How to Prepare a Sand and Gravel Patio Base

Laying mortarless or dry-laid patios on top of a sand and gravel base is a real easy and affective way to complete you patio project. By laying a sand and gravel base you will allow water to seep through the ground below. Also by creating a sand and gravel base you will create a more forgiving surface as the ground settles. The most important part of preparing to lay a sand and gravel base is to make sure the ground is level before you start.

Once you have your edging in place and your ground level you can start to dump small piles of gravel throughout the site and spread them evenly with a garden rake. Keep adding rock evenly throughout the area until you have about four inches of gravel. Once the gravel is down you should compact it somehow, the easiest way is with a hand tamper. Make the gravel compact until you have a firm, packed base and the movement is minimal. You also want to check the slope of the gravel once you are done by resting a 2x4 on the opposite sided of the patio on the edging. Just check it in several different areas and if you get the same measurement at each point you are in good shape.

Once you have your gravel down and ready to go you need to lay down some landscape fabric to prevent weeds from growing up through your patio and sand from sifting through the gravel. You need to cover the entire gravel base with landscape fabric making sure to overlap your sections. Once you have your fabric down, spread approximately 2 inches of sand over the fabric keeping is fairly level, then wet the sand down just enough to help it settle. You do not need to create a swimming pool inside your framework; just a little water will help everything settle nicely.

Your next step is to prepare the sand and gravel base for the bricks or whatever material you are going to use. The most important part is leveling everything out. The easiest way to do this is to notch the ends of a long 2x4 so the depth of the notch is equal to the depth of the brick or stone you are using for your patio. Level the sand by resting the notches on top of the edging and drawing the board back and forth until the sand is smooth. This part is actually pretty easy as long as you make the notches correctly in your 2x4. Once this is done you are ready to start laying your bricks, stone or pavers. The hard part is over and you are now on the home stretch of your patio project.