Stone calculator
Landscape Fabric Calculator
Fabric is sold in fixed roll widths and always needs overlap. Enter the area and roll size for rolls and staples.
Your project
Six inches is standard. Twelve on slopes and under aggregate.
Fabric rolls needed
2
3 ft × 100 ft rolls
- Area to cover
- 480 sq ft
- Fabric including overlap
- 576 sq ft
- Effective width per strip
- 2.5 ft
- Landscape staples
- 96 (one every 3 ft, plus seams)
- Waste from overlap
- 20%
Under decorative stone, use woven fabric — it resists the point loads of angular rock. Non-woven is for drainage applications where water must pass through.
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Woven, non-woven and when fabric is wrong
Woven polypropylene is the weed barrier under decorative stone: strong, puncture-resistant, and it lets some water through. Non-woven needle-punched geotextile is the drainage and separation fabric — it goes around French drains and between soil and structural base.
Fabric under mulch is usually a mistake. Organic mulch breaks down into a soil layer on top of the fabric, weeds root in that layer, and the fabric then blocks the earthworms and roots that would have improved the bed.
Installing it so it works
Overlap every seam by 6 inches, 12 on slopes and under aggregate. Staple every 3 feet along the seam and around the perimeter. Cut X slits for plants rather than large holes, and tuck the flaps under.
Bring the fabric right to the edge restraint or bed border. Any gap at the edge is where weeds establish first, and they then spread under the stone from that line.
Roll coverage after 6 inch overlap
| Roll size | Nominal sq ft | Effective coverage |
|---|---|---|
| 3 ft × 50 ft | 150 | 125 sq ft |
| 3 ft × 100 ft | 300 | 250 sq ft |
| 4 ft × 100 ft | 400 | 350 sq ft |
| 6 ft × 300 ft | 1,800 | 1,650 sq ft |
| 12 ft × 300 ft | 3,600 | 3,450 sq ft |
Frequently asked questions
+How much landscape fabric do I need?
Your area plus about 15-20% for overlap and trimming. A 300 sq ft bed with 3 ft rolls needs roughly 360 sq ft of fabric.
+How much should landscape fabric overlap?
Six inches on flat ground, twelve on slopes or under aggregate where the fabric will be walked on and loaded.
+Do I need fabric under gravel?
Yes for decorative stone over soil — it keeps the stone from disappearing into the ground. Under structural base, use a woven geotextile separator rather than a light weed fabric.
+How many staples per roll?
About one every 3 feet along seams and edges — roughly 1 staple per 8 square feet of area, plus extras at every seam start and end.