So, you’ve just started a new landscaping project and you’re ready to find out what type of decorative stone to use. It’s only a matter of preference, but there are some other factors to consider depending on what you’re using it for.
There are a few different types of decorative stone available, and it’s important to know the characteristics and features of each type before you buy. A landscaping project is meant to last, after all.
Here, we’re discussing the varieties of decorative stone you can use to complement your home’s exterior. Keep reading to learn more.
Lava Rock
Lava rock is an economical choice for a decorative stone that will cover a specified area. You can find it in lava red and various white, cream, gray, black and speckled colors. This is a porous rock, but it is also light and shaped irregularly. Lava rock is good for drainage and packs down well.
Many people use this stone in their driveways, gardens, and along pathways and walkways.
Crushed Gravel
Crushed gravel will cost you a little more, but it’s a prettier stone. It’s usually gray, white, or tan and shaped irregularly. It’s composed of sharp rock fragments.
The size of crushed gravel ranges from one-quarter inch to three-quarter inches, and it interlocks, which provides for good packing.
You can find crushed gravel on roads, driveways, and pathways. It’s also used for base rock.
Brick Chips
Brick chips are also good for drainage. They’re made from crushed fragments of bricks. As such, their terra cotta color makes a nice landscaping touch.
Sizes of brick chips range from three-quarter inch to one-and-one-quarter inches, and they’re generally used for mulch and driveway stone. This is not the most popular decorative stone available.
Marble
Marble rock for your landscape project will cost you extra, but the benefits are immense for your soil. It can actually change the pH to be less acidic.
Made from fragments of marble, marble stone is used to cover the soil in garden containers and houseplants as well as fountains.
You can typically find marble in five-pound bags in sizes that range from one-quarter inch to one-half inch.
River Rock
River rock is perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It’s natural and smooth, and it comes in shades of brown and grey.
River rock also provides good drainage and prevents erosion. You can find it in sizes of three-eighths inch to two-and-one-half inches. Many people use river rocks in their flower beds, garden beds, and on walkways.
Decorative Stone for Your Home’s Exterior
Choosing a stone for the exterior of your home doesn’t have to be stressful. Make a pros and cons list for each type of stone that you like, especially if you like them all. Narrow it down to just one or two, and then incorporate them into your design to create a flawless entryway or other landscape.
When you’re ready to lay the perfect stone for your next landscape project, contact us. We’re here to help with products and services that exceed general standards.
