How to Install Decomposed Granite (DG) Step by Step.
How to Install Decomposed Granite (DG) Step by Step.
Hey guys! This is my process of installing decomposed granite. DG is a pretty incredible product, and there’s so many different uses for it in the landscape. In this video we are going to look at a step by step process of how to install it in a pathway or patio. We discuss everything from demo and preparation, to what kind of edging to use (steel edging, pressure treated wood, and composite, aka bender board), how to install the weed barrier (geotextile fabric), and what calculations you should use to order the correct amount of DG to fill your area. We also look at what kinds of tools are needed, like a vibratory (compactor) plate, and a tamper. There are a lot of techniques used here and please keep in mind that these can vary a bit. But this is a great basic easy process of installing DG. I’d rate it about a 6 or 7 out of 10 on the difficulty scale. So if you are up for a good DIY weekend project that will yield a pretty awesome result, this is it!
Here is the formula I use to calculate the amount of DG we need to fill a space.
L (length) X W (width) X H (height) / 27
Note: Make sure the measurements of L, W, and H are all in feet. Then divide by 27 and this will give you the cubic yards needed.
OK guys, I really hope this helps…let me know if you guys decide to try and how it comes out! It’s often hard to hit every single detail in a short video, so feel free to shoot over any questions!
Happy DG’ing!
-Dom
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Music credits
BP Intro
Original music by Dominic Masiello
Swanky Strut
Pala
https://app.soundstripe.com/songs/7450
Malibu Sunrise
Noah Smith
https://app.soundstripe.com/songs/9649
Nice Vibes
Neon Beach
https://app.soundstripe.com/songs/9481
Purple People Tweeter
New Wave Sounds
so you don’t water it at all during the installation of the DG? i’ve read that it needs to be watered in layers as installing. Lots of different information.
great stuff, going to tackle a 17′ x 17′ area today…. question tho, other videos suggest wetting the first layer of dg, tamping, and they doing the same with a second layer?
Skip the weed fabric. IMHO it has no long term benefit and many long term negatives.
Hello. We are planning on using DG in our front yard as a hardscape. My question is, should we or should we not buy and use stabilizer? No businesses around us seem to carry the stabilizer integrated DG, so we have to purchase from Home Depot or the business where we end up buying the DG. Given that DG hardens on its own, and there won’t be too much traffic in our front yard (there will be some, but probably not every day), we don’t know what to do. Any advice? We live in SF Bay Area.
I am working on a 12×15 ft space. Do I need to rent a vibrator plate or can I get away with just using the tamper? Thanks!
Thanks! great video, going for it this weekend!
DG thank You so much for sharing Your knowledge easy to understand vide right on
Where do you get your bender board?
Just subbed. Great video!
Does the road base go on top or underneath the weed fabric?
Thanks for step by step clear instructions however, being "budget" plants, would have appreciated costs attached. How much to rent the compactor? Stabilizing is expensive you say, compared to what? How much are bender boards, steel vs treated wood? These things would make these types of videos ten times better as us budget minded diy-er types can calculate what we can afford and plan accordingly. Thanks
I’m in Minnesota. Is there a reason I should not use DG?
I’m thinking about doing a DG walkway on the side of our house. We live in Socal and the ground tends to have a lot of clay mixed in with the soil, so in the heavy rains water collects way too much. There is a drain line somewhere beneath the surface for the gutters. Is it practical for me to incorporate (above surface Atrium Drainage Grate) drains into the walkway?
great video! you touched on the topic of soil under the DG. I have a very hard, clay-heavy soil. Are you saying that in this case i wouldn’t need the rock layer? What depth of DG do you recommend? thanks in advance!
This is a great video. What would you suggest to get a similar look but more conducive to a wet and cold climate
I bought crushed granite but it did not have the stuff that makes it hard. What can I add to it
So in addition to having clay soil, the spot I’m looking to do this project at is very uneven. Should I get dirt to level out the space or should I just get extra gravel and use that to help level it out a bit?
Thank you so much for making this tutorial! Now I know I’d rather save the money to have someone install our project for us so it looks just right:) This video is terrific and really, really helpful. Thank you!
you forgot the stabilizer or did i miss that?
Hi just had DG installed in my patio but they re dug some areas to put in flagstones and now some parts are loose, can i recompact with a plate? how to do that? do i wet the DG and pass the plate?thank you. do you suggest a DG rainkoat?
if edging was not placed prior to the placement of the decomposed granite. Is it possible to add the edging after installation?
The location I want to install the DG patio is next to my back deck. However, the area isn’t flat. It slopes gradually away from the house. I’m guessing I make it as level as possible before installing my edge material, but what do you do if the edge material (ex. redwood bender board) is not tall enough to be level with the side closer to the house?
What is the best aggregate subbase to use:
class 2,
class 2 recycled
class 2 permeable base,
or is crushed drain rock ever used?
Thanks!
don’t use weed fabric…
Very good job. Thanks! Clear explanation of DG. The Zoolander spoof at 1:15 was fun.
Great step by step! Appreciate the video. If you have plants in the dg, how would you recommend running the drip irrigation?
I know you mentioned that it might not be good to use in a place that it rains a lot. So here is my question, I live in San Antonio where it is usually dry, however we do get the occasional rain and I have a path that I drive my motorcycle on to get it turned around and I back it in. The problem that I am having is when it does rain, the ground gets super soft making it almost unable to drive on it at all. Would this work for those occasional times? For the most part it would remain dry, and by the next day it is usually dried out enough to drive on, albeit carefully.
Thank you!!!
Thanks for this. We now feel we have a basic knowledge of how to install DG. Very helpful. This will be perfect for our backyard in East Contra Costa County.
I’m making a path that was previously a bunch of rocks. I’m removing as many of the rocks as my energy will allow, however if I bury some of the rocks under the DG (with stabilizer), will those rocks resurface to the top??
Very helpful. Thx
Wondering how long does it take to harden before you can put furniture on it please?
Great content here, thanks. That steel border looks great. How thick and how does one stake it?
Thanks for the tutorial on doing DG. I am trying to apply it to my backyard project in LA, and am stumbling with a few steps. Since I have a leveling issue from the dirt to the pool, and the deck, as well as the driveway and garage, I am wondering do I need that road base (or aggregate) layer to sort of have all the levels meet in the middle somewhere? Then would I put the layer of dirt on top of that then the weed barrier followed by the DG? I’m just trying to figure out what steps are needed and if the amount of road base would be less because of all my leveling issues. Thank you in advance.
Seemed like a very long video just to lay 30seconds of DG.
Is DG cheaper and more beneficial than turf?
Hi I have a question I want to use bricks to edge around my dg how many would I need to use for an area 23ft x 10 ft. Thank you so much I am having trouble to figure this out.
At 7:13 looked like plastic sheet.
Earlier you were using black landscape fabric.
Also how do you stop weeds from growing out of the dg? I have been fighting the weeds. And my dg is so dusty.
What went wrong?
I’ve watched thousands of landscaping ‘how-to’ videos lately (o.k – major exaggeration lol) and so happy that I just found yours. I am a newbie to working in the yard in my house in Los Angeles and I find your vids very helpful. I ripped out the turf in my small front yard and going H2O tolerant – I’ve settled on a DG pathway and landscape rock so far – but looking for more inspiration.
Excellent video! Thank you.
Question: Once you screed to level, when you compact it don’t you drop the level? Would you then add more, screed and compact again?
You sed no wrinkles on the weed burrier, but on the video the guys have many waves and wrickles
We were going to do our front yard. If we want to put plants in can we do that later? Or do plants have to be put in the DG as you are laying it?
Thank you so much for your video!
Very helpful and clear!
A question I have is; would decomposed granite stay put on a slight slope when it pours? Or would it wash away? And would it drain enough of the storm water, or would it be best to use crushed stone or pea gravel for this situation? (The yard is sloped 4’ at a length of 40’)
nice video Thanks
Great information. How do you stake down the steel edging. Should I weld on some angle iron to take stakes or would welding the corners alone work?
Thank you so much for this video. Currently trying to figure out how to landscape my front yard. I have a sag palm in the backyard that needs moving. Are the palms in this house an okay distance from the home? Or would you advise further? Thank you!
Great video! Can I plant your bullet proof plant combo over DG? The area we want to put the DG and plants wouldn’t be quite level and has a minor slope. Thanks for the videos and sharing your knowledge
Do you offer landscape design services?
Can you put dg over cracked asphalt driveway?