Guides & how-tos
Project guides, how-tos, and tips from the GetGravel team in Prince George, BC.
Soil is sold by the cubic yard and nobody measures their yard in cubic yards. Coverage tables for the areas people actually have, the depth each project wants, and the allowance to add so you are not ordering twice.
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Weed barrier and driveway fabric are two different products doing two different jobs, and one of the three materials in that title usually wants neither. Here is which is which, how to install it so it works, and how to work out how much you need.
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The base, the fabric, the depths, the drainage, and which gravel goes where. One guide that answers the whole driveway question instead of a quarter of it.
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Lava rock, limestone, pea gravel, drain rock, and the big feature stones, sorted by the area you are trying to finish rather than by the name on the pile. Includes depths, what each one is like to walk on, and where each one does not belong.
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Coverage at every depth, worked examples for the beds people actually have, how to measure an awkward shape, and where the line falls between a few bags, a load of bulk, and a compressed bale.
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Nobody searches for 7/8 inch limestone. They want chairs that sit level, less mud tracked into the house, and an area that looks like it was meant to be there. Four materials do that job, in different ways.
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Exact amounts for the common bed sizes, how deep the soil really needs to be, how to fill a tall frame without paying for soil nobody grows in, and why straight compost is the wrong answer.
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Picking it up yourself is usually less money and always more work. Here is where the line actually falls, what a pickup truck can legally carry, and the trip count that quietly makes delivery the cheaper option.
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Four bulk soils, four different jobs, and one expensive mistake people make every spring. Here is what separates them, which one your flower beds want, and why "triple mix" means something different at every yard that sells it.
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How to fill a pothole so it stays filled, when a top-up is worth doing, which gravel holds up to a northern BC winter, and the grading mistake that puts the ruts back in the same place every year.
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It is not manure and it has no mushrooms in it. Here is what it actually is, why it is one of the better things you can add to a tired vegetable garden, the ratio to use, and the handful of plants that do not like it.
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Why rich soil is the wrong choice under grass, how deep to build, the grading that decides whether your lawn is soggy for the next twenty years, and how much soil a typical yard takes.
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Gravel is sold by the cubic yard and nobody measures their driveway in cubic yards. Here is the arithmetic, the depth to use, how much extra to order for compaction, and the sizes a real Prince George driveway usually lands on.
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Every part of a bulk material price, explained: what drives the per-yard number, how delivery is worked out, where the discounts come from, and how to see your complete total in about a minute without phoning anyone.
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A wet patch in the lawn is a water problem before it is a material problem. Here is how to tell which of the four causes you have, and what to put down for each one, from a load of fill to a proper drain.
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Cedar costs more than fir bark and lasts longer than both. Here is what the difference actually buys you, how deep to lay it, how much you need — and the one place around your house where no wood mulch belongs.
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The same stone comes in four sizes and two completely different behaviours. Minus packs into a hard surface; the larger sizes stay loose and decorative. Pick the wrong one and your driveway never firms up — or your garden bed turns into a parking pad.
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Adding more gravel to a muddy driveway usually buys you one season. Here are the three real fixes — a surface refresh, a fabric-and-base rebuild, and getting the water off — plus how to tell which one your driveway actually needs.
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A lasting lava-rock bed starts with clean ground, firm edging, and the right depth. Follow these steps for Black or Red Lava Rock.
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Black lava rock creates deep contrast. Red lava rock gives the yard a warmer, natural look. Compare the colours, sizes, and best uses before choosing.
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Three sands can look close in a pile and work very differently in the ground. Match the material to pipes, pavers, concrete, turf, or general fill.
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Give buried pipe an even bed and enough cover before the heavier fill goes back. This guide explains the depth, quantity, and ordering steps.
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A flat patio starts with the right base and a thin, even bedding layer. Compare Bedding Sand, Shale Sand, and Coarse Concrete Sand before you build.
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