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c/backyard-upgrades•ryan_barnesryan_barnes•3d ago

Finally got my patio pavers to sit level after six attempts

I was out at my brother's place in Phoenix last month and watched him lay a whole path in two hours with no gaps or wobbles. Turns out I was skimping on the base layer and not renting a plate compactor. Has anyone else made that mistake or am I just stubborn?
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3 Comments
bennett.evan
Six attempts sounds about right for getting it halfway decent without a compactor.
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joel_jones
Is it just me or does every DIY paver job hit a wall with the base layer, @bennett.evan?
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ray356
ray35619h ago
My uncle swore by just dumping sand and leveling by eye, so I figured that was good enough for my first paver fire pit. Then I had a thick fog of dust from the first rainstorm and pavers sunk two inches. @bennett.evan, that compactor is a game changer, I wouldn't have believed it until I saw the difference in compaction with just a few passes. Did you ever try using a hand tamper on a small job or is that always a bad idea?
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