Those Who Build the Buildings

How Crushed Stone Is Made And How You Can Use It Around Your Property

4 August 2021

Ashley Hart

Crushed stone is a common construction material that has many uses. The stone can also be used for landscaping purposes, so it has both commercial and residential uses. Crushed stone is often confused with gravel, but they are different. Here's a look at the differences between stone and gravel, how crushed stone is made, and how it can be used on your property by a contractor or for DIY projects.

Gravel Is Natural And Crushed Stone Is Made

Some people use the term gravel when referring to stone, so it may be confusing when you shop for landscaping rocks. Natural rocks are called gravel. The rocks are formed by water and weather exposure, and this results in rounded rocks, such as pea gravel. Rocks with jagged edges are crushed stone. The jagged edges form because large rocks are crushed by machinery to produce rocks of smaller sizes. Even though these two types of rocks are formed differently, they both can be used for landscaping purposes around your property.

Crushing Stone Makes Dust And Rocks

Large stones are passed through a machine that breaks apart the stones into smaller pieces. The crushed pieces then pass over screens with holes of different sizes. Some screens allow stone dust to fall through while others have holes that let through small, medium, or large pieces. A variety of sizes are needed because different projects require different sizes of rocks.

Size may not be extremely important when it comes to landscaping, but it matters when it comes to construction projects. Dust is preferred sometimes and the largest size of rocks is needed other times.

Crushed Stone Is Used For Many Home Projects

If you need a dry well, French drain, or dry stream bed put in your property to help with drainage, the contractor will probably use crushed stone to allow rain to seep into the soil or into a drain. You might even use crushed stone for an affordable driveway, and a contractor might use the rocks to create a solid bed for an asphalt driveway or patio.

Another good use for the stones is to use them in place of mulch or to add visual interest around trees and plants in your yard. The stones help control weeds while allowing rain to drain into the soil.

If you undertake a DIY project, you might want the stone supplier to help you choose the right size for your stones and calculate how many stones you need. You can buy stones in bulk and have large quantities delivered from a stone supplier.  

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