www.wayeh.com, Wayeh Malamutes, Sleddog Rescue Kennels

Gravel

We use 3/8" washed gravel because it is easy to work with by hand and it smooths nicely to get the block leveled.

We built on a driveay made from 3/4" crusher run.  We leveled with a rake and mattock, build a corner, and now we're ready to put the gravel in. 

Fill in enough gravel so your concrete paver blocks will rest just above the top of the 2x4s.  You want the 2x4 edge to be below the top of the block so hose-offs will go off the concrete block down to the 2x4 and away.  This can be 1/2 inch only.  Just so long as it goes down and not up -- every hair and pine needle and piece of whatever will catch if you have a lip there.

Dump gravel.  Smooth with rake.  Smooth with hand -- this is on-your-knees or bent at the waist work. 

Note the small red bricks under the edge of the 2x4 because we were building a good angel for drainage.  Dump a load of gravel in the corner and then smooth with a short scrap of wood as a scree.