Using Mulch on Your Patio

The price to lay concrete or stone tiles for a patio is quite steep. And it might not be what you’re looking for, which could make mulch a better option for you. It’s more cost-efficient and can give the area a more colorful appearance.

Should You Use Mulch for Your Patio Area?

This is strictly a personal choice. Some people prefer the appearance of mulch over a cement, stone tile, or gravel patio. For one, you can walk on a patio with little problem, even possibly on bare feet.

It’s easy to remove the mulch in the future and use the land underneath because mulch doesn’t deplete the soil of nutrients or hydration. You won’t have to worry about much weed growth since the mulch blocks the weeds from getting the sunlight it needs.

You also have a variety of colors and woods to choose from, so it’s easy to find a mulch you’ll love.

On the contrary, mulch can get messy. For instance, if you have children or pets, they may push the mulch around as they run. The mulch will then no longer be neat.

Additionally, mulch breaks down over time. This means you’ll need to replace it. Keep in mind that a cement, stone tile, or gravel patio will last longer without needing to be replaced.

You also might not want mulch too close to your home. Although the mulch doesn’t attract bugs, it does create an ideal hiding spot for them. It keeps the soil cool and allows it to retain moisture, two factors that make it ideal for insects.

How Deep Should Patio Mulch Be?

Before you lay a mulch patio, you should know how deep it should be. By knowing this information and the dimensions of the space, you can accurately gauge how much mulch you’ll need for the patio.

You should lay between one and two inches of fine mulch as a general rule. If it’s a courser version, you’ll need between three and four inches.

You want multiple inches because this area will have weight on it. Therefore, some of the mulch will be compacted.

How Do You Lay a Mulch Patio?

When you first lay a patio, you should consider the location. Essentially, you want to lay mulch a little further away from your home to prevent bugs too close to your house as you enter and exit.

Next, you need to consider the depth. You may need to dig a bit to get the depth as desired.

Your next step is to get the area’s dimensions to figure out how much weed barrier fabric you need. At this point, you’ll also need to determine what type of barrier you want to use.

Once you have the barrier, you may need to cut it to fit the area.

Finally, you can begin to lay the mulch. You may dump it from a wheelbarrow or use a shovel to disperse it. Ideally, you want the mulch to be as even as possible. Lay the mulch until it covers the entire patio area.

Take a rake and smooth the surface of the mulch. This is for aesthetic purposes and to ensure you don’t have bare spots sooner than others.

Is Mulch Comfortable to Walk On?

If you have shoes on, any type of mulch is comfortable to walk on, even more so than a cement patio in many cases. If your feet aren’t sensitive, you’ll have no problem walking on any mulch without shoes on. However, if you have sensitive feet, any mulch might be a bit uncomfortable to walk on.

If you enjoy going outside in your bare feet but don’t want the pain, you may want to choose a finer mulch. This particular mulch tends to be softer.

In addition, you should consider the type of wood. A rounded pine used for playgrounds is soft enough to walk on, even for children.

Mulch can make a patio look appealing and save you money. You must know how to use the mulch to ensure your patio looks as aesthetically appealing as possible, though. This can be achieved by carefully choosing the type and properly laying it.