Adding landscaping around the home is a great way to add curb appeal and improve the aesthetic outside. If you are wondering if you want to use mulch or stone around the foundation of the house, stone is a much better option.
Although stone will cost more at the time of installation, it is the more affordable option over time. Here are some of the reasons why you want to choose stone over mulch at the base of your home.
Avoid Pest Problems
Mulch is wood that gets wet and can then attract pests. There are many different pests that love to burrow and eat mulch, like termites, carpenter ants, and earwigs. You won't have this problem when you switch to stone for your landscaping needs.
Enjoy a One Time Investment
Over time mulch will deteriorate, blow away, fade, and you will have to put new mulch down. This is time-consuming and the cost will be substantial over the years when you add up the total. Putting down a stone like river rock is something that you will only have to do once, and then you will be enjoying the benefits for decades.
Evade Moisture Problems
Mulch will absorb water, and then hold this water around the foundation of your home. This means pooling water, and water that is trying to seep into the concrete base of your house. This can cause foundation problems, mold problems, and drainage concerns.
With the proper preparations, rock can last outside your home for decades. Make sure that you have weeded the area where you want the rocks to go and removed all the vegetation. You can also treat it with weed killer or other products to make sure nothing tries to grow back.
Make sure that the ground is firm. If it isn't, you may want to bring some dirt in and pack everything down so the soil is tight.
From there you will want to put down a fabric sheeting. Cut this to go where you will be putting the rocks. It holds the rocks in place, prevents them from sinking into the dirt, and prevents sunlight from getting to the ground so that no new plants are trying to grow up.
Adding stone around your home is going to improve the look, and then you don't have to worry about maintaining the stone after. Avoid mulch and all the problems it can bring when decorating the outside of the home.
With the ever-increasing scale and complexity of construction projects, many construction companies struggle to meet deadlines and stay on budget. Thankfully, the increased adoption of new technologies in construction makes it easier to streamline the entire project management process and improve project outcomes.
We recognize the important role that technology plays in fostering the rapid growth of the construction industry. That’s why we find time to research new and emerging trends in construction so we can analyze and predict their potential impact on the industry.
While we do our best to give you valuable information about the construction industry, the content on this site does not constitute professional advice and should be used for general information purposes only.