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  Brian www.mibservices.co.uk April 21, 2012 at 12:30pm

  As long as you have enough depth, then no, but I would advise a spraying of residual herbicide around the edges to stop weed creep.
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  Colin Hunt April 21, 2012 at 12:34pm

  Agree with above, but gravel soon becomes a cats' toilet and may not be the best option for a kids play area.
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  Richard Thornton April 21, 2012 at 12:42pm

  Thanks, thought not! Suggested bark but customer wants gravel...
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  David Cox April 21, 2012 at 1:02pm

  Should be fine as long as you spray off any vegitation underneath.

  Dont forget to remind the customer that gravel is not low maintenance, but the opposite despite what people think!

  After 2 years enough dust and leaf matter will have made its way to the bototm to support grasses and tough weeds through the gravel. The gravel also does not hold herbicide (that) well so residual effects dont last as long as on other surfaces.
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  Gary, GS Grounds Maintenance April 21, 2012 at 3:17pm

  I agree with the bark chip idea. Also if you choose bark go for the child friendly bark chip.  This will prevent children from getting splinters !

  Gary

  GS Grounds Maintenance
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  Richard Thornton April 21, 2012 at 4:24pm

  Thanks, will give them the options!

  Richard
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  Tim Haywood April 21, 2012 at 5:34pm

  Paul, This is something that you have said several times before. I agree that a compacted sub base will mean one can use less gravel and avoid that 'walking on the beach' feel.

  However, how does a compacted sub base, impervious to pretty much everything other than water, differ from a landscape fabric? Surely the sub base will catch just as much organic matter as a fabric.

  Isn't any weed growth directly related to how much organic matter gets into the gravel rather than the base it sits upon? Keep leaf litter/muddy boots off the gravel and it will be weed free for longer.
  
  Paul @ PPCH Services said:

  Better to forget the membrane and lay 3" of compacted type one followed by 1" of chippings this way you will not get the weed problems a membrane creates by trapping organic matter, or the membrane becoming exposed in trafficked areas.
  
  Without a membrane the trafficking binds any organic mater that collects in to the mot so weed colonisation is not a very big problem. Likewise heavily trafficked areas bind so no ghastly plastic to become exposed.
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  phil smith yewtreelandscapes.com April 21, 2012 at 10:19pm

  my opinion would be if you have got to go down the gravel route then use (cerney shingle) its a bit like cotswold chippings and cats dont like digging in the bigger shingle, but you could always use the (rubber) bark chippings, they are not bark but look like bark and are rubber, softer for kids to land on and dont rot away, i think the last time i used them i got them from b&q
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  Mark & Yasmin Roworth April 22, 2012 at 8:04am

  For rubber chip play barks Neo Lay are great. Lots of colour choice and the price is reasonable. 
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  Lawncare-4u.co.uk April 23, 2012 at 2:31am

  I use the appropriate  GEOTEXTILE  underneath pegged down with plastic ground geo pegs on all gravel landscaping that i do ;

  drive geo 130+grams on driveways to stabalize the earth below (it spreads it out) to allow the weight of traffic so that it doesn't sink.

  weed geo  90+grams on landscaped areas to prevent weed growth underneath.

  fabric 70+ on earthed / planted areas to prevent weed growth.

  many are uv stabilized if purchased from a decent supplier online and do not rot due to sunlight within a few years.

  i agree if inches of wackered hardcore are underneath there is less need although you could do both,

  but if not all the hard work & materials are wasted when weed growth starts imminently  when birds drop seeds/soil on the gravel and its blown by the wind or dropped by customers while planting with compost.....

  ''buy cheap - pay twice''