What type of gravel for patio base

On top of the gravel, we add a layer of coarse sand. This forms a smooth, level layer on top of the gravel, which is used as a bed for your pavers. Most builders recommend that this layer should be an inch thick. Moisten it and tamp it down to form a solid layer, ready for laying the final pavers. And finally, we come to the best bit: your choice of pavers, which come in a great range of colors and textures. They have grooves for drainage, and are said to be ideal for areas prone to hard frosts, as they are insulating.

So, if you use this, your layers will be: dirt, fabric, sand , paver panel, paver. Similar in function in the context of laying a patio, you can indeed use gravel as a base when laying your pavers. Just like the coarser paver base itself, gravel can be successfully used to create a thick layer over the top of your landscape fabric — before the sand layer and pavers are laid on top.

The only significant difference between gravel and paver base, is that the sharper edges of paver base mean it can lock together more effectively than gravel when packed down under the sand and pavers.

However, this does not negate the use of gravel if you tamp it down well enough. Table of Contents. Though it can be a helpful base ingredient when mixed with other materials, most professionals recommend that you never use stone dust on its own as a base.

The fines trap large quantities of water that prevent the base layer from adequately draining. To keep your pavers safe and prevent them from shifting, opt for a base material with a little more durability. Compacted soil typically serves as the subgrade level underneath pavers. While you could technically lay your pavers directly into compacted dirt, this can cause issues, such as:. Locate A Dealer. Choosing a paver base material is only one aspect of creating a quality base. The way you construct the paver base ultimately impacts its effectiveness and longevity.

Perhaps the most practical tip for base construction is to take your time. Laboring over three base layers before you even begin to lay pavers may seem like a wasteful task.

But the amount of time and precision you put into making your base layers the correct thickness, compactness and evenness will pay off. A proper base can keep your pavers beautiful and functional for years.

With your commitment to detail in mind, the following are some specific base best practices to consider before you install your pavers. Paver bases require several inches of excavation. The purpose of this digging is twofold. It exposes area for the pavers to nestle into, and it clears loose dirt from the installation site. Removing this layer provides a strong foundation for your paver base. The more compressed your subgrade soil is, the less it will shift and settle over time.

This will help keep your pavers level and in place for longer. In addition to removing loose soil and compacting the subgrade soil, remove any grass, roots, large rocks or other debris from the paver installation site. This gives you an even surface to layer and build upon.

The depth of your subgrade excavation will depend on the type of soil you have at the paver site. The different soil classifications include:.

Granular soils make strong subgrades that drain well, whereas clay soils are weaker. For that reason, the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute recommends a seven-inch subgrade thickness for granular soil and a nine-inch subgrade for clay soil.

Be sure to match your soil with your excavation depth to keep your base sturdy. This will prevent water buildup on the pavers themselves and help keep water away from your home. As detailed above, the best paver base is a quarry processed crushed stone subbase and a washed concrete sand base.

For best results, use a dense grade stone aggregate and concrete sand that complies with American Society for Testing and Materials standards. Talk to your supplier to make sure your materials align with these standards.

To calculate the amount of sand or crushed stone you should purchase, the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute recommends the following guidelines for every square-foot area:.

These machines look like small, simplified push mowers and are typically manually operated. Their engines vibrate a base plate, which can be used to compress your subbase particles closer together. Vibrating plate compactors come in a variety of sizes, so be sure to rent a machine that makes sense for the size of your paver project. I have it on the patio now and it gets smokey inside - good time to fix that. Yeah I'm kinda feelin your first design the best. Maybe your first design with a corner grill built in in the bottom left corner on the lower tier?

I wanted pebble grout. My contractor convinced me I wanted mortar. He agreed to add a pebble aggregate to it. I'm glad he did. The dog would have scraped all those pebbles out by now. The tipping patio blocks probably aren't helped by uplift of the ground underneath the sand due to water freezing and thawing. One idea would be to build a raised wood deck over the current patio, which unfortunately wastes all of your patio blocks.

Another idea would be to pick up the blocks and put down a better bed. Most experts I am not a landscape architect suggest at least a 4" layer of machine-compacted gravel first in a dry-laid patio, then a layer of sand over that.

In either case, make sure you have enough slope away from your foundation to prevent water against your foundation seeping into your basement, or put down a buried pipe with holes in it to direct water away.

On the south side, those big umbrellas work well and aren't that expensive over a seating area or table. On the north side, a good non-chemical treatment for moss is vinegar! Good luck with the mosquitoes.

I hated to break up this beautiful Blue Bahia piece of granite. It was a good sized remnant for free! At the time, there wasn't all the knowledge for repair that there is now this was prob 10 years ago and the piece sat on the side of the house for 5 years! I will say it's very slippery when wet so those large grout joints and pebbles really help.

Thanks natural-sense! What's the benefit of the 6" of gravel? Everything I've read has suggested 2". Related Stories. Peterson Garden Design. Give your garden design some textural bam with pebbles, granite, river rocks and other permeable materials. If you want to play rough with your driveway, put away the pavers and choose the rocky road. Crunch the facts on gravel, flagstone, brick, tile and more with our mini guide to outdoor flooring surfaces.