# Forum Home Renovation Landscaping, Gardening & Outdoors  Help needed - Solidifying a gravel path

## illcrabmagik

I have lots of fine (7mm) gravel paths around the garden. Mostly sandwiched between brick courses, but also spread around raised vegetable beds.  When we walk on them we dent them and when the dog runs on them he sends gravel flying everywhere. I'd like to compact them and make them a bit harder wearing.  
I'd have to manually compact them because a machine isn't going to fit in the space between the brick courses, I also need to know how to bind the gravel better than it is right now. 
So can anyone help me out in telling me what sort of contraption I need to rig up to compact the gravel, and how to bind it - for example can I just throw some dry cement over the top of it? 
Any advice would be greatfully received.

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## Vernonv

I assume by gravel you are referring to small stones/pebbles. If so, gravel bases are very hard (impossible?) to compact. We had a similar problem at our place and ended up putting down a crushed granite base with a sprinkling of gravel over the top (1 layer thick). It doesn't really stop the gravel being kicked up, but it is a lot less likely to happen. 
We laid the granite base over plastic, compacted it by stamping on it with our feet and bit's of heavy timber and then laid the gravel over the top.

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## dazzler

Sweep some cement in with it and dampen with the hose perhaps.

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## China

Scoop up the gravel put in in a wheel barrow and toss it out, replace it with one of the various compactable fillings that are avalable, you will never get gravel to stay put

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## Terrian

> Scoop up the gravel put in in a wheel barrow and toss it out, replace it with one of the various compactable fillings that are avalable, you will never get gravel to stay put

   :2thumbsup:   
If you really want that gravel look, mix up concrete, and when it is geting close to being set hose of the top, leaving exposed gravel finish  :Smilie:  
The only gravel that I have seen that stays put on a pathway, is easy to walk on, and looks good is Castella 14/10 screenings, a brownish colour

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## illcrabmagik

Thanks for the help everyone.  
The gravel is actually 7mm screening. Light grey, tiny chips of stone. I'm wondering if a dry mix of that and cement would set. 
Ta.

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## Terrian

> Thanks for the help everyone.  
> The gravel is actually 7mm screening. Light grey, tiny chips of stone. I'm wondering if a dry mix of that and cement would set. 
> Ta.

  It would be just as easy to used the 7mm agg to make proper concrete  :Smilie:

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## Planned LScape

> Thanks for the help everyone.  
> The gravel is actually 7mm screening. Light grey, tiny chips of stone. I'm wondering if a dry mix of that and cement would set. 
> Ta.

  I dont think cement alone would be enough to bind the aggregate together. You will need a fine material- like sand, to make it bind together, which points towards terrian saying it would be easier to make concrete

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## illcrabmagik

I just thought I'd give an update on what I did because it turned out OK. 
The paths were brick edged gravel paths, so the gravel was the depth of the brick. I'd used 7mm screening for the gravel. 
I took on board the advice that cement alone wouldn't bind the screening. So I bought a bag of ready-mix cement from bunnings and scattered it over the screening. I then raked and swept the gravel before lightly watering in the ready-mix. Finally I scattered handfuls of screening over the top and trod it all down before it set. 
The end result was solid paths that look like they are gravel. I'm happy with the end result and it was very easy.

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## tilbury

How's it all standing up 2 years later?

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