Removing pea gravel from large area

534 Views 22 Replies 6 Participants Last post by de-nagorg, 3 d ago

wrbrb

Discussion Starter · 15 d ago

Does anyone have any tips or a process they use to separate small pea gravel from soil? I have an area about 14' by 26' and I want to plant grass. It has everything from several inches of gravel on top of the soil, to gravel mixed into the soil. I'm planning on using a shovel and wheelbarrow to scoop up and move the gravel, but what about separating the gravel from the soil where it's mixed in?

I figure I only need to remove enough to get grass to grow, so maybe a half gravel half soil situation would be okay for that? I will still need to be sifting a lot of areas, I think.

I know there is 1/4" x 1/4" hardware cloth, or actual smaller window screen material, but I'm looking to buy something locally that is maybe closer to 1/8" squares

Or if there's a better way to do this, please let me know. There is probably not enough vertical space to add more fill on top, so I think I have to sift and move it.

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chandler48

· #2 · 15 d ago

If you could make a sluice of 2x4's and the 1/4" screening, tilted up or set on saw horses and wash the dirt back into the soil, it would leave clean pea gravel you could reuse.

Reactions: 4

HotRodx10

· #3 · 15 d ago

If you have Menard's nearby, they have the 1/8" mesh hardware cloth. If not, there's always Amazon:

Seboss 1/8 Hardware Cloth 24in. x 10ft. 27 Gauge - $25.99

Reactions: 1

notnew2diy

· #4 · 14 d ago

At times Im lazy(smile).
Grass grows in my gravel driveway.
If it was me...
...I'd remove any larger stones, size that would cause damage if flung by the mower.
...Level the area.
...Plant grass seed.
...Add enough top soil to cover the seed. Don't need much.

HTH...Don.

Reactions: 2

wrbrb

Discussion Starter · #5 · 14 d ago

notnew2diy said:
At times Im lazy(smile).
Grass grows in my gravel driveway.
If it was me...
...I'd remove any larger stones, size that would cause damage if flung by the mower.
...Level the area.
...Plant grass seed.
...Add enough top soil to cover the seed. Don't need much.

HTH...Don.

Thanks for that input. I think I'm going to make a sifter out of 2x6 and 1/8" hardware cloth, shovel up and sift the actual piles of gravel. But then in places where the gravel is compacted into the soil and not too dense, I'll probably just put the seed and some top soil on it and see how it does.

notnew2diy

· #6 · 14 d ago

wrbrb said:
make a sifter out of 2x6 and 1/8" hardware cloth

Make it big enough to sit on top of your wheel barrow.
The fines can be dumped where ever.
The bigger pieces can be put in a garbage can.

Good luck...Don.

Reactions: 1

zircon

· #7 · 12 d ago

I used a leaf rake on a similar project. It is good at pulling the gravel out of the dirt and leaving the dirt behind.

de-nagorg

· #8 · 12 d ago

At the rental store they have a tool called a HARLEY RAKE.

It is used by pulling it with a riding mower, and it digs a few inches at a time, separates the gravels from the dirt, puts the dirt back, puts the gravel in an onboard bin to dump elsewhere.

They are also sometimes self-propelled, no towing needed.

ED

wrbrb

Discussion Starter · #9 · 4 d ago

Does this soil look like it has too much clay for a dry well to be effective, or would it likely work if when I keep digging there isn't much more clay than this in the mix?

And separate question, does the object in the last photo look like potentially 1970s landscape fabric? I found it while digging, a couple inches below the pea gravel.

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de-nagorg

· #10 · 4 d ago

wrbrb said:
Does this soil look like it has too much clay for a dry well to be effective, or would it likely work if when I keep digging there isn't much more clay than this in the mix?

And separate question, does the object in the last photo look like potentially 1970s landscape fabric? I found it while digging, a couple inches below the pea gravel.

View attachment 745419

View attachment 745418

View attachment 745420

Take some of your soil, place it in a clear jar, fill the jar almost full of water, cap it.

Shake the SNOT out of the jar.

Set it aside for 2 hours, then look at the settlings, Solids will be on the bottom, clay next, sand next then silt.

The top layer will be the organics.

Then you will know the approximate percentages of your soil.
As for that mystery material, it looks more like a bag for electronic equipment protection from static electricity to me.

ED

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wrbrb

Discussion Starter · #11 · 3 d ago (Edited)

Just as a separate test, I filled the hole with a garden hose. After about an hour and a half, it was half empty. After three hours it was completely empty. So I'm guessing that's decent drainage time.

Edit: apparently this is called a perc test and I need to fill the hole with water again and check that it has drained within 24 hours so I will do that now

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wrbrb

Discussion Starter · #12 · 3 d ago

Perc test successful. I filled it again at 10:30pm and by 7:30 this morning it was empty.

So I'm thinking grade everything to the center, dry well in the center with surface inlet.

And then maybe two 10' channel drains? Or a couple catch basins?

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wrbrb

Discussion Starter · #13 · 3 d ago

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wrbrb

Discussion Starter · #14 · 3 d ago

And does anyone have any tips on grading tilled very clumpy dirt? Is wetting it helpful or just messy? I was thinking dragging a 2x around would possibly work, but it needs to be tamped back down too...

de-nagorg

· #15 · 3 d ago

I see that you say it is tilled, By what?

If that mess were mine, I would be renting a garden tiller, and till it just like a garden is done.

Then it will be mixed well, and lumps broken up, and easily raked by hand.

The area looks small, you should be done in about an hour.

ED

wrbrb

Discussion Starter · #16 · 3 d ago

I just used a pitchfork to turn the ground, bringing the dirt to the top and letting the gravel fall down, which I think would help with grass growing.

de-nagorg

· #17 · 3 d ago

wrbrb said:
I just used a pitchfork to turn the ground, bringing the dirt to the top and letting the gravel fall down, which I think would help with grass growing.

I understand. A garden tiller will do a great job, any rental store has them, in demand this time of year.

Reactions: 1

wrbrb

Discussion Starter · #18 · 3 d ago

So you think rent a tiller to break up the clumps, and then rake it to grade, then the dry well?

de-nagorg

· #19 · 3 d ago

wrbrb said:
So you think rent a tiller to break up the clumps, and then rake it to grade, then the dry well?

Do you have a problem with standing water, or excess flooding in storms?

I am wondering why you want the dry well?

ED

wrbrb

Discussion Starter · #20 · 3 d ago

This is the low point on the entire property, and is blocked by a property line, house, garage, and driveway. In my opinion they built the "new" (1970s) garage way too high, and they raised the soil level around the house. During storms, water infiltrates the crawlspace and I am trying to put an end to that. I am already routing a couple downspouts along the property line all the way to the front yard in 4" PVC, but I would like to add a couple more downspouts and/or a sump pump to that. So I was thinking a dry well would handle surface water that flows to this area, and the grade would keep it out of the crawlspace.

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