Question
I live in Queen Creek, AZ and have a small 40' x 36' back yard with a 14' x 28' pool and a 12' x 10' patio. I tried putting sod throughout the entire backyard but was unable to maintain it and it has all pretty much died (my 85lb dobe didn't help).  What I am thinking about doing is digging out all the grass and covering the ground with 3/4" - 1 1/2" river rock instead. That way it would be less maintenance and I could run an extension off the front yard sprinkler system and put some plant life in the back also. Also river rock would be softer to the barefoot alot more than other rocks I think. Have you ever seen anyone use river rock in their backyards before, other than "river beds"?

Thanks,
Brian

Answer
If this is for your dog to run in then you'll want a smaller rock, such as pea gravel. This is the most comfortable and safe for your dog. You will want about 4" of it minimum. I would also put down about 4" of compacted crushed granite dust first so the pea gravel doesn't get pressed into the dirt below.

But there is nothing stopping you from using river rock and no logical reason you can't use river rock anywhere you want except that bigger rock is not comfortable or safe for dogs with small paws.


Sean J Murphy, LA,ISA, LEED AP
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