Landscape fabric's decent for weeds, I'll give you that, but honestly, drainage-wise...meh. A few years back, I built a fire pit for a client who insisted on landscape fabric underneath. Worked fine for weeds, but after heavy rains, water pooled a bit longer than I'd like. Not a huge safety issue, just kinda annoying. If you're worried about drainage, maybe add a layer of gravel beneath the fabric next time—helps water move through quicker and keeps things tidy.
"Worked fine for weeds, but after heavy rains, water pooled a bit longer than I'd like."
Interesting point about the drainage...makes me wonder if landscape fabric might actually trap moisture underneath and cause issues long-term. Has anyone noticed mold or mildew buildup from this? Gravel seems like a smart workaround, but I'm curious if there's another material that's more breathable but still effective against weeds.
Good point about the gravel—it definitely helps with drainage. I've noticed landscape fabric can indeed lead to moisture buildup underneath, especially after extended rains. Personally, I've had better luck using coarse sand beneath gravel...breathes better and still keeps weeds manageable.
I've tried coarse sand too, but honestly didn't notice much difference with weeds. Maybe my sand wasn't coarse enough? Gravel alone seems fine for drainage, though—never had moisture issues even after heavy rain. Might skip the fabric next time.
"Gravel alone seems fine for drainage, though—never had moisture issues even after heavy rain."
Same here, gravel's been solid for me too. I skipped the fabric last summer, and honestly haven't regretted it yet. One thing I noticed though—using slightly larger gravel (around 3/4 inch) seems to reduce weed growth noticeably compared to finer stuff. Maybe weeds struggle more to root properly? Anyway, saved a few bucks skipping fabric and finer sand, so no complaints there...
