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Vent: My new patio pavers turned into a total mud pit after one rain
Last week in Charlotte, we got that heavy afternoon storm and I watched all my work on a 12x10 paver area just wash away because I didn't put down enough gravel base. The whole thing sank about 2 inches in the middle and now it's a swampy mess. Has anyone else had this happen and how much extra base material did you end up needing to fix it?
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iris92715d ago
Honestly that sounds like a normal Charlotte summer storm result. Maybe just let it dry out and see if it settles back down on its own?
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kimr7422d ago
Ugh, that's the worst feeling. I did almost the same thing with a small walkway last spring. It looked great for a week, then a downpour turned it into a wobbly mess. I skimped on the gravel, thinking it was fine. Ended up having to pull all the pavers up, dig down another four inches, and add almost a full extra yard of crushed stone to get it solid. Total pain, but it's been bone dry since.
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Four inches of extra gravel sounds like a lot for a walkway. The standard base is usually six to eight inches total, so adding four more might mean the original dig was pretty shallow. I always use a plate compactor on each gravel layer before the sand, because just dumping it in doesn't get it packed tight enough to stop shifting. That compaction step makes a huge difference for long term stability.
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