Just moved into new place
![Debbie](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/resources/imgs-responsive/avatar-letters/avatar-D-59A1F4.png?size=91x91)
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And outside the back door there are 3 cement steps down to, what I can already tell, will be mud city when it rains. But this is where I must walk in order to get over to the “good grass” as I hope to set up my chairs and such there. It would be nice if I had a little area to put my small BBQ grill. So approximately a 3X4 (or 5?) space. I have no power tools. And not a lot of money.
Any ideas???
P.S. This is a rental property
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We had sort of the same problem outside around our bbq area and ended up using pea gravel for a few reasons.
The first is it was cheap, the second it is helps keep the weeds at bay and the third it is a cheap persons crime prevention. I know you can walk lightly on gravel without making much noise but there is no running on it quietly.
If you want at a later date you can put pavers over the gravel base after tamping down the earth.
But since this is a rental property get your landlord's permission first!
Great idea. Just wondering though, since someone else cuts the lawn and this would be “right there“ might it cause problems for them?
Use border and define the two areas. A border will also keep the gravel out of the lawn area.
How about rubber mulch?
Or you could put a little more dirt and plant stepables, these are ground cover plants that love to be stepped on, that you choose based on the area and foot traffic.
https://www.stepables.com/
Maybe you could lay down a few pavers in that area.
Whatever you do, be sure to get your landlord’s permission in writing, just to be safe. I’d say drop downs few pavers then you won’t have to worry about materials spreading into the grass.
Hi Debbie, you could try to pick up some used 1 x 8 pieces of wood and make sort of a wooden walk way, reuse store or scrap section of home improvement stores
I would put gravel in the area where it's going to be muddy or rubber mats that have holes in them to allow water to drain. You can continue that in the area for the chairs and grill. You don't have to border the area, which would be the least expensive. If you want to border it, you could lay down large stones if you can find some which could be free. To spend little money, use landscape timbers which can be just dug out and laid on the ground. You can spend a bit more and put stone edging. Check marketplace. I had someone give me a truck load of brick edging when they were getting ready to change their landscape. It was listed as "free" on marketplace and they even loaded them for me.
You could put rocks down to help with drainage and mud