Calculating the Amount of Gravel to Buy for Your Garden
Mukulika Mukherjee
Calculating the quantity of gravel required for your garden is not as difficult as it sounds, and read ahead how to do just that. Take a look, it's as easy as 1-2-3!
Did You Know?
It's important to convert the required quantity to tons, because gravel is mostly sold in tons.
If you have a pathway that turns muddy every time it rains, then you might consider filling it with gravel. Gravel is composed of rock fragments of a fairly uniform size, and you can find gravel in different sizes.
You can purchase these stones from the market in bulk, and they are available in different colors. When purchasing gravel for your garden or driveway, it helps to know exactly how much you would need. This way, you can cut down on wastage and save money in the process.
While finding it may sound difficult, the fact is that calculating the required quantity of gravel is an easy job. In fact, you can easily do it yourself, instead of looking for a professional to do it for you.
How to Calculate the Amount of Gravel for Your Garden
Here are a few simple steps that you need to follow in order to determine the quantity of gravel required to fill a given space.
Step 1 : Take Measurements
The very first step is to measure the length and width of the area that you wish to fill with gravel. This can be a small section of your garden, a pathway or a driveway.
Take a measuring tape and take the necessary measurements in inches. Convert this value to feet (1 inch = 0.0833333 feet). If you have a curved area, then divide the entire area into small rectangles to make the calculation easier.
Let's say, your pathway has a length of 20 feet and width of 6 feet.
Step 2 : Calculate the Area
Once you have taken the measurements, calculate the area of the region by multiplying the length and the width.
Area of the Pathway = Length x Width
So, Area of the Pathway = 20 x 6 = 120 sq. ft.
In case of a curved pathway, calculate the area of each individual rectangle using the given formula, and then add them together to get the total area of the pathway.
Step 3 : Consider the Thickness of Gravel
Once you have calculated the area of the pathway, then, decide the thickness of the layer of gravel. You can choose either a thick or thin layer, depending on the requirements. Let's say, it is 4 inches.
Step 4 : Calculate the Volume of Gravel
This step involves calculating the quantity of gravel that you'd require. For this, all you need to do is, multiply the total area of the pathway with the thickness of the gravel layer, to get the value in cubic feet.
Thus, Quantity of Gravel Required = Area of the Pathway x Thickness of Gravel layer
Thus, for a 4-inch thick layer of gravel on a pathway that has an area of 120 square feet, the quantity of gravel required is 480 cubic feet.
Step 5 : Convert the Value to Tons
Once you've calculated the total quantity of gravel required in cubic feet, the next step is to convert it to tons. Why? Well, it's because gravel is mostly sold in tons. For this, just multiply the value in cubic feet by the density of the gravel you intend to use.
However, for a layer of gravel that is 2-inch deep, an area of 100 square feet requires approximately 1 U.S. ton of gravel.
Hence, for an area of 120 square feet, you'd roughly require 1.2 U.S. tons of gravel.
So, you see that it is indeed easy to calculate the amount of gravel required to fill your pathway or a part of your garden. Hope you find this guide useful.