DIY

Poly/ plastic over graded soil under rocks?

Hi all, just finished redoing the grading around my house (in the beds between my house and the concrete sidewalk that wraps around it). It is now graded, and tamped down with ideal slope. I was going to lay down some landscape fabric and then add rocks ontop to finish, but I am wondering if I should instead be putting down poly or something similar to assist the water running away from house and then the rocks on that? Is that a thing? I've been searching but can't seem to find anything on this topic.

https://preview.redd.it/yq1r3bgwzvbf1.png?width=1360&format=png&auto=webp&s=e0dd47b4489f8df41b06845f2a879c15dbfa1d8e

https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY/comments/1lvhst9/poly_plastic_over_graded_soil_under_rocks/
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Discussion

gargle_ground_glass

If it were me, I'd used a permeable membrane. I don't like the idea of shunting water onto the sidewalk and into a storm drain. But I'd really have to see the property to give a better answer. What kind of rocks will you be using? Will there be a space between them? How steep is the grade?

9 hours ago
sxdr6ijbff79 OP

Thank you for the reply. I am using bigger rocks (3-4" river rocks), so I would say space/void between them. The grade is slightly steeper than my city bylaw calls for. I edited the post to add a photo (see above).

I currently bought a big roll of permeable landscape fabric.

Before this the beds had sunken to lower than the sidewalk over time and became a trap for water to pool. So I hauled in dirt and created this grade/slope to hopefully get water to reach the sidewalk and away from the house now. The poly might be overkill and the dirt sufficient. Just figured I would ask before I haul rocks.

9 hours ago