Gravel around house

[Jon]

Hi,

Our seven year old house has approx six inches of gravel around the edge of the house, all the way around.

I've seen this on quite a few newer houses and wondered if there was a particular reason for it being there or if it's merely decorative?

Thanks,

Jon

[George]

So the rain will soak up most of its downpour

[Huge]

[Jon]

[Man at B&Q]

Can we have that again, in English, please.

MBQ

[mark]

If you had soil against the house wall the rain would splash it up the wall and it would look unsightly. Shingle prevents this. I doubt very much it would be for drainage on a seven year old house.

mark

[nobodyhome]

And at dead of night you might hear folk approaching your house.

[RobertL]

Apparently burglars don't like it because they cannot make a quick silent getaway.

Robert

[Andy Burns]

Any burglar incapable of avoiding a 6" strip of gravel is going to spend rather more time staring at 6'x6' walls than actually nicking stuff.

[George]

Too true,they don't walk up the sides of the stairs for nothing. ;-)

[Phil L]

It's not, it's bone-idleness on behalf of the groundworkers who couldn't be arsed cutting flags / block paving to fit around all the gulleys and pipes etc.

[Steve Rainbird]

Litter tray for all of the neighborhood cats? :)

[George (dicegeorge)]

as well as damp gravel will slow down plants like ivy from rooting too near and damaging the house like they have done to mine!

[<me9]

Ammunition for the local brats to throw.

[Phil L]

With this post I most certainly agree gravel stops horrid plants like ivy from being so bold and getting a hold and making the house look just like a tree

[Anne Jackson]

The message from Jon contains these words:

Some friends of mine paid a small fortune to have quartz gravel laid around their house, which is in the middle of nowhere. Apparently the noise it makes when trodden on is a burglar deterrent... and yes, it is very noisy!