Keeping a stones chips in place

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Keeping a stones chips in place

Jase2985

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#323097 25-Oct-2025 20:26

We have some white lime chips surrounding our pavers on our paths at home. These are small sized lime chips so they are quite easy to kick, bump, hit with the weed eater, mower, or blow onto the lawn with the leaf blower.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a product to lock the chip in place, and not discolour it, and last a decent amount of time?

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#3427957 25-Oct-2025 20:37

https://www.gardenbox.co.nz/collections/landscape-lock-new

I have used this for mulch. Helps but not fool proof as birds tender scatter them back to the lawn.
Maybe the strength I used was too weak.

edge

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#3427959 25-Oct-2025 20:47

The above (Landscape Lock does apparently work on pebbles too) - they claim it lasts 12 months or so - or you could go the whole hog and use what looks like an epoxy type product: https://stoneset.co.nz/pouron/ No idea how well it works or how nice it would look - seems like it effectively replicates pavers without the cement :-). Also expensive at $750 per 10 sq. m. for light foot traffic rating!

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mdooher

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#3428022 26-Oct-2025 11:34

We laid that white plastic grid first then put the stones over the top. they don't move much at all.

because they don't move sideways you don't sink into them when walking on them.

We tried it first without the grid then ended up taking them all up to put the grid down... in your case it would be a real mission, so I'm not sure how realistic that would be.

Matthew

richms

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#3428024 26-Oct-2025 11:45

I don't think the idea of spraying plastic that will break apart and go into the environment just to hold together a pointless vanity project is a very good idea.

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qwertee

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#3428045 26-Oct-2025 14:28

@Jase2985

What tool do you use to keep the lawn edges nice and straight?

Edging with a line trimmer is not my forte`.

Line trimmer, battery rectangular blade edger, edging shear with the long handles, the circular disk edger thing.

Thanks

gzt

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#3428047 26-Oct-2025 14:45

mdooher: We laid that white plastic grid first then put the stones over the top. they don't move much at all.

Imo that's the correct solution. For this particular case with the arty flagstones, OP will need to remove all the flagstones, remove all the chips, lay the grids, use flagstone template to cut flagstone sized holes in the grid, insert flagstones, replace chip. A very solid two days work.

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#3428048 26-Oct-2025 14:49

qwertee: What tool do you use to keep the lawn edges nice and straight?

Likewise I'm impressed. It looks like lettuce sandwich and cut with a knife.

Jase2985

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#3428074 26-Oct-2025 18:57

qwertee:

@Jase2985

What tool do you use to keep the lawn edges nice and straight?

Edging with a line trimmer is not my forte`.

Line trimmer, battery rectangular blade edger, edging shear with the long handles, the circular disk edger thing.

Thanks

There is 50x100 redwood edging around the lawn, and i run a vertical edger around it, then use the line trimmer to tidy it up.

gzt:
Imo that's the correct solution. For this particular case with the arty flagstones, OP will need to remove all the flagstones, remove all the chips, lay the grids, use flagstone template to cut flagstone sized holes in the grid, insert flagstones, replace chip. A very solid two days work.

The thing with the plastic grid things is they are good for preventing the chips sinking when weight is put on them, it doesn't stop chips from being kicked around, as you want the chips slightly higher than the top of the grid. The part between the concrete steps and the deck by the pool has the plastic grid in it, and it doesn't stop the chips from going places.

There is also about 80m of the path around the section, so that's a large cost, and also the time to do it just isn't worth the squeeze.

mdooher:

We laid that white plastic grid first then put the stones over the top. they don't move much at all.

because they don't move sideways you don't sink into them when walking on them.

We tried it first without the grid then ended up taking them all up to put the grid down... in your case it would be a real mission, so I'm not sure how realistic that would be.

The stones dont move much when you stand on them in their current configuration, its people scuffing their feet, the kids running round, balls etc that make the loose stones on the top move, and as mentioned above it still happens in the one section that has the grid down. So i don't think it's the silver bullet.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

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#3428094 26-Oct-2025 21:21

The nuclear option is to remove the stones and replace them with a permeable concrete. Will give a similar look but have a lot less issues.

Eva888

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#3428193 27-Oct-2025 11:36

If this was mine, I would lawn it all with roll out lawn, except for the part which needs a path to somewhere. I would not have any gaps between my pavers on the path or any paved area under tables. Cutting the grass is easier than constantly monitoring the stones.

Life's too short to be worrying about the state of the stones every time a kid goes out there or you have guests that walk funny or an animal that has fun scratching at it. Your blood pressure will thank you.

hobsonlea

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#3428783 29-Oct-2025 12:51

Many thanks for this forum, I’ve been looking for a NZ supplier of resin bonded driveway from a few YouTube clips, looks like they’re available in nz

https://youtu.be/6JRGaTnCaTY?si=LJWAw0g9nVxMRQLi

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cddt

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#3428817 29-Oct-2025 15:34

qwertee:

https://www.gardenbox.co.nz/collections/landscape-lock-new

I have used this for mulch. Helps but not fool proof as birds tender scatter them back to the lawn.
Maybe the strength I used was too weak.

So you essentially... glue your mulch down?

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corksta

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#3428870 29-Oct-2025 16:05

I can't contribute but just wanted to say that's a nice looking lawn!

johno1234

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#3428891 29-Oct-2025 16:33

richms:

I don't think the idea of spraying plastic that will break apart and go into the environment just to hold together a pointless vanity project is a very good idea.

Jeez. "A pointless vanity project"? Is that really what you think?

cddt

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#3428996 29-Oct-2025 19:28

johno1234:

Jeez. "A pointless vanity project"? Is that really what you think?

I don't agree with the "pointless vanity project" bit (spend a bit of time in the garden myself), but I am puzzled by how the desire for a simulacrum of nature can possibly involve spraying plastic around...

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