"I see your slab!" How embarrassing! Having an exposed slab is not only an unsightly scene, but it can also cause long term damage to your foundation.
(Exposed slab...no
shame.)
(The ground slowly
erodes away from the foundation.)
(More slab exposing
itself.)
(Even more slab
exposure! Cover your eyes!)
(First row placed
down.)
After the bottom layer of the lumber was in place, we put
the second row on top of the first. To secure the two rows together, we used
1/2" dowel rods that were 18" long.
(1/2" dowel rod,
18" long, just like what was mentioned in above.)
A hole was drilled through the wood to make the dowels go in
easier through the lumber and into the ground. 12" of the rod is the
ground to make it secure, while the other 6" of the rod are in the lumber
to hold them together (see illustration below). This method of staking the
lumber down was preferred since the dowels won't be seen when they're drilled
into the wood.
(A fancy illustration
of how the dowels were placed. A picture is worth a thousand words.)
After the lumber is secured, landscape fabric was laid out where the decomposed granite was
going to be. This barrier prevents any weeds, plants, etc. from growing through
the decomposed granite. After the fabric was placed, the real work began. The
granite is poured, spread out, and compacted to prevent it from being loose and
washing away.
(Decomposed granite
on top of the landscape fabric. The water bottles aren't part of the materials
for the job, but they sure do help!)
After many, many wheel barrow trips of loading the
decomposed granite, spreading it out, and compacting it, the job is complete.
(The exposed slab is
finally covered up.)
The exposed concrete footing is now a thing of the past. No
more embarrassing looks and whispers from people walking by. The home owner now
has a nice, decorative walking path next to their house.
(No more slab
exposing itself.)
(You can open your
eyes now.)
Other decorative options of covering exposed concrete
footings are: making a vegetable garden or planting shrubs and flowers. Doing
this not only adds value to your home, but it also it also creates a
nice-looking piece of landscape to enjoy.