Can I Use Gravel as a Paver Base? Paver stone is one of the most common ways of beautifying your driveway, patio, or garden. Besides being aesthetically pleasing, concrete paver stone is excellent if you want to maintain the soil’s ability to absorb water.
Regardless of your reason for using paver stone, you have to lay a foundation base beforehand. So, what can I use for paver base? Can I use gravel as a paver base?
What is paver base used for?
A Paver base is essentially a bed of material that you need to lay down under your concrete paver. This is used to support the concrete paver and make it last longer.
Paver base is also used to improve the ground drainage after laying down your concrete pavers.
What is paver base material made of?
Paver base can be made out of different things, such as sand, recycled concrete aggregate, stone dust, and crushed stone. Each of those paver base materials has its own advantages and disadvantages.
For instance, sand is easy to apply, but it will shift around and create an uneven foundation.
On the other hand, crushed stones might be very difficult to apply in comparison to sand. However, it will stay level over time and create the best water drainage for the paver above.
Can I use gravel as paver base?
The short answer is yes. However, paver base gravel is not any ordinary gravel that you would use for the driveway or potted plants.
This type of gravel is usually coarser as it is generally made from crushed local rock. Being coarser also means that paver base gravel is cheaper than decorative gravel.
But, it doesn’t mean that it’s less good. The coarse edges on paver base gravel will lock onto each other, creating an even layer for your paver.
Paver base gravel is offered in different sizes and materials. The key to finding the right gravel for your paver is knowing the characteristics of each of those variations. Those gravel types are:
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Fine gravel
Fine gravel’s texture is reminiscent of sand but a little bit coarser and slightly bigger in size. Due to its size, fine gravel can be compacted on any surface, making it suitable for sandy or well-draining soil.
However, it is not suitable for heavy-duty uses such as the driveway.
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Medium gravel
Medium gravel is almost similar to fine gravel. However, it provides better water drainage than fine gravel. This type of gravel is suitable for regular soil and can support the weight of most cars.
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Coarse gravel
As the largest size of gravel, coarse gravel could provide better water drainage, especially for clay or poor-draining soil.
On top of that, coarse gravel can also support the weight of multiple vehicles, making it suitable for driveways.
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Recycled concrete gravel
This type of gravel is the cheapest as it is made out of crushed concrete. Due to its inconsistent mixture, recycled concrete gravel is not as reliable as real gravel.
In conclusion, can I use gravel as paver base? Yes, you can. However, be aware that paver base gravel is very specialized. So, adjust the gravel selection based on your construction usage and soil condition.