"Next time around, I'd probably go deeper with the gravel layer and maybe even add a geotextile fabric underneath to help stabilize things."
Totally agree on the geotextile fabric—wish I'd known about it sooner. We built our custom home driveway using permeable pavers, and while they've been fantastic overall, we had similar settling issues after heavy rains. Adding a thicker gravel base definitely helped, but the fabric would've saved us some headaches. Lesson learned for next time...
Geotextile fabric is definitely underrated—wish I'd considered it when we redid our backyard patio. We went heavy on gravel, but still noticed some shifting after winter thaw. Curious if anyone's tried combining it with sand layers to improve drainage...? Might give that a shot next time around.
Geotextile fabric is solid advice—definitely helps keep things stable. A few thoughts from my own trial-and-error:
- Sand can actually compact and clog drainage if it's too fine. I'd lean toward coarse sand if you're going that route.
- Mixing gravel sizes can also help reduce shifting. Learned that the hard way after our first winter.
- Fabric first, then coarse sand or crushed stone, topped with finer gravel—that combo's been a winner for us.
Good luck, backyard projects always seem to teach us something new...usually after the fact.
Wish I'd seen this thread before I tackled my patio last summer... would've saved me some headaches. Totally agree on the coarse sand—fine sand turned into a muddy mess after a few heavy rains. Ended up redoing half the base with crushed stone and fabric underneath, and it's held up way better. Backyard projects are definitely a "live and learn" kinda thing, aren't they? At least we get good stories out of it later...
Yeah, backyard projects always seem to teach us the hard way. Sounds like you nailed it with the crushed stone and fabric though—solid choice. If it makes you feel any better, my first patio sank unevenly after just one winter because I skipped compacting the base properly. Had to rip it all up and start fresh. But hey, second time around usually goes smoother...and you're right, at least we get some good stories out of it.
