Gravel, Sand and Soil Delivery in Newark, NJ

Ground that drinks water fast

At the ZIP's center point, the USDA survey maps Urban land, Dunellen substratum, 0 to 8 percent slopes. The survey rates 90 percent of that map unit as paved or built over, so most ground near that point has been filled, graded and covered.^[1]

Dunellen soil makes up 5 percent of the map unit. It is a well drained sandy loam, the kind of soil that lets water pass through without staying soggy.^[1]

Dunellen falls in hydrologic group A, the fastest of the four groups: water soaks in quickly and little of it runs off. Its shrink-swell rating is low, at 1.5 percent. Sandy ground that drains this fast is a good partner for open stone surfaces, because rain moves down through the stone and into the soil instead of pooling on top.^[1]

Fill on a city lot is rarely uniform, though. Pockets of clay, old base or debris can block water even where the natural soil drains well, so dig a test hole and fill it with water before you count on fast drainage.^[1]

Fast drainage has a downside for plants. Sandy loam gives up its water quickly in a dry spell, so lawns and beds on it need watering more often than those on heavier ground. Working Compost into the top layer helps the soil hold moisture without slowing drainage much.^[1]

Slopes in the map unit range from 0 to 8 percent, so the ground near the center point is close to flat. Even on fast-draining soil, a slight grade away from the house keeps water off the foundation.^[1]

Sandstone and siltstone below

The USGS geologic map places the center point on the Passaic Formation, in its sandstone and siltstone facies, from the Early Jurassic. That bedrock sits well below the depth of a patio or a drive, but it is part of why older stone walls and steps across the region share a similar look.^[2]

The ground at the center point is 30 feet above sea level.^[3]

On a home project, the usual surprise in the ground is not bedrock but buried brick, concrete chunks and cinders from earlier buildings. Remove them from the top layers before you lay a base, since they leave voids that settle over time and tilt whatever sits above.^[1],[2]

Wet years and real winters

The NOAA station at Harrison, NJ, about 1 mile from the ZIP, averages 50.4 inches of precipitation a year. That is a lot of water landing on roofs, pavement and small yards, and it has to go somewhere.^[4]

The station averages 28.2 inches of snow a year and counts 82 days a year with a low of 32 F or colder. Snow and freezing nights test every walk and patio, and the ones that last are built on a base that drains.^[4]

At Harrison, the median last spring freeze arrives April 4. The median first fall freeze arrives November 6.^[4]

Snow removal is easier on a firm surface. A walk of compacted Stone Dust Screenings or pavers takes a shovel well, while loose Pea Gravel suits areas that can stay under snow until it melts. A scatter of Concrete Sand gives grip on icy pavers without the wear that heavy salting can cause.^[4]

Gutters on older buildings often empty straight onto a walk or a patio. Redirect them into a stone-filled trench or a dry well, and the walk stays drier and grows less ice in winter.^[1],[4]

Permeable surfaces and dry wells

With fast-draining soil underneath, an open stone surface can handle a lot of rain on its own. A parking pad of #57 Crushed Stone over a layer of clean #4 Crushed Stone lets water drop straight through to the ground below, with no runoff to a neighbor's lot. Edge it with steel or concrete curbing so the stone stays put.^[1],[4]

A dry well is a good fit where downspouts dump water against a wall. Dig a pit a few feet away from the foundation, line it with fabric, and fill it with Drain Rock or Railroad Ballast. Sandy loam around the pit lets the water soak away between storms.^[1]

Permeable pavers work well here too. Set them on a deep bed of clean #57 Crushed Stone with #89 Crushed Stone in the joints and as the setting bed, rather than sand and fines, so water passes through and no ice forms beneath them.^[1],[4]

A gravel parking pad on built-over ground needs a firm bottom. Dig out loose fill until you reach solid ground, compact it, and build the pad with a lower layer of #4 Crushed Stone and an upper layer of #57 Crushed Stone. Where the ground below is mixed fill rather than sandy loam, add a drain at the low corner.^[1]

Backyards, decks and planters

Small backyards and side lots make good use of Pea Gravel for seating areas and paths. It is easy to rake, drains well and feels soft underfoot. Lay it on fabric over compacted ground so it does not sink into the soil.^[1]

Planters and raised beds on built-over ground start with Garden Soil or a mix of Topsoil and Compost. Fast-draining sandy loam beneath a bed dries out quickly in summer, so add Compost to hold moisture and cover the surface with Black Shredded Mulch or Red Mulch after the last spring freeze.^[1],[4]

For a strip along a fence or a wall, River Rock over fabric makes a tidy, low-care border that soaks up roof runoff without washing out.^[1],[4]

Roof decks and paved yards bake in summer and chill in winter. Containers there need light soil that drains, so mix Garden Soil with Compost and spread a layer of #89 Crushed Stone across the bottom of each planter. Water often in hot weather, since potted soil dries out fast.^[1],[4]

Plant new beds once the median last freeze in early April has passed, and finish fall planting well before early November so roots can settle before the cold.^[4]

A rain garden suits fast-draining ground well. Dig a shallow basin where a downspout or a paved area drains, loosen the bottom, and fill it with a mix of Garden Soil and Compost. Water collects there during a storm and soaks into the sandy loam within hours, and moisture-loving plants thrive at its edges.^[1],[4]

Homes in ZIP 07102 and across Newark

The Census Bureau's survey counts 6,683 housing units in ZIP 07102, and detached single-family houses make up just 1 percent of them.^[5]

Across Newark there are 121,546 housing units, 13 percent of them detached houses, with a median build year of 1966.^[5]

The median home in the ZIP dates to 1965. Owners occupy 6 percent of the lived-in homes there.^[5]