Tried building a cheap paver patio last summer. Ended up ripping it all out.

I figured I'd save money by doing a paver patio myself in my backyard in Austin. Bought the pavers from a big box store and just laid them on sand like a YouTube video showed. Three months later we had a heavy rain and the whole thing shifted, weeds popping up everywhere. I spent a whole weekend pulling it apart and hired a crew to do it right with a gravel base. Has anyone else learned the hard way that cutting corners on base prep is never worth it?

3 comments

3 Comments

charlescraig9d ago

Yeah, sand alone won't cut it here with our clay soil.

stone.lisa8d ago

Oh dang, I totally thought just mixing in sand would fix everything before I tried it on my own yard. This makes way more sense now though, gotta rethink my whole plan.

joel_clark377d ago

Rent a plate compactor yet? That sand base changes everything once it's really tamped down.