Need help with putting concrete gravel boards as edging

Hi everyone,

I am halfway into my first gardening project! I am planning to replace the turf at a damp end of my lawn with gravel. I have dug everything up and before I put membrane and gravel down, I need to put the edging on one end.

I want to use rockfaced gravel boards 6ft x 1ft (see pic below) as edging. However I do not want to install concrete fence posts as I don't have the machinery to do that. I think the area will only need 2-3 gravel boards in a line to cover the edging.

My dilemma is, how can I ensure that these are fitted sturdy enough in the soil without use of concrete posts? Please see pic below, you can see where I want to install the gravel boards in pic.

Thanks

 

It all depends how much of the gravel board you want to see, you could dig out a trench and bed the gravel boards in with concrete but personally I'd want them buried at least 6" deep (I definitely wouldn't just dig out and tamp soil around them you'd end up doing it again)

 

Hi,

Thanks for the response. Can you tell me how should I put the concrete in the trench? Do I need to put the concrete mixture into the trench or put dry concrete into the trench, then add water? Lastly, do I need to put concrete at the base of the gravel board?

Sorry for the barrage of questions! I could not find the answers on internet as the gravel baords are usually fitted with concrete posts set in.

 

I like to mix mine wet, put 3" or 4" into the trench, tamp the gravel boards down and get a level on them, then fill in with more concrete to the level you want.

 

Hi,

Assume you mean an edging to the row of red blocks by the wire frame ?

Using those gravel boards, which are mega heavy, seems total overkill, unless you need a very high edge ..?

Its much more normal to use one of these types of concrete edging, round/smooth top or scalloped types etc.
eg Edging, Coping Stones & Kerbs | Wickes

They are about 150mm deep and typically at least half+ should be below the ground level and set in concrete, about 75mm deep with a shoulder up the exposed side.

How much concrete will depend your site and depth you want to set it to.

You really need to buy a couple of bags and see how far they go, you have a choice of ready made post types where you just pour water onto, ready prepared bags of concrete that need mixing with water, both quiet expensive, or just buy bags of Gravel, Sand and cement and mix your own with a ratio of 4:2:1 Gravel, Sand, Cement mix.

If it was me, as the ground looks hard, I would just lay them against the blocks and ram some treated wooded stakes in to hold them in place, to just below ground level, if they do get knocked out of place then concrete them in.

 

Hi,

Thanks for your response. I want to put the gravel board between the soil edge and bricks part. It had rotten timber wood which I have now taken off.

I think, being a noob I will go for a mix. I am looking at getting 'Blue Circle Ready To Use Postcrete - 20kg' from WICKES

Sorry I cannot post a link due to being a newish member so if you don't mind, google the above. It says one bag is sufficient for 1 fence post. Not sure how many bags I will need to fit 2 gravel boards with the postcrete bags.

 

Thanks. Do you mean to say fill in with more wet concrete to set the level? Or use dry for levelling?

 

If you have a wickes near you they sell bags of sand and gravel already mixed, 1 bag of cement and 2 or 3 bags of sand and gravel should be enough, mix them 5 to 1 sand gravel to cement, mix it with water until you can hold a handful without it falling apart (to wet and it won't hold the gravel board) put 3" or 4" of the mix in the trench then sit the gravel boards on the mix, tamp them down so they are level then assuming they will be sitting against the blocks fill in the front of the gravel boards with more mixed concrete, I know it seems long winded but if you do it right first time you won't have to do it again.

 

Postcrete is expensive and a bag will not go very far. It also cures frighteningly fast so you would need everything in place and levelled before you put the postcrete in.

Id go with the suggestion above

 

Hi,

Whatever you buy you will have to get 2-3 bags and see how far they go, it all depends on how You use them, some folk are frugal , some liberal.

Have a look at this site which has just about everything you need to know about paving , edging and concrete mixes.
Paving Expert - Block Paving - Edge Courses

 

Makes sense then as a noob I will go for getting cement and ballast separate. The cost is not that different, only £3-4 difference between postcrete and separate cement & ballast, due to the size of my project not being massive.