Realized my old paver patio has 40% less base than the new stuff they put in at the park down the street

I was walking my dog by the new community garden near State Avenue last weekend and noticed they were putting in a paver patio. I got to talking with the crew lead, a guy named Dave, and he said they use 6 inches of compacted gravel base now. I went home and measured what I put in 12 years ago, and it's barely 3.5 inches. No wonder my patio has settled and got those wavy spots where water pools after a storm. Has anyone else gone back and measured their old base after seeing modern specs?

3 comments

3 Comments

tara64228d ago

Oh man, that 40% difference is brutal. I did the exact same thing with my own patio a couple years ago. I was so proud of myself for laying it, and then I saw a video online showing the recommended base depth and felt like a fool. I measured mine and it was barely 4 inches, so I feel your pain on those wavy spots and water pooling. I've got a spot right by the back door that turns into a little pond every time it rains hard. It's frustrating to find out you did it "wrong" just because the standards got way better over time.

robins8328d ago

Trust me @tara642, that little pond by your back door is basically a free mosquito breeding program. You didn't build a patio, you built a small wetland ecosystem. At least mine only has the wavy spots where my guests nearly roll an ankle if they've had a couple beers. I guess the good news is our patios have character now instead of looking like some boring, perfectly flat showroom floor. Have you ever thought about just calling it a "rustic water feature" and charging people to see it?

the_diana28d agoTop Commenter

Are we really calling a 3.5 inch base a tragedy? My grandpa laid his patio back in '89 with like 2 inches of sand and some gravel he found in the alley, and it's still standing without any major issues. Sure, it's got a little dip by the grill, but that's just where the beer cooler sits. I get that new specs are better, but I feel like some people act like their yard will sink into the earth if they don't hit exactly 6 inches.