One of the first steps of the BrickWood Box construction process is the installation of the rainwater capture area under the base slab using 3/4” – 1-1/2” drainage rock.
This rock allows water (and air) to flow freely under the concrete base slab which is designed to keep your BrickWood Box base nice and dry. If there was no drainage rock under the base slab, your BrickWood Box would be sitting directly on the damp / wet ground for several days after it rains. Or 13 months out of the year if you live in Seattle / Portland / Vancouver BC.
6’ x 5’ x 6” = 15CF or about 1/2 cubic yard
Bags of Gravel – You can purchase 3/4" – 1-1/2” gravel that is conveniently packaged in easy to carry plastic bags. Buying gravel in bags is backbreaking and VERY expensive. Don’t do it unless you absolutely have to.
5 Gallon Buckets – This too is a bad idea, but we have to put this in here because we’ve actually had customers buy bags and buckets full of drainage gravel when building their BrickWood Box. It’s so much easier to buy…
Bulk Landscape Gravel – Your local Landscape Supply can drop a 1/2 yard of 3/4" – 1-1/2” angular drainage gravel or rock in your truck for about the same price as 4 small bags of gravel / rock from the Big Box stores. Since you will need a little more than 1/2 cubic yard of drainage gravel, ask them to make it a “heavy bucket”. Let them know you need a little more than 1/2 cubic yard and they may give you a deep scoop of gravel. If they only sell drainage gravel by the cubic yard, and you don’t have any other DIY projects that could use the extra gravel, ask them for a “Light Bucket”. Or you could just keep the extra gravel and buy your kids an AWESOME SLINGSHOT!
DO NOT USE – River Rock, Smooth / Rounded Rocks, Crushed or Pea Gravel, Aggregate Base Course (ABC), Crushed Basalt Rock or other fine aggregates as those materials are too fine and will restrict water flow. Keep in mind, the smaller the rock / gravel you get, the less voids (less water capacity) you will have.
Make sure the angular (not smooth) drainage rock / gravel you use is between 3/4" – 1-1/2"
To find your closest Gravel dealer, please visit- BrickWoodOvens.com/Dealers and select Landscape Supply.