DIY

Building a Kayak Rack Landscape Bed

By Ryan Hurd · Published

Building a Kayak Rack Landscape Bed This weekend, Alycia, Milo, and I tackled a project that had been on the list for a while: a dedicated kayak rack, set into its own mulch bed against the side of the house. Step 1: Build the Rack First Before touching any dirt, we built the rack itself. Working from a finished reference point made it easier to plan the footprint of the bed around it, rather than guessing at dimensions. Step 2: Excavate and Level Next came digging. We excavated the area down to a consistent depth, grading in a slight slope away from the house so water would wick away from the foundation instead of pooling against it. Step 3: Paver Base and Leveling Sand With the ground shaped, we laid a paver base layer, then topped it with leveling sand to give the pavers a firm, even surface to sit on. Step 4: Set the Pavers The pavers went down next, forming a stable pad under the rack itself. Step 5: Edging For the surrounding bed, we scraped back the grass, then trenched the perimeter for edging using a hoe and a sledgehammer. The ground was hard, and this step turned out to be the most painstaking part of the whole project. Step 6: Landscape Fabric and Mulch Finally, we laid professional-grade landscaping paper to suppress weeds, then finished the bed with mulch. The Result A clean, leveled paver pad holding the kayak rack, framed by a proper mulch bed with edging to keep it looking sharp. A solid family project from start to finish.