Leveling a paver patio with sand, did it backwards for 2 summers

Last weekend I finally figured out I was putting the paver base sand down before compacting the dirt, not after. A buddy from Toledo stopped by and asked why my drainage was sloping toward the house, and that tipped me off. I had re-leveled that 12x14 patio three times using about 40 bags of sand, all wasted. Anyone else have a fix that seemed obvious once someone pointed it out?

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1 Comment

emery87918d ago

Wait, are you sure the sand is supposed to go under the dirt though? I mean, I've always done it the other way, sand on top of the dirt, and my patio's been fine for years. But honestly, the real issue might not be the order you put things down, it might be that you didn't compact the dirt right the first time, so all that sand was just filling in the gaps the dirt left behind. Once you fix the base, the sand layer on top is just for leveling, not for support. I'd say just make sure your dirt is packed solid before you even think about sand again, lol.