Fabric’s not just about roots, either. Keeps the fines out of your gravel, which is huge for long-term flow.
That’s spot on—skipping the fabric is just asking for headaches down the line. I’ve had tenants call about “mystery puddles” only to find the whole trench clogged with silt because someone thought landscape fabric was optional. As for depth, I’ve gone as shallow as 8” in sandy soil and as deep as 2 feet in heavy clay. It’s wild how much it varies, but you’re right—layering and fabric matter way more than obsessing over gravel size.
Honestly, reading this makes me feel a lot better about being so paranoid over the fabric. I kept second-guessing myself, but after hearing stories like
... yeah, not worth skipping steps. I probably overdid it with the layering, but at least I’m not dealing with random puddles (yet). Wild how much soil type changes everything, too. I had no idea until I started digging—clay is a whole different beast.“whole trench clogged with silt because someone thought landscape fabric was optional”
Clay really does make things complicated, doesn’t it? I thought I could just copy what my neighbor did, but turns out their soil drains way faster than mine. I ended up putting in a double layer of fabric too—felt like overkill, but better safe than sorry. Did you end up using perforated pipe, or just gravel? I’m still not sure which is more effective long-term, especially with heavy clay.
I went with perforated pipe plus gravel, mostly because I just didn’t trust the clay to let water move on its own. The gravel alone might work if you’ve got a gentle slope and not much runoff, but in my case, the water just sat there unless it had somewhere to go. The pipe gives it a path, and the gravel helps keep things from clogging up too fast. Double fabric isn’t overkill in clay, honestly—roots and silt are relentless.
One thing I noticed: if you don’t wrap the pipe in fabric too, you can end up with mud inside after a few years. Learned that the hard way digging up a section last spring. If you’re already dealing with heavy clay, I’d lean toward the pipe. It’s more work up front, but less headache later. Just my two cents.
if you don’t wrap the pipe in fabric too, you can end up with mud inside after a few years. Learned that the hard way digging up a section last spring.
That’s spot on. I’ve seen way too many folks skip the fabric, thinking it’s just an upsell, but clay finds its way into everything. I’d add—don’t cheap out on the fabric either. The bargain stuff breaks down fast, and then you’re back to square one. Also, if you’re running the pipe near trees, roots will hunt down any moisture they can find. I’ve had to snake out pipes that were basically root spaghetti. It’s a pain, but a little extra work up front saves a ton of hassle later.
