Spent $500 on a cheap paver patio kit and now I've got a sunken mess

I thought I was being clever last spring when I grabbed one of those big box store paver patio kits on sale. The whole thing cost me around $500 for a 10x10 space. I skipped the proper base prep because the instructions said the sand layer would be enough. Well after one freeze-thaw cycle in Ohio, half my pavers are tilted and there's a puddle the size of a kiddie pool right in the middle. Now I'm looking at renting a plate compactor and buying a few tons of crushed stone which is gonna run me another $200 or more. Has anyone else tried to cheap out on base prep and regretted it?

3 comments

3 Comments

jennifer8331mo ago

Oh man, I feel this so hard. I did almost the exact same thing a couple years back with a cheap kit from the home store, figured I was saving money but nope. That first winter just wrecked everything because I skimped on the gravel base, thinking the sand would hold up fine. It's such a bummer because you think you're being smart with your budget and then you end up spending more to fix it anyway. The puddle in the middle is the worst though, mine turned into a little mosquito breeding ground before I finally dug it all up. Hope the compactor and stone do the trick for you this time around, it really does make all the difference even if it feels like overkill.

hugoj121mo ago

Make sure your compactor is a plate one not a tamper, different vibration pattern matters more than you think.

vera_johnson91mo ago

Read that same tip on a landscaping site @jennifer833, total game changer for my last project.