Updating your landscape can reduce your water costs and add curb appeal to your home. With Online Stone Solutions as your trusted partner, you can do the work yourself instead of spending outrageous amounts of money on hiring a pro.
But before you get started, you need to define the shape and size of your target area, and make some basic calculations. You need to know the correct dimensions of a given area so you can order the right amount of stones to cover it; if you don’t order enough stones, your landscape will look half completed; if you order too many, you’re throwing good money away.
Whether you’re adding ground cover, installing a dry creek bed, or constructing a gravel path, a little planning will save you a big headache down the road and help you stay within your budget.
Tools needed
- Measuring tape
- Graph paper
Draft a plan of where you want the main features to be. You don't need to be an artist – just create a useful sketch. If you’re just doing a small project, like a flower bed, you can get by without a diagram.
Start by segmenting the landscape into manageable portions. To make your life easier, divide the landscape area into shapes that are easy to measure; rectangles, squares, and triangles are the most common shapes in most yards, but there’s nothing like a circle to create a great focal point.
Once you’ve segmented your landscape, measure each section and calculate the square footage of each shape. Add them all up to get the total square footage of your landscape project.
By using the following formulas, you can easily calculate the area of each shape yourself.
Rectangular section
Calculate the area of a rectangle by multiplying the height by the width.
Square
To find the area of a square section of your yard, multiply the length by the width. Since each side of a square is the same measurement, you’re simply multiplying one side by itself.
Triangular shape
Multiply the height by the width; then divide by 2.
Circle
This is a little trickier. In order to calculate the area of a circle, first you need to know the radius, which you can get by dividing its diameter by two. If it’s been a while since you cracked open a geometry book, the diameter is a line passing from the center of one side of the circle to the other side.
Once you have the radius, you can calculate the area of the circle by plugging it into this formula: 3.14 x radius x radius (or r2) = Area of a circle.
Irregular shapes and sizes
If you find a section that doesn’t lend itself to a regular shape, divide the section into smaller shapes that are easier to work with. An irregular landscape, for example, could be divided into two rectangles, a square, a triangle, and a circle.
Calculate the area for each shape and add them all up together to determine the landscape’s total square footage.
How deep to go
Most of Online Stone Solutions’ products are used as a loose ground cover material. The minimum depth is the number, in inches, that it takes to cover the sub base 100 percent. Every application is different; consult our website for our recommended minimum depth that is specific to the stone you are ordering. If the ground cover is for decoration purposes only, you don’t need to go as deep. If the area will get a good amount of foot traffic, we recommend increasing the depth by 1”-2”.
Online Stone Solution's Coverage Calculator
Now that you know the area that you need to cover for your landscape, simply plugin the area and depth in Online Stone Solutions' coverage calculator, to compute how many pallets or bags you'll need for your project. The recommended quantity will automatically be set, but you can adjust it yourself before adding it to your cart.
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Do-it-yourself home landscapers depend on Online Stone Solutions for our wide selection of natural stones, deep product knowledge, convenience, and value. If you have any questions about calculating the area of your landscape, or any other inquiries, get in touch with us. In the meantime, browse our gallery to see the great selection of decorative stones that we offer.