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Landscape Design

Decomposed Granite in Detroit

6 years ago

Arg. Should have asked here last year.

I am in metro Detroit. I wanted a DCG patio and path. I couldn't get anyone to do it, no one has heard of it! Found a guy willing to do it, got some from a local shop and it's junk. It's basically pea gravel with fines.

Does anyone know of a place to get real decomposed granite around metro Detroit?

Featured Answer

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

6 years ago

Obviously crushed limestone is not decomposed granite but it is a very good substitute. These products seem to be somewhat regional in their availability - DG in some areas of the country and limestone in others. In my area, crushed basalt is more common and available than the other two and is used for a similar purpose.

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Comments (7)

PRO
Dig Doug's Designs
6 years ago
check this link:

http://www.eaglelandscapesupply.com/14-white-limestone.html
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Comments (8)
I bought a bag of Soil Perfector just to see what it's like, and it looks very good, but particulate size is large & will promote very fast drainage if used in any large quantities. The grit you can get is likely crushed oyster shell - thus, the salt warning. Here's what I'm thinking: Soils do not ALWAYS need to be able to support themselves indefinitely. By that I mean, some nurseries actually build a soil that they know will "self destruct" over the course of a couple of years. What happens, is roots actually become a part of the soil structure. As organic particulates break down, the roots remain, providing air pockets as the small soil particles are washed from the drain hole. Not the best arrangement, but pretty OK o/a. If all you have is the bark and the SP, You might try: 7-10 parts bark 2 parts SP 1 part sphagnum peat 1 part perlite You might need to tinker with the mix a little to get the right water retention, and Citrus will assuredly do better in a more spare soil (more mineral content), but if you add all that SP, you'll not have enough H2O retention to get you through a day. I wouldn't go to more than 2 parts peat, either. Did you call Profile Corp to get Turface MVP distributors near you? We have at least 3 nursery wholesalers in lower MI, that all carry Turface, so obviously there's a market. I'll leave a link to profile where you'll find the 800 number in case you wish to chase it down. Al Here is a link that might be useful: Click me & I'll show you Turface info
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Crushed Limestone vs Decomposed Granite Patio Base
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Comments (8)
Base thicknesses vary, depending on where you live (freeze/thaw cycle), but here in Chicago we would normally have 10" of total excavation for a brick patio with 6 1/2" of CA-6 gravel base, 1" of bedding sand and then the brick. Your attached photo shows the correct limestone for a patio base. But regardless of where you are if you don't do all the excavation now you will have to remove massive amounts of material to get to the proper depth later. Decomposed granite makes a very nice patio and is all the rage right now in the Midwest. If you opt for that scenario, then simply excavate 4-5", lay down a soil separator, spread and compact your limestone and then add the decomposed granite. 3" of limestone and 2" of granite works nicely. Compact the granite and you are "good to go" Here is a decomposed granite pathway, done in 2006 that I photographed a couple of years ago. The only downside is that they are not kind to bare feet. Otherwise they are a great aesthetic.
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Comments (9)
that's unacceptable. you need to get the guy back out there and fix that, AND do something about drainage. perhaps getting gutters, like mentioned, would also be of help. maybe a french drain. hard to know without seeing everything. If you're guy accidentally put loose when you asked for the other, and he tried to stablize it using another product and it failed, then he is responsible for removing the entire mess and putting down the correct product. you may want to do your path a bit differently something like this w/the border will keep things tidy and in place
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Comments (2)
As a landscape professional, it is not something I would recommend. Unless you get an entire truckload of DG delivered and spread, you are never going to get a clean, flat, stable surface and you will wind up raising the grade several inches. You will be using multiple times more DG applying over the rock than you would if the rock was removed first The costs and labor involved with requiring that much DG would surely cover the expense of removing the rock first. Do it once and do it right. Get rid of the rock before adding any DG
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Aurora Tee (Zone 6a)
5 years ago
Heathery, do you ever find anyone in the Detroit area? I am thinking the same and am having a difficult time finding someone who knows about crushed stone patios. None of the landscape yards I have called seem to know what I am referring to.
PRO
Yardvaark
5 years ago
What crushed rock is available will vary around the country/world. It's not going to pay to obtain exotic crushed stone that must be imported. Find the best for your area and use it.
Aurora Tee (Zone 6a)
5 years ago
Yardvaark, exotic it won't be, but I am sure having a hard time figuring out what the correct term is here in Michigan for just the basic product. My concern from what I am reading is that a crushed stone without a stabilizer can become muddy, divots, etc. I will not DIY but hire a pro to do. I have read as many threads as I can find here about these patios and want to learn more if they are a good idea for rainy & snowy climates. It will be a secondary patio area. I started a new thread on the subject as well.
PRO
KD Landscape
5 years ago
Here in Illinois most of our decomposed granite is sourced from Wisconsin and more specifically from Kafka. You might try contacting them as you research options. I believe they ship all over the Midwest.

https://www.kafkagranite.com/short-guide-need-know-decomposed-granite

Good luck with your project.
PRO
Omega Brick & Landscaping
4 years ago
I am aware this thread is a year old. However, I have made patios and pathways out of chips n dust here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This is an angular finely crushed stone fixed with stone dust. Once compacted and washed down, the dust settles and the surface becomes very firm while remaining fairly free draining. Additionally, you don’t end up with a “muddy” surface, unless of course mud washes onto the patio/ walkway. In Grand Rapids and surrounding areas, the best place to buy this is Grand Rapids Gravel.

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