Number 57 crushed stone, angular limestone graded to about three quarters of an inch. The standard driveway, base and drainage gravel, it locks together under traffic and drains fast.
I used Mulch Mound to have 3 cubic yards of garden soil delivered. The process was easy and I love that I didn't have to call anyone. I placed my order online, picked my delivery date, laid out my tarp and the dirt was delivered. My delivery had to be pushed back, but I was ke...
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How Much Material Do I Need?
For decorative ground cover and pathway applications in Altoona, a 2 to 3 inch depth of stone provides solid coverage and good weed suppression through the growing season. For drainage applications in chronically wet Altoona areas, fill to your desired grade and allow for natural settling of about half an inch over the first full winter before adding a final top-off layer.
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What is a yard?
A yard is approximately 27 cubic feet. As a general guideline, one yard of material can cover an area of about 100-160 square feet at a 2-3 inch depth.
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About this stone
Number 57 crushed stone, angular limestone graded to about three quarters of an inch. The standard driveway, base and drainage gravel, it locks together under traffic and drains fast.
I used Mulch Mound to have 3 cubic yards of garden soil delivered. The process was easy and I love that I didn't have to call anyone. I placed my order online, picked my delivery date, laid out my tarp and the dirt was delivered. My delivery had to be pushed back, but I was ke...
How Much Material Do I Need?
For decorative ground cover and pathway applications in Altoona, a 2 to 3 inch depth of stone provides solid coverage and good weed suppression through the growing season. For drainage applications in chronically wet Altoona areas, fill to your desired grade and allow for natural settling of about half an inch over the first full winter before adding a final top-off layer.
Use our free gravel calculator
What is a yard?
A yard is approximately 27 cubic feet. As a general guideline, one yard of material can cover an area of about 100-160 square feet at a 2-3 inch depth.
I used Mulch Mound to have 3 cubic yards of garden soil delivered. The process was easy and I love that I didn't have to call anyone. I placed my o...
Read full review
I used Mulch Mound to have 3 cubic yards of garden soil delivered. The process was easy and I love that I didn't have to call anyone. I placed my order online, picked my delivery date, laid out my tarp and the dirt was delivered. My delivery had to be pushed back, but I was kept informed via text, which was great. So why not 5 stars? The description of garden soil on the website is "A balanced mix of topsoil and organic amendments ready for raised beds, flower gardens, and new planting areas. Good drainage, solid nutrients, easy to work with." What I got was more like fill dirt. It had a lot of gravel, a lot of clay, and random trash mixed in. I didn't test the soil to see if it actually had "amendments" because I already have compost and alpaca manure ready to add, but if I'd known the quality of the dirt was going to be the same as the bagged dirt I bought last year, I probably would have gotten 2 yards of top soil and a yard of leaf compost for better quality, especially since the leaf compost is cheaper. Photo of my mountain of dirt and just some of the trash I found in it.
To estimate stone for a pathway or border in Altoona, measure the length and width of the area in feet and multiply to get square footage. For a 2-inch depth, divide square footage by 162 to get cubic yards, and for a 3-inch depth divide by 108. Because Altoona's silt loam settles and shifts during freeze-thaw cycles, adding 10 percent extra to your order ensures you have enough material to top off any settled areas the following spring.
Stone Types We Deliver in Altoona
Mulch Mound delivers bulk stone by the cubic yard straight to homes and properties across Altoona, Pennsylvania. Whether you are searching for bulk gravel by the yard in Altoona or planning a larger landscaping project, we make ordering simple and convenient. Our stone arrives loose and ready to spread, saving you trips to the store and keeping your project on schedule.
Pea Gravel
Pea gravel is a go-to choice for Altoona homeowners who want a clean, low-maintenance ground cover that holds up through Pennsylvania winters. Its smooth, rounded edges make it comfortable underfoot on patios and walkways, and its natural earth tones complement the wooded, hilly landscapes common to this region. It also supports drainage in yards with heavier clay soils.
Complete Your Outdoor Stone Project
Stone borders and pathways pair naturally with bulk mulch in Altoona landscapes, with stone defining edges and handling high-traffic areas while mulch covers the planting beds in between. If you are also regrading or building up low spots in your yard, our bulk soil can establish the proper base grade before stone is applied as the finished surface layer.
In Altoona, the ground shifts noticeably during the long freeze-thaw period between October and April at our elevation. Before laying any stone pathway or border, compact a 2-inch base layer of crushed stone or gravel beneath your decorative surface. This base layer moves gradually with frost pressure rather than heaving unevenly, keeping your finished surface level and visually consistent year after year without major resetting work.
Mulch Mound Pro Tip
Altoona's silt loam produces persistent weed pressure from May through September, and weeds will push up through stone areas without proper preparation. When installing stone in beds or along pathways, always lay a professional-grade landscape fabric beneath the stone layer. Fabric dramatically reduces weed breakthrough and makes pulling the occasional weed that does appear much simpler. Avoid thin plastic sheeting, which traps moisture against silt loam and creates drainage problems that defeat the purpose of using stone.
Mulch Mound Pro Tip
Stone around foundation plantings is especially valuable on Altoona properties because 41 inches of annual rainfall keeps soil pressed against foundation walls consistently moist for long stretches of the year. Use a 2 to 3 inch layer of crushed stone in a 12-inch-wide strip along the foundation perimeter, sloped slightly away from the house. This simple addition improves drainage, discourages insects that nest in persistently moist soil, and reduces the moisture-driven freeze-thaw damage that affects many Altoona home foundations over time.
The Unique Landscape of Altoona
Stone is one of the most durable and low-maintenance landscaping materials available to Altoona homeowners dealing with the region's demanding conditions. The freeze-thaw cycles that occur repeatedly between October and April at 1,161 feet of elevation can heave and crack softer hardscape materials, but properly placed natural stone stays stable and attractive year after year without seasonal maintenance. Altoona's 41 inches of annual rainfall also creates genuine erosion and drainage concerns on the sloped lots common throughout Blair County, and stone is one of the most effective long-term ways to manage water runoff. The silt loam soil throughout Altoona turns muddy in wet seasons, and stone pathways and borders eliminate problem areas in high-traffic parts of the yard where grass struggles to survive. Stone also reduces the ongoing maintenance burden around foundation plantings and accent beds where mowing and edging are impractical. From decorative river rock to functional drainage gravel, the right stone product solves practical problems while adding lasting visual appeal to any Altoona property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click a question to see the answer
Answer
What type of stone works best for yard pathways in Altoona?
Crushed limestone and pea gravel are both popular choices for Altoona yard pathways. Crushed limestone compacts firmly and stays in place through freeze-thaw cycles, which is important at Altoona's elevation where the ground moves considerably between October and April. Pea gravel provides a softer, more decorative look and drains extremely well, which is genuinely valuable given the 41 inches of annual rainfall Altoona receives.
Answer
How does stone help with the drainage problems my Altoona property has every spring?
Altoona's silt loam soil does not absorb heavy rain quickly, and sloped lots throughout the city develop runoff channels and surface erosion during spring rain events. Placing crushed stone or river gravel in low-lying areas and along natural water paths slows runoff, filters sediment, and channels water away from foundations and planting areas. This is a long-term, maintenance-free solution compared to trying to regrade silt loam that will shift and compact again after every winter.
Answer
Will decorative stone fade or break down after a few Altoona winters?
Natural stone is exceptionally resistant to Altoona's winter conditions. The freeze-thaw cycles at 1,161 feet of elevation crack concrete and damage other hardscape materials over time, but natural stone simply moves slightly with the ground and settles back into place without degrading. River rock and decorative gravel will look essentially the same after ten Altoona winters as they did on the day of installation.
Answer
How much stone do I need for a French drain or drainage channel in my Altoona yard?
For a standard French drain in an Altoona yard, a trench about 6 inches wide and 12 inches deep is typical. To fill that trench, plan on roughly 0.02 cubic yards of stone per linear foot of trench length. Many Altoona drainage projects run 20 to 40 feet, which puts the total material need at 0.5 to 1 cubic yard of drainage stone, plus additional stone for a decorative surface layer if you want the drain to blend into the surrounding landscape.
Answer
Can I use stone around my foundation to stop water from getting into my Altoona home?
Foundation borders of crushed stone are a practical and effective choice in Altoona because silt loam holds moisture against foundation walls for extended periods after heavy rain events. Replacing a 12 to 18 inch strip of soil against your foundation with crushed gravel allows water to drain away quickly instead of pooling and saturating. This is especially valuable on north and east-facing foundations in Altoona that stay wet and shaded well into late spring.
Answer
Is stone a good alternative in the parts of my yard where mulch keeps washing away in the rain?
Stone is an excellent permanent alternative in sloped beds and areas with concentrated water flow in Altoona yards. Mulch migrates on slopes during heavy spring rains, requiring annual replenishment, cleanup, and bed edging work to keep things tidy. Stone stays where you place it through any rainfall event and requires no seasonal replacement or rework. The tradeoff is that stone does not contribute organic matter to silt loam soil the way decomposing mulch does over time.
Answer
What size stone looks best for decorative garden borders and accent areas in Altoona?
For decorative borders and garden accents in Altoona, 1 to 2 inch river rock or decorative gravel provides a clean, polished look that is easy to spread and work with. Smaller pea gravel works well inside planting beds but scatters onto lawns and paths more easily, which is a real concern in yards that experience concentrated rain runoff. Larger 2 to 4 inch stone is a better choice for borders that need to hold their position through Altoona's wet spring months.
Answer
Is there a stone yard near Altoona?
Repeated freeze and thaw swings from October through April mean Altoona driveways and paths need a firm crushed stone base that locks together and resists heaving. You can skip the stone yard entirely, since Mulch Mound delivers crushed stone by the cubic yard right to your site. There's no need to track down a quarry or load anything yourself.
