For that section of the walkway which is not yet complete, I put cardboard down and then decomposed granite on top of the cardboard. This should allow the decomposed granite to be shovelled back up when I start digging and put to the side until it can be put down again.
The primary issue on this was then cost. How to get the decomposed granite at minimal cost. I got 1 cubic yard, for $38.02 from Whittlesey Landscape Sales. This is the same place I got the last decomposed granite. That time (September 2011), I got 3 cubic yards and had it delivered. Delivery was $80.
- Option 1 was to have the decomposed granite delivered. $80
- Option 2 would be to buy the decomposed granite from Home Depot or Lowe's. They have it in small plastic bags. Home Depot charges $4.27 a bag (half a cubic foot), which including tax becomes $290.52 for a cubic yard.
- Option 3 was to rent a pick-up and deliver it myself. I can rent the pick-up at U-Haul for $19.95. Plus 59 cents a mile. Plus gas. Plus clean-up. It turns out to be 27.6 miles from U-Haul to Whittlesey to my house and back to U-Haul. That's $16.28 in mileage charges. Gas for 28 miles would be maybe 3 gallons, for another $9.00. $1.50 for a self-service car wash to clean the bed out afterwards. Taxes and fees of $6.59, for a total of $53.32. The second (and third ...) cubic yard would cost $25.28 for delivery.