Herb and Eneva wrote:
I have pine bark mulch next to the house foundation. It could be
considered a fire hazard and I would like to replace it with gravel.
Question!!! Should I remove the mulch, lay down plastic and then the
gravel or just lay the plastic over the existing mulch, and then the
gravel or just spread gravel over the existing mulch? Thanks for all
comments.

Andy comments:
Around my house, I have lain down about a 3 foot wide piece of
black plastic, then covered with a small diameter gravel. I use the
thick black vinyl edging on the outside to make a border with the
grass....
The black plastic will deteriorate in sunlight, but when covered
with
rock or gravel it will go for at least two dozen years, since I did
this
at a previous house 20 years ago and when I moved, the plastic was
still in very good shape.
If you use landscape cloth, the weeds WILL find a way thru, but
are
controllable. With black plastic, they can only get thru the
occasional
seam or hole.

To put shrubs in, I clear out the gravel, and cut the plastic about
a
foot larger diameter than the diameter of the plant root ball. Then I
put the gravel back on. If I have the landscape fabric handy,
I'll put it around the shrub but if I've run out of it, I don't
bother.... Rain will easily go thru the gravel, and the
black plastic will retain the moisture in the border. I know that
there
may be those who will disagree with this, but it has worked well for
me for a very long time. Any time I needed to put a shrub in a
new place, the ground under the plastic was ALWAYS moist......

Black plastic is not impermeable, and water will pass thru, but
very very slowy. It make a great "vapor" barrier as well as a
weed barrier.... But, for that reason, you don't want to have a layer
of mulch beneath it since insects, mice, fungus, snakes ---- all
can find a home there, and that's generally undesireable.....

My location is North Texas and the soil has a lot of clay in it.
That may make a difference...

Andy in Eureka, Texas