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I have a concrete driveway in mediocre condition (square slabs that are of varying conditions--some small cracks) that is on the side of the house which is narrow enough that it is not very functional as a driveway except if you're driving a compact car and a small person. Not much use really as it's a real pain to back out of and unload from. I'm trying to figure out what to do with this unused space.

My idea is to create a potty area for my dogs so that the small lawn in the back yard is kept poop-free. They would go there first out the side driveway door and then be let into the yard to play.

Is it safe to just put a lot of pine mulch down on the concrete next to my house? I would build an extra fence there to keep them in--perhaps by building some tall wood planters that would look nice from the main road. I would rather not tear up the concrete as I could just clean it all out if we were to sell. It would be more "valuable" as a driveway. We're planning on living here another couple years but not forever.

Any ideas? Pros, cons? Thank you!!

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Have you considered artificial turf? They have some now that looks like real grass, and is relatively affordable.

Mulch is bad because bugs can live there, and the dust will make it somewhat "muddy" when wet. Well, maybe not muddy, but enough for the dogs to leave footprints in the house. And there's no good way to clean pee out of the mulch, it will move or wash away with rain, etc.

The quality artificial turf will last for years and can be cleaned with a water hose. You'd have to pick up poop, but I'm assuming you would do that with mulch anyway because... yuck.

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  • Interesting idea! Great points re: bugs, mud and sanitation upkeep. I'll look into that.
    – tandan
    Oct 19, 2015 at 20:19
  • A friend of mine has a small backyard with 2 (small) dogs, and they put down artificial turf everywhere because most of the yard was taken up by a swimming pool already. They love it. It was very expensive, but they got the best of the best - you can find it for all budgets.
    – JPhi1618
    Oct 19, 2015 at 20:22
  • Would it be okay to put the artificial turf directly on the concrete? Will it cause problems during rain?
    – tandan
    Oct 19, 2015 at 20:30
  • In fact, it's made to go directly on concrete. No problem at all - that's why I suggested it.
    – JPhi1618
    Oct 19, 2015 at 20:32

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