Vent: My diy paver patio after one Minnesota winter

I put in a 10x12 paver patio last August using polymeric sand and everything looked great... until the snow melted. Now I've got 3 spots where pavers shifted over an inch and the sand is washing out in chunks. Has anyone tried using a base of crushed concrete instead of gravel for fixing this kind of settling?

3 comments

3 Comments

wesley_jones21d agoMost Upvoted

Why wouldn't crushed concrete just wash out even faster than gravel?

simonp7621d ago

Up in northern VT I had the same exact thing happen after one winter - swapped the gravel base out for crushed concrete and compacted it in thin lifts just like @michaeltorres mentioned, and my patio hasn't budged in two winters now. The key is really taking your time with the compactor and maybe laying a weed barrier underneath to keep the sand from disappearing into the base.

michaeltorres21d agoTop Commenter

lol my patio looks like it went through a mini earthquake too. I used crushed concrete as a base for a walkway last year because I'm cheap and had a buddy who works at a demolition site. Honestly it packs down hard like real concrete dust almost, better than I expected. But the key is you gotta compact it in like 2 inch layers with a plate compactor or you'll have the same shifting problem. I learned that the hard way when my first attempt turned into a jigsaw puzzle after a few freeze thaw cycles. The sand washing out though that's a whole separate headache, I'd look into a joint stabilizer sealer if you want the sand to stay put.