I am still not convinced that no fabric is better than having fabric. I have fabric (heavy, not hardware store stuff) on three sides of the house, and besides weed control, it provides some help with drainage. They're all rock beds as the mulch I used before attracts insects (including a termite nest I found once). i still have to pull weeds and use oundup, but nothing is maintenance free. Great point about soil movement, especially around the foundation.