Foundation ground cover and landscaping or hardscaping
As I work to install an underground gutter or underground roof around my ICF house during construction, I am looking for a solution for how to finish the ground cover, particularly between the foundation and the drip line.
I have considered gravel, but inevitably, even with weed barrier fabric, weeds will grow. Perhaps this is still the best solution.
I could pour a concrete slab in this area, along the perimeter of the foundation, but that wouldn’t necessarily look very appealing.
I would really like to consider some sort of green cover, one that does not require a large amount of water, but this is likely a pipe dream without enough soil below to promote root growth – which is also probably problematic next to the foundation. However, I do like the idea of using natural plants to help control water.
I have attached a photo of the house. As mentioned, exterior walls are ICF. The central house is over a full basement with the remainder on conditioned crawl space. I have not had any problems with flooding or uncontrolled moisture in the past 2 years of construction. I do want to be careful about fouling the drainage tile at the footer on the outside of the foundation. The back fill around that foundation is about 2-3′ wide of pea gravel.
I cannot find any literature on GBA on this topic specifically. I look forward to any and all suggestions. Thanks
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Long term "weed barriers" cannot work. Organic material inevitably builds up on top of it allowing weeds a place to grow. Any weed barrier that allows water to move through it, roots will be able to grow through eventually.
I would put a good edging (I like Curv-Rite aluminum) in past your roof's drip line. Pack in 3-4" of 3/4" with fines crushed rock sloping away from the house. If your pea gravel foundation drain bed extends upward in elevation to the bottom of the 3/4" minus rock, separate the two with a layer of fabric so that the fines in the 3/4" minus don't migrate down into your pea gravel. Put a small ditch near the edging for your drain tile running to daylight if possible. Then cover that with 1" of 3/8" clean limestone chips, Skreed off the chips, lightly tamp, then saturate that with a rock/mulch binder. You may have other colors/types of 3/8 chips available in your area that would work as well. That will largely hold it in place with light traffic/ rainfall off roof. Then add plantings/groundcovers as desired outside that. Keeps a nice dry area around the house, keeps plants far away for easy inspection of house/cladding etc, looks nice and is relatively inexpensive. Also is easier to blow out debris than, typical in my area, 2-3" river rock.
Could also install pavers for a nicer look at a greater expense if you are sure your foundation backfill is firm/stable.
Thanks for the suggestion. Would you happen to have a photo or 2 to share? Are you saying the limestone chips cover the drain tile all the way back to the foundation (over the 3/4" crushed stone)?
I don't appear to have any good photos but you can see the chips and edging in a path application here. And a drawing
That's helpful, thanks!
Weed barriers do in fact work
IF you pull the topsoil and spread a thick layer of gravel, it can be relatively weed free for a long period of time.
My northish facing under deck area has crushed stone and does not require real maintenance after 50 years.
I had a bad experience with landscaping paper/weed fabric around my foundation. It was in place for about 10 years and replenished almost yearly with wood mulch by the previous owner. The fabric and mulch did make the weeds almost non-existent. What happens over time, the holes in the fabric eventually got clogged with sediment and water pooled and ran in unexpected ways. I eventually figured out the fabric was the cause of a window well filling like a pool in heavy rain and dumping into the basement. It also created a river under a nearby sidewalk which led to erosion and the concrete sinking. The fabric and mulch also made it impossible to tell the slope of the ground and make any adjustments. Removing the fabric eliminated the problem but it was not easily done.