When creating a new look for your home, it is important to get your outside space right. This can make a big difference to the home's curb appeal and can change the experience of living there. But should you use grass to create a traditional lawn, or should you use gravel for a more modern look? Which is likely to create the best visual effect? Which is most sensible?

Mostly, this depends on your location. In a dry climate, a lawn can require a lot of irrigation to keep it looking good, putting a strain on local resources. However, you can mitigate this to an extent by choosing the right type of grass. In areas that experience tornadoes and high winds, gravel can be a bad idea as wind can blow it around, possibly ruining your house or car. The smart thing is to make the right choice for your particular circumstances.

Keeping Up Your Yard

Whatever substrate you choose, you will have to look after it to keep it looking nice. It is not true that gravel is maintenance free. Larger sized gravels tend to last longer than finer ones as tires or boots can carry small grains away, but they'll still need to be added to from time to time. You will also have to rake dispersed gravel back into place from time to time.

Many people erroneously believe that if they choose stone they will not have to worry about weeds. Actually, weeds can and do grow in a bed of gravel. If you have gravel, you can not turn to the lawn mower to help you with weed control either. Weeds will have to be pulled out or killed with chemicals. One way to at least diminish the weeds is to situate a weed cloth under the gravel. This blocks weeds from growing and dissipates water better than a plastic cover. If you do have weeds come up, continue to treat the problem spot for awhile to make certain that more weeds do not appear.

Using Your Outdoor Living Area

Whether you choose gravel or grass will also depend on how you want to use your yard. Pets generally prefer grass. And children who fall on gravel are likely to hurt themselves, so it is not the best choice for play areas. On the other hand, if you have an area with regular foot traffic, gravel will stand up to the wear and tear much better than grass. It also won't be changed into dust in summer or mud during rainy parts of the year. You can even use it as extra parking space.

Regardless which material you end up picking, your yard is going to look so much better and it will change the way your home looks. In that aspect, think about which style better suits your home. What about the rest of the neighborhood? What would go better with the style of your neighbor's homes? Make sure you are sure before you make a purchase, because adding a new turf or gravel is a major expense.

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