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My neighbor and I are fighting about the best way to build a gravel patio base
Last month in my yard in Austin, I dug out a 12x10 foot area for a patio. My neighbor, who built his patio three years ago, swears by just using the existing dirt and compacting it before adding gravel. I read online that you should lay down landscape fabric first to stop weeds. He says the fabric traps water and causes the gravel to sink over time. I spent about $40 on a heavy duty roll of fabric and I'm ready to put it down, but now I'm second guessing the whole plan. Has anyone here done a gravel patio and had issues with or without the fabric layer?
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ben2061mo ago
Listen to your neighbor about the dirt but split the difference on the fabric. The real trick is using CRUSHED stone, not round gravel, for the base layer. That stuff locks together like concrete when you compact it. You can put your fabric on TOP of that compacted base, then add your nicer surface gravel. That way the fabric stops weeds from coming up, but water can still drain down through the crushed stone layer without getting trapped. Your neighbor's patio might be fine now but wait a few more years for those Texas weeds to find a way.
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miakelly1mo ago
Saw a buddy skip the crushed stone and just use fabric under decorative gravel. Two years later the whole thing turned into a wavy mess after heavy rains, like the ground was breathing underneath it. He had to dig it all up and start over with a proper compacted base. That fabric without a solid layer under it just lets everything move around.
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benc531mo ago
Ever notice how skipping the basics in any project always comes back to bite you later?
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