My new paver patio is already sinking in one corner

I dug down 8 inches and filled it with gravel like the guide said, but after the first heavy rain, the far corner dropped almost an inch. I found a local contractor's blog that says in our clay soil you need a full foot of base, not 8 inches. Has anyone else in a clay-heavy area had to go deeper than the standard advice?

4 comments

4 Comments

ivanscott16d ago

That contractor's blog is right about clay needing a full foot.

jenny4716d ago

But is a full foot always needed? That seems like a one-size-fits-all fix. Could just be a bad spot that needs more work.

matthewdixon16d ago

Hold on now, that blog might be jumping the gun. I've seen plenty of 8 inch gravel bases hold up just fine in clay, even after years. An inch of sink after one rain could just be poor compaction, not the depth. You might have had a soft spot right there that needed extra tamping. Adding another four inches of stone is a huge extra cost and labor. Before you go that far, I'd check if water is pooling there or running under from somewhere else. Fix the drainage first, then see if it settles more.

violar3516d ago

Yeah, the "soft spot" thing is so real. I had that on my own patio project last year. One corner just kept sinking no matter how much we tamped. Turned out there was an old tree root that had rotted away underneath, leaving a hidden pocket. We had to dig it out, fill it with a concrete mix, and then compact again. It wasn't about the overall base depth at all, just a local weak point.