Hi, I need to cover half my garden which isn't very big in gravel, it's currently a mess of stony/roots/soil, as I want to use the area for seating having bbq etc how would I ensure the gravel is perfect for what I need? I.e what size and type does it need to be? Thanks
First lay a geotextile, this will prevent the gravel from sinking into the ground. Look at decorative chippings,gravel,availble in various sizes from usually from about 6mm up to 20mm, & in various shades/colours. How big is the area your looking to cover, if large then it works out cheaper to buy in bulk, either jumbo bags or loose.
I speak through bitter experience when I suggest you use the biggest gravel bits that you can. Anything less than 20mm and the entire cat population from the neighbourhood will be using your gravel patch as their toilet. I used the 10mm gravel for a car port a few years ago, and it was so full of cat sh 1t within the first few months that I ordered in an extra couple of bags of 30mm and spread them over the top. The cats haven't been back since.
With that area @ 100mm depth your looking around 3.5 tons, maybe a tad more. I find the larger sizes lock together makes walking easier on it.
Go for the larger, 20. 30 or 40mm sizes. Maybe slate chippings, they look way better than ordinary gravel/shingle, and come in many colours- light blue, green, purple, plum, black, grey. Or go for stone chippings such as limestone in white or granite in grey. Make sure you buy enough in the first batch to get consistency of colour. 20 sqM at 100mm depth is 2 cubic metres. Bulk bags are just over 0.5 cu M, so you will need four of those, or if the delivery lorry can tip direct onto where it is needed, just a single load. Bags contain around 800-850 kg so get a delivery of 3.2 tonnes although with some spare and ensuring there is enough, as KIAB suggests, 3.5 tonnes.
There are place were you can get slate chippings loose,delivered by tipper, usually works out cheaper than bulk bags. You may find slate will settle more than gravel,plus your area is only approxminate,so you might be bit out,so need to add a bit more.
By the eighties I suppose you mean the 1780's which was when gravel became popular during the Georgian period. It is purely a matter of taste but in my opinion plastic grass is the spawn of the devil, an entirely subjective aesthetic on my part, I know. I understand from a maintenance point of view why people might go for it, but it lowers the tone of a garden in my, very subjective, opinion.
Although I love playing footy on it, I can't see it in my garden even though there's so less hassle involved
H B I did this for my Daughters garden, & its great playing footie on. If you mess it up, you just roll it flat again. No grass to cut. No muddy lumps, just right.
As said above. Larger angular gravel locks together better so is easier to walk on and stays put. Also a lot less likely to be trodden indoors. I made the mistake a couple of years ago of using a white gravel which looked great but now it's got dirty looks rubbish.