Should You Install a Gravel Path on Your Property?

If you’re installing a new path or revamping an old one, you need to decide what surfacing material you’re going to use. Gravel is a popular choice. You can find it on properties all over the UK, but it is particularly common in rural areas.

To help you work out whether gravel is the best surfacing material for your path, we’ve come up with a list of its advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

Easy to customise

You can use gravel to create a beautiful path that looks good with your home. Gravel is available in lots of different types of stone and sizes, shapes and colours. This means that you can choose a type of gravel that coordinates with your home or your garden. So if you want to create a path that’s unique and eye-catching, gravel is a great choice.

Long-lasting

Installing a path can be expensive and time-consuming. But if you install a gravel path you can be sure that you won’t need to put in a new path for a while. If you look after your gravel path it should last for as long as you need it to.

Inexpensive

Gravel is one of the cheapest materials you can use to make a path. Compared to other path materials, like paving and concrete, they cost significantly less. So if you’ve got a tight budget, gravel is a good choice.

Easy to repair

Gravel paths are easy to repair. If you get any holes in your path it’s easy to use a rake to even them out or buy more gravel and fill them in.

Quick to install

If you haven’t got a lot of time to install a path, using gravel is a great idea. Most gravel paths can be laid in as little as a day. You can also use them immediately, unlike concrete paths.

Disadvantages

High maintenance

Gravel paths are relatively high maintenance. They can develop holes and weed growth quickly if you’re not careful. To avoid these problems you’ll need to weed and rake them fairly regularly.

Unsuitable for sloped paths

Gravel and slopes don’t mix. Because gravel is loose it will quickly travel down a slope, collecting at the bottom and leaving the top bare and scruffy. This can be quite dangerous, as thick, uneven gravel is hard to walk on. So if you have a sloped garden, it’s best not to use gravel for your path.