Gravel patios are a great choice if you’re thinking about sprucing up your outdoor space without spending a lot of money. Small, smooth-finished, and multi-colored pea gravel is a favored hardscaping material for patios and other areas around the yard, like paths and driveways. It’s widely used for creating patios as it has a whole ton of benefits, though there are some drawbacks, too, let’s discuss both and look at some ideas before you decide yes or not.
What Is Pea Gravel?
Pea gravel is small, smooth, naturally rounded river rock, each stone about the size of a pea (3/8-inch). Also called CM-16 stone, pea stone, pea pebbles, or pea rock, pea gravel comes in a broad palette of colors, including gray, cream, tan, gold, black, and white. Pea gravel stones are irregular. Though the pieces are the size of peas, they are not uniformly round. Some pieces might be round, while others will be oval or have fractured shapes. When wet, the colors are vivid. So, pea gravel is sometimes used in garden ponds.
a boho gravel patio with a wicker sofa and pillows, a coffeee table, some potted greenery and lights over the space
a boho patio done with gravel, with a stained corner bench and printed pillows and cushions, some boho decor and greenery
a chic gravel patio with a sofa with pillows, a fire put, a rattan chair, greenery around and some potted plants
a cozy gravel patio with a fire pit, wooden chairs and a rattan one, potted plants and some blankets and pillows
a gravel patio by the fence, grey butterfly chairs, a pendant chair, some potted plants, rugs and lights
a gravel patio with a black metal fire pit, black metal chairs, a cork side table, potted plants and some lights around
a gravel patio with a dining zone with an umbrella and pillows, a gazebo with forged furniture, some greenery and potted plants around
a gravel patio with a fire pit, black chairs, side tables and lights over the space plus a cool river view
a gravel patio with a fire pit, outdoor chairs, a basket and some greenery and trees around is a cool space to stay
a gravel patio with black wooden chairs, a coffee table, some poufs, lanterns and greenery and trees around
a gravel tropical patio with a black fence, tropical plants, stained dining furniture, blue cushions and a roof
a large farmhouse patio with a wooden table and benches, potted trees and blooms and lights over the space
a lovely gravel patio with a stone table, stained chairs, a pendant lamp on the tree and some greenery around the space
a lovely modern gravel patio with a black fire pit, stained wooden chairs, potted greenery and large rocks
What Are Gravel Patios Pros?
The cost of pea gravel compared to other patio materials makes it an attractive option if you’re on a budget.
With pea gravel, there’s no need to worry about repainting or resealing. Also, if there’s a problem with your patio, it’s easier to correct.
Pea gravel patios can be installed in just a couple of days, depending on their size. If you have several people to help, you can make a pea gravel patio with nothing but hand tools and a decent wheelbarrow.
You can make your pea gravel patio in any shape imaginable. It’s as simple as changing the outside boundary. This makes it convenient when placing a patio in an awkward location or creating a meandering pathway.
One of the great things about pea gravel is its ability to seamlessly integrate into any backyard. With natural weathering, the stones will look like they’ve always been there!
If you have an area of your yard that’s always a muddy mess after heavy rains, you may want to consider replacing it with pea gravel. By separating the soil from the gravel with landscape fabric, you can prevent the two from mixing while allowing for better drainage.
Pea gravel is relatively simple to uninstall, so long as you used the proper underlayment to keep the stones separate from the soil.
a modern outdoor area with a hammock, grey chairs, poufs, a fire pit, some greenery and lights over the space
a modern and chic gravel patio with a metal fire pit, white seating furniture with pillows, potted plants around and some modern lights
a modern backyard with greenery and trees, wooden and metal benches and a dining table plus striped pillows
a modern boho patio with wicker seating furniture, a fire pit, a boho chair, some trees, lights and decor
a modern gazebo with a gravel floor, a wicker sofa with pillows, a fire pit and a black wicker chair is a lovely and cozy space
a modern gazebo with a grey outdoor sofa, a jute pouf and some seating furniture and grasses and greenery around
a modern gravel patio with a black fire pit, grey chairs with pillows, candle lanterns, potted greenery and trees around for a modern space
a modern gravel patio with a corner sofa, a fire pit, jute poufs, lights and an umbrella and potted plants around
a modern gravel patio with a dining zone with modern dark furniture, a living room with a sofa and stools, potted plants around
a modern gravel patio with a fire pit, black chairs, a deck with wooden seating furniture and lights over the space
a modern gravel patio with a metal fire pit, white chairs, rocks around and stumps as side tables is cozy
a modern gravel patio with a sofa with pillows, a fire pit, chairs with pillows, planted greenery around
a modern gravel patio with grey chairs, a fire pit, potted plants and a living wall next to the space
a modern gravel patio with wicker seating furniture, a pouf, planters with greenery and a side table with greenery
a modern gravel patoi with a wooden benchm tree stumps, a metal fire pit, trees and a black fence
a modern patio with a black fire pit, leather and wooden chairs, lights, pillows and candle lanterns is wow
What Are Gravel Patios Cons?
Honestly, the biggest pea gravel patio con is how it looks. Some people might just prefer other hardscaping materials. With that said, let’s talk about some of the most common practical complaints against pea gravel patios.
If you don’t use quality landscaping fabric, you will have weeds springing up all over! Not only does landscaping fabric block the sunlight from germinating seeds in the soil underneath, but it prevents dirt from mixing with the gravel and allowing new weeds to grow.
While pea gravel is typically lower maintenance than other patio surfaces, it’s not maintenance free. Keep a leaf blower on hand to keep debris off the surface, and occasionally rake the stones level.
Pea gravel is comfortable to walk on, even with bare feet. However, placing patio furniture on pea gravel is not always easy. You might have to bury the legs a little bit to get patio chairs rest securely, which can wear the bottom over time.
Some people have had issues with pea gravel getting all over the place or becoming a muddy mess in the rain. The key here is to take your time to tamp the pea gravel down and install a barrier around the outside border.
a pretty gravel patio with a fire pit, a grill, wooden loungers, a raised garden bed with blooms, lights, trees and a trellis is amazing
a pretty modern gravel patio with a fire put, leather butterfly chairs, a dining zone with green chairs and an umbrella
a rustic gravel patio with a round stained table and stool, black wooden chairs, candle lanterns and a tree around
a Scandinavian gravel patio with a black table and printed chairs, potted greenery, lanterns and raised garden beds with grenery
a Scandinavian patio with white chairs, a black fire pit, some trees and greenery around is a cool and lovely spac
a Scandinavian space with a black fire pit and chairs, a raised garden bed with greenery, candle lanterns and potted greenery to refresh the look
a small and cozy garden dining area with simple green metal furniture is located under the tree and is very inviting
a small and cozy gravel patio with a round stained table, black chairs, rocks around a cool tree is a cool and catchy space
a small and welcoming backyard done with gravel with a sofa, potted plants and blooms, climbing plants over the space and lights
a small and welcoming backyard with a fire pit zone and tree stumps with growing plants and trees, with a raised sitting zone with a sofa
a small backyard covered with wisteria and with an elegant vintage dining set plus greenery around is amazing
a small backyard turned into a secret garden with a living wall, some climbing plants and potted ones, a wooden dining set, some folding chairs
a small backyard with a couple of chairs, a bench and a coffee table, a hammock, some greenery and string lights over the space
a small modern backyard with gravel on the ground, with rattan furniture and potted plants and blooms
a small modern backyard with white gravel, rattan chairs, a fire pit and some potted plants is super stylish
a small yet cozy backyard with gravel on the ground, some rattan furniture and lots of greenery and white blooms around
a very cozy small backyard with lots of greenery and blooms, lights, paper lamps and some comfy furniture
a very small and cute dining space with green metal furniture and chairs and lots of blooms around
a white gravel patio with pritned chairs, a side table, some blooms and greenery is a cool idea to style the space by the fence