Gravel Patio

Elevate your outdoor living space with a pea gravel patio you’ll enjoy for years to come! The natural material blends into landscaping, is affordable, easy to install and maintain.

A gravel patio is the perfect solution for parties, outdoor movies, dining or kicking back to relax and enjoy Pudgy Pies, Campfire Pizza, Walking S’mores, and a S’mores Charcuterie Board around a Solo Stove.

We spend a lot of time on our gravel patio at the lake house and decided it was the ideal solution for a fire pit area at our home in St. Louis. It has become one of our favorite spaces to watch the sunset and entertain!

A modern pea gravel patio is an affordable alternative to concrete, brick, stone and paver patios. Small, rounded stones give it a soft, natural appearance that seamlessly blends into landscaping. Pea gravel (also known as pea stone) packs in for minimal movement and like hard surfaces, it is easy to maintain using a blower on the lowest setting. It is an excellent option in regions with 4 seasons, offering excellent drainage and eliminating risk of cracks.

White Pea Gravel

White and light colored pea gravel are easier to find than they were when we completed this project 4 years ago. These are my favorites:

• White Lightly Polished a true white pea gravel
• Mexican Beach Pebble White Crivea
• Kolor Scape Egg Rock

We used Sand Pebbles which is no longer available. When installing pea gravel below our deck, we found Kolor Scape Yellow Pebbles is a perfect match. When dry, it looks lighter in person and paired well with our stone.

Where to Purchase Pea Gravel

Local landscaping suppliers carry a limited array of pea gravel in bulk. I prefer a light color pea gravel which we were not able to find in bulk in our area. With added delivery cost to bulk pea gravel, purchasing pea gravel in bags at a local hardware store is ideal for smaller patios.

Lowe’s, Ace Hardware and Home Depot regularly stock pea stone and may have a truck to rent by the hour to transport, if needed.

DIY Pea Gravel Patio

1. Location – Select an ideal location at least 10′ away from your home, ideally as far as 25′ away per insurance recommendations that is easily accessible from home. Consider proximity of trees and low branches for safety and debris to keep maintenance to a minimum.
2. Mark – Cut a string the half the length of the diameter you want your pea gravel patio to be. Attach to a stake and insert in center of the space. Use string to measure and mark a circle with spray paint. A 16′ diameter is the perfect patio size for 8 Adirondack chairs.

   

3. Create the Perimeter – Dig a trench 2″ deep by 5″ wide along the edge of the circle.

   

4. Remove Grass – Spray grass inside the circle with grass killer. After 1-2 days when it is noticeably dead, weed eat to cut to ground (dirt) level.
5. Install Edging – To create a circle, gently bend before installing. Hammer in using a wood block between the hammer and metal to avoid gouging metal. Edging reducing grass and weeds from growing in your fire pit area. This is an excellent edging tutorial to reference, if needed.
6. Add Landscaping Fabric – To prevent weeds from emerging, apply landscaping fabric or a tarp, tight to the ground and secure with metal landscaping stakes every 1-2′ feet’. This keeps tiny pea sized gravel from going underneath.

   

   Note: Chris installed this by himself, but it is helpful to have a second person to keep the fabric tight while the other stakes it.

   

7. Spread Pea Gravel – Place bags evenly throughout the patio, cut open and use a steel bow rake to spread until even.

Pea Gravel Fire Pit

One of the many things we love about our pea gravel patios is how versatile they are. We most often use this space to spend time together around a fire. Pea gravel is an excellent barrier for a fire pit. It is a natural fireproof material and provides an even surface for seating.

Choose or build a fire pit, place in the center, add string lights, chairs and enjoy! We love our Solo Stoves. They are smoke-free, spark free and easy to move, adding even more versatility to our gravel patio.

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