Your experience lines up pretty closely with mine. I've seen gravel and sand setups hold steady even in less-than-ideal soils, as long as drainage is handled right. But I do wonder sometimes if climate plays a bigger role than we realize—like, would the same setup hold up in a wetter region or somewhere prone to frost heave? Curious if anyone's tried something similar in tougher climates and how it turned out...
"would the same setup hold up in a wetter region or somewhere prone to frost heave?"
Had a similar setup on a project up in Minnesota—frost heave central, haha. Gravel and sand worked surprisingly well, but we had to beef up drainage big-time. Climate definitely makes you rethink your approach...
Did a similar project in a region with heavy rain and freeze-thaw cycles, and honestly, gravel and sand alone didn't cut it. Couple things we learned:
- Drainage is key, but consider a geotextile fabric barrier too—helps keep your layers from mixing and turning into mush.
- Insulation boards around the perimeter can really help reduce frost penetration.
- Slightly deeper excavation than usual made a noticeable difference.
Climate definitely forces you to get creative...
Good points on the geotextile fabric—I’ve seen it save a few projects from becoming total mud pits. One thing I'd add is considering permeable paving materials on top. We tried permeable pavers once, and they really helped manage runoff during heavy rains, plus reduced ice buildup in winter. Curious if anyone's experimented with combining insulation boards and permeable surfaces...would that combo hold up long-term or cause unexpected issues?
Interesting thought about combining insulation boards with permeable surfaces...haven't personally tried that exact combo, but I did work on a project where we layered rigid foam insulation beneath gravel pathways. It held up surprisingly well, kept the ground stable, and helped manage temperature fluctuations. I'd imagine permeable pavers could work similarly, provided there's proper drainage underneath to avoid trapping moisture. Might be worth testing on a smaller area first to see how it holds up over a couple seasons...
