Had to pull up half the pavers to fix the pooling.
That’s rough. I’ve had similar regrets skipping the grade—never again. About sand vs. fabric, I get what you mean about redoing things being easier with sand, but I’ve noticed weeds seem to love it a bit too much. Has anyone tried using recycled cardboard as a weed barrier? I keep hearing it’s more eco-friendly and breaks down nicely, but I’m not sure how it holds up under pavers.
BUILDING ON LEVEL GROUND: STEP-BY-STEP TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OF A FLAT LOT
I’ve actually tried the cardboard trick under a small patio area last year, mostly because I had a ton of boxes left over from moving and didn’t want to shell out for landscape fabric. Here’s what I did: flattened the boxes, overlapped them a bit, then put down a layer of sand before laying the pavers. It worked okay for a while—definitely kept weeds down at first—but after about 8 months, I started seeing some grass poking through the seams. The cardboard broke down faster than I expected, especially where water pooled.
If you’re on a tight budget, it’s not a bad short-term fix, but I’m not sure it’s worth the hassle if you want something to last more than a season or two. Has anyone tried layering cardboard with fabric? Wondering if that would slow down the breakdown and still keep things eco-friendly... Or maybe there’s a better cheap alternative I haven’t thought of?
BUILDING ON LEVEL GROUND: STEP-BY-STEP TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OF A FLAT LOT
I’ve actually tried layering cardboard with landscape fabric under gravel paths, and it did seem to hold up a bit longer than just cardboard alone. The fabric slows down the breakdown, but honestly, after a couple years, you’ll probably still get some weeds sneaking through. If you’re looking for something cheap and eco-friendly, I’ve heard people swear by thick layers of newspaper too—never tried it myself though. Sometimes I wonder if just committing to pulling a few weeds every season is less hassle in the long run...
BUILDING ON LEVEL GROUND: STEP-BY-STEP TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OF A FLAT LOT
Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing—no matter what you put down, those weeds are persistent. The combo of cardboard and fabric does buy you some time, but I’ve found that after a couple seasons, nature just finds a way. One trick I’ve seen work is using a really thick layer of mulch on top of the fabric—like 4 inches or so. It’s not foolproof, but it slows things down and looks decent too. At some point, though, pulling the odd weed just becomes part of the routine... unless you want to go full concrete, which isn’t exactly charming.
I hear you on the mulch—thicker definitely helps, but yeah, nothing’s totally maintenance-free unless you’re ready to sacrifice aesthetics. I’ve tried gravel over landscape fabric too, thinking it’d be more “permanent,” but the weeds still find those little gaps eventually. Honestly, I’ve started leaning into low groundcovers in some spots instead of fighting it—creeping thyme or sedum can choke out a lot of the unwanted stuff and looks pretty sharp around modern builds.
If you’re aiming for that luxury vibe, edging makes a big difference too. Metal or stone edging keeps mulch or gravel contained and gives everything a crisp look. It’s a bit more work up front, but it really cleans up the lines and makes the inevitable weeding less of a chore. Concrete’s tempting for the zero-maintenance factor, but like you said, it just doesn’t have the same warmth. Sometimes you just have to accept a little imperfection for the sake of character...