Laying 'membrane' in the garden?

Question

I need to lay a membrane in my back garden and then cover it with gravel. Is there anything I should know or do? (Serious answers only please)

Answer 1

if you buy it from a garden centre, you'll pay through the nose for it. go to a builders merchant and ask for terram. comes in 50m x 1m, 50m x 2m and various larger sizes. know any builders? they may have a part roll knocking about..

you need a good 12'' overlap between joints and if you've dug a square hole for example you can frame it using 12' 3.5''x1.5'' fence rails with 2' 2''x2'' pegs at both ends and as required, knock the pegs in until flush with top of rail\as far as it will and cut flush.

alternatively, just use cobbles etc to keep it down

Answer 2

Don't use plastic. Use the 'weed fabric' you get from a hardware store or garden center, it is designed for this purpose.

Try to get rid of as much of the vegetation under the area as you can. Dig it out and perhaps use a herbicide. If you don't, it will eventually push through or grow around the fabric.

Get some inexpensive tent stakes (from a discount hardware store) to hold down the fabric. This will make it much easier to get it laid, stop it from shifting when you pour the gravel or mulch over it, and deter animals from digging it up.

Answer 3

make sure you have the levels that you require lay the membrane , and do not skrimp on the gravel.because as you walk over it it will sink into the membrane so put a good thickness down. you will find out that I am right when you do not put enough down, And I told you so

Answer 4

yes a membrane is excellent,i used bark on top of mine but the cats are scratching it up,gravel is a much better idea,the membrane i used is very tough so the cats didn't do much damage,do not use plastic bags as it rips very easily so it is just false economy,good luck

Answer 5

dig enough out of the land to start with, get it flat, cover the whole area with the membrane, any joints made good, dig the edges in if possible to make it secure. I constantly have to redo mine because I didt do it right to start with.

Answer 6

You need to know the psychological basis behind your desire to sterilise nature. Wouldn't it be nicer to kill the weeds off and then carpet the area with something like creeping thyme or lawn chamomile instead?

Answer 7

why not use black bin bags, i did that in mine, now no weeds and a lot cheaper too.