Compared rubber mulch against plain wood chips for my shed foundation and the winner was clear

I put a 10x12 shed in my backyard last spring and needed something for the ground underneath. Did a side by side test with rubber mulch on one half and wood chips on the other. After one year the wood chips had decomposed about 2 inches deep and weeds were starting to push through. The rubber mulch side still looks like day one. No weeds no settling. It cost me about $60 more for the rubber but I figure it will pay for itself in a few years since I won't have to keep topping it off. Anyone else try this or use something different under their shed?

4 comments

4 Comments

sean_barnes241d ago

Did you try pulling up any of the rubber to see if moisture got trapped under it? I put rubber mulch under my own shed a couple years ago and it worked great but I have to be honest, I'm starting to worry about what happens when I eventually move the shed out. The wood chips at least break down and mix into the soil. That rubber is just gonna sit there forever. But for pure function and no maintenance, yeah rubber wins hands down. I think the cost difference is worth it for the peace of mind alone, especially if you plan on keeping the shed in one spot for a long time.

hannah_wells1d ago

At least wood chips turn into dirt eventually, rubber is just shedding microplastics forever.

tessaperry1d ago

Got to agree with you here, idk why I never thought about it that way. I used to be all for rubber mulch under my own shed because the idea of no weeds and no settling sounded like a dream. But now I'm starting to see it differently, especially since someone pointed out the moisture thing. Like I had rubber down around my patio for a bit and it really did hold water for way longer than bark chips would, even after just a light drizzle. The thought of that stuff just slowly breaking into microplastics in my yard for forever is kind of gross. It's one of those things where the convenience just doesn't seem worth the long term mess.

logan_wood1d ago

Took it a step further and checked underneath mine with a borescope after a heavy rain. The rubber traps moisture way longer than wood chips ever did. Had standing water beads sitting on top of the rubber for days after a storm while the wood chip side dried out in hours. That trapped moisture is gonna rot out the shed floor way faster than any weed or settling issue. The microplastics thing is another layer of garbage on top of that. Honestly you're swapping one maintenance headache for a much bigger structural one down the road.