jasonallen•29d agoMost Upvoted

Tried paver base panels vs 6 inches of crushed gravel for my patio - the gravel won by a mile

I redid my back patio this spring after the old one turned into a wavy mess. Decided to try those plastic paver base panels from Lowe's because the box said no digging. Big mistake. After 3 months the whole thing settled unevenly and water pooled in the middle. Ripped it out and did it the old way - 6 inches of crushed gravel tamped down in layers. Night and day difference. Solid as a rock now even after heavy rain. The panels cost me $180 and the gravel was $65 from the local yard. Has anyone else tried those grid things and had them fail too?

3 comments

3 Comments

allen.kai28d ago

Those plastic panels definitely seemed like a shortcut that would actually work, but I've heard way more stories like yours than success ones. The gravel method just lets water drain through the whole base instead of pooling on top of some rigid sheet, which makes all the difference in the long run. Your experience matches what a lot of guys on here have said - nothing beats proper compaction and crushed stone for keeping stuff flat season after season.

nathan90128d ago

Oh man, gotta push back a little here @allen.kai - I've actually had those plastic panels holding up perfectly for three years now on my crappy clay soil without any shifting. Prepping the base right underneath them is still key, but they've saved my back hauling gravel every spring.

dakotab9328d ago

Prepping the base right underneath them is still key" - that's what I thought too, but my problem was water found its way under the panels and just sat there. I had a neighbor @nathan901 back me up on this, he actually tried the same panels on his shed foundation and they buckled within two months. The gravel method lets everything breathe and drain naturally, and that's what matters for a patio that's meant to last more than a season.