Turns out I was leveling my paver patio ALL WRONG for 3 summers

I spent last Saturday redoing a section of my paver patio that has been sinking for years. I always thought you just dig a hole, pour some sand, and smack the pavers down. Then my neighbor Bob, who did landscaping for 20 years, walked over and asked if I used a plate compactor on the base. I said what base? He laughed and showed me that I needed 4 inches of crushed gravel underneath, not just sand. The sand was washing out every rainy season and that's why my pavers were wobbling. I borrowed his plate compactor from Home Depot, dug up the whole 8x10 foot section, and put down proper gravel base. Leveled it with a 6 foot level and it's rock solid now after 2 rainstorms. Has anyone else dealt with this mystery sinking paver problem?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_thea15d ago

Whoa wait, you did a whole 8x10 patio section WITHOUT any gravel base for THREE YEARS? That's wild! I can't believe your pavers held up at all, even if they were wobbling. It's kinda amazing they didn't just completely settle into a mud pit after the first heavy rain. What did the soil look like underneath when you finally dug it all up?

wesley_jones15d agoTop Commenter

Bob saved you a lot of future headaches right there.

-1

alexbennett15d ago

@wesley_jones I actually see this the other way. Bob just locked you into one mechanic when you could have shopped around and gotten way better deals later lol. Sometimes you gotta learn the hard way, that's how you really figure out what works for your car. Bob's way might be fine for now, but it could totally limit what you can do down the road. Plus having to redo things later is just part of the hobby honestly, it teaches you more than having it perfect from the start.