switch. Pine straw can look nice, but yeah, it tends to trap moisture underneath—especially if you're somewhere rainy. I've seen similar issues when folks use thick mulch layers too close to the foundation. Gravel's a solid choice since it drains well and doesn't break down easily.
A buddy of mine had similar mold problems after heavy rains. He ended up putting in a gravel buffer zone around his house too, and it's been smooth sailing since. Plus, gravel can actually look pretty sharp with some thoughtful landscaping choices—maybe some native grasses or drought-resistant plants to soften it up?
Anyway, glad your storm shelter checked out okay. Always feels good having that peace of mind before storm season kicks in...
Gravel definitely makes sense, especially if drainage is a concern. We had mulch around our place initially, and after one particularly rainy spring, we noticed moisture creeping into the basement walls—yikes. Switched to gravel soon after, and it's been dry ever since. Plus, I agree it can look pretty nice if you mix in some plants or stepping stones to break things up a bit...
We had a similar experience with mulch—thought it looked great at first, but after a few heavy rains, it turned into a soggy mess and started attracting bugs. Not exactly the backyard paradise we envisioned, lol. Switched to gravel last summer (found a good deal at a local landscaping place) and haven't looked back. It's been way easier to maintain, and honestly, I think it looks pretty sharp with some potted plants scattered around. Glad your storm shelter checked out well—always nice to have that peace of mind!
We've been thinking about gravel too, but I'm curious—do you find it comfortable enough to walk barefoot on, or did you go with smoother stones? My kids complain about sharp edges, so still weighing our options...
We went with pea gravel for our area, and honestly, it's been fine barefoot...mostly. My kids still gripe occasionally about stepping on a sharper bit, but overall it's pretty comfy. Have you considered mixing gravel sizes or adding stepping stones to ease the barefoot issue?
