We installed a brick patio a week ago and today I rented the plate compactor to go over the pavers. After going over them, one area towards the side is now spongy while the rest of the patio seems firm and solid. Do I need to do some kind of repair on this or is this normal? Can I expect the spongy area to settle down after a while or will it just get worse?
We have a 6-inch lime-stone base that is flat and well compacted with
1-inch of sand between it and the pavers.Thanks,
I suspect you will eventually end up with a low spot. The low spot will collect water which will speed the process and at some point you'll have to repair it. But that is the beauty of pavers. Tear out what you have to and fix it-- leaving the rest alone.
You say it is "well compacted". Did you rent the compactor to do the base? Did you wet the base down a few times as you were compacting? Did you compact that whole 6" at once, or did you do it two or three layers?
I suspect your base is the problem-- or there is a geologic anomaly going on and a sinkhole will swallow your patio someday.
Jim
Yes.
It rained a little while I was compacting so I didn't wet it.
The whole thing at once.
Heh, that would really suck.
He said swallow, not suck. Go ask your wife what the difference is.
: )
-snip-
If you're in a monsoon area 'a little' might do it, but I like to soak- like 1-2" of water my base every couple inches.
Bad combination. You might have gotten away with one or the other- but done this way the base will form a crust and take some time to settle.
Also- i forgot to ask before. Did you use a weed barrier under the base? Not to stop weeds, but to keep the base from mixing with the native soil. For fun sometime, take a shovel full of gravel & throw it in a muddy spot. Step on it and watch the gravel disappear. Then put down a weed barrier and throw a shovel full of gravel on that-- and walk on it.
Depending on your constitution you could tear out that section- rent an elephant foot compacter for a day and do it up right. Or wait until it bugs you and do it then. You might get lucky and have it sink slowly enough that you move or die before it bugs you.
Jim
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