Pullman Stone Delivery

Will landscape rock keep weeds out of my beds?

It slows them, but it will not stop them. Palouse wind carries a steady supply of seed, and once organic dust and needle litter collect in the voids between stones you have a seedbed sitting on top of your rock. Install quality fabric underneath, plan on blowing debris out of the rock each fall, and expect to spot treat a few volunteers each spring.

How much does a yard of stone weigh, and can my driveway handle it?

Most gravel and crushed rock runs between 2600 and 3000 pounds per cubic yard, so a five yard load is roughly seven tons before the truck itself. On older Pullman properties with narrow or steep drives, tell us in advance and we can split the delivery or place the load at the street to avoid cracking asphalt or getting stuck on a wet grade.

Should I use stone instead of mulch around my foundation?

On the south and west sides of a Pullman house, stone often makes sense because those strips bake in the high elevation sun and organic mulch breaks down and blows out. Just keep in mind that rock radiates heat, so avoid it around plants that struggle in a Pullman August. On the north side, hardwood mulch is usually the better call.

What do I need behind a retaining wall on a Palouse hillside?

Clean three quarter inch drain rock, twelve inches thick, with fabric separating it from the silt loam behind. Palouse silt holds a lot of water in spring and the pressure it puts on a wall during snowmelt is what fails most Pullman retaining walls. The drain rock plus a perforated pipe at the base gives that water somewhere to go before it pushes on the block.

Can I build a dry creek bed to handle runoff on my lot?

It is one of the more effective fixes in Pullman. Trace where snowmelt already runs across your yard, excavate a shallow channel, line it with fabric, then place a base of angular rock topped with rounded river cobble. This channels spring runoff away from the foundation and low spots while looking intentional the rest of the year when it sits dry.

Does gravel heave or shift over a Pullman winter?

Well compacted angular rock over a proper base handles freeze and thaw fine. Problems show up when stone is placed directly on undisturbed silt loam, which holds water, freezes, and pushes the rock upward into an uneven surface. A four to six inch compacted base with fabric beneath it prevents nearly all of that movement through a Pullman winter.