FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Main Menu
Subscribe

In every issue you'll find...

  • Expert insights on techniques and principles
  • Unbiased tool reviews
  • Step-by-step details to master the job
  • Field-tested advice and know-how
Subscribe Now!
Subscribe
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
  • Join
  • Log In
Main Menu Subscribe
Ask the Experts

Alternative Patio Base

Made of high-density foam, interlocking paver-base panels provide a stable base for concrete pavers without the need to lug several tons of gravel to the site.

Issue 290 - April/May 2020
Article Image
Panels for pavers. Made of high-density foam, interlocking Gator Base panels provide a stable base for concrete pavers without the need to lug several tons of gravel to the site.

Despite the joists being half-buried in the ground, our grade-level deck has managed to last more than a couple of decades. A patio replacement sounds appealing, but this is a townhouse, and we can’t get an excavator or truck in there to remove soil or bring in the stone for the base, and there’s no room to build up—it’s already nearly level with the interior floor. We’d like to replace what’s there with an eye toward increased longevity. We were thinking of digging down a few inches by hand, then laying down landscape fabric and some crushed stone, installing new 2x PT joists, and topping it with composite decking. Do you think we could get another 20 years or more out of that assembly?

—Peter Eggers via email

Tony Blue, owner of Squared Away Contracting (@squaredawaycontracting) in Greenwich, N.Y., responds: The primary concern with another ground-level deck is the new pressure-treated lumber: Like your grandfather would say, it just isn’t what it used to be. The preservatives used in today’s residential-grade PT lumber aren’t as good at resisting decay as the old stuff, so the wood rots more quickly. And not all composite decking is equal, either—some products require lots of airflow to avoid becoming a breeding ground for mushrooms, and some can’t be used on decks that aren’t firmly anchored to ground footings and/or the building. Unlike wood, composite decking tends to be a bit floppy. As you noted, though, townhouses often don’t allow access for heavy equipment without damaging neighboring properties.

With all this in mind, I’d recommend concrete pavers, which can be brought around the back of the property in a wheelbarrow. The standard patio base you know of— 6 in. of compacted gravel—can amount to several tons of material that would have to be moved without a truck. There’s a smarter way to accomplish this.

A handful of manufacturers make paver-base products out of high-density foam panels that lock together. They take the place of the gravel to provide a stable base for the pavers, but they’re light enough to carry around the house in your arms—in one trip for a modest-size patio. Gator Base is one I’ve installed, and it works well. It has built-in channels for drainage and is frost resistant. For the most part, the process is the same as a traditional paver installation, except for the substitution of the stone base.

First, excavate the top layer of soil by shovel and rake as needed. In your case, after removing the old deck, the area should already be free of vegetation, and it should be easy to move the soil. Use a laser level or stringline to pitch the area away from the house. Then use a plate compactor to tamp the soil firm and flat. A layer of drainable geotextile landscape fabric goes on top of that, followed by 3/4 in. of screeded and compacted sand. The Gator Base panels come next, and lock together with a tongue-and- groove system. Although not in the instructions, I’ve found that tamping again at this stage helps even everything out. Then install the pavers, followed by plastic edging. After filling the joints between the pavers with polymeric sand, compact the whole thing one more time and wet the area to activate the sand. This doesn’t eliminate all the heavy moving, but it’s a practical way to get an affordable patio without ruining your back or the neighbors’ lawns.

From Fine Homebuilding #290

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Sign Up

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

×
X
X

New Feature

Fine Homebuilding Forums

Ask questions, offer advice, and share your work

Comments are closed.

More Ask the Experts

View All
  • flash deck ledger

    Flashing a Deck the Hard Way

  • patio bases

    Getting Patio Bases Right

  • oil-canning deck fascia

    Oil-Canning Deck Fascia

  • stairs to a pitch landing

    Stairs to a Pitched Landing

View All

Up Next

Featured Story

Myron stands inside a new construction

Drywall Spanning a Band Joist

Avoid cracking and hard-to-hide seams with smart panel placement and by using drywall adhesive instead of screws at the band joist.

Featured Video

Builder’s Advocate: An Interview With Viewrail

Learn more about affordable, modern floating stairs, from design to manufacturing to installation.

Related Stories

  • Designing Outdoor Spaces: How To Get More From Your Home By Extending It Outside

  • Flashing a Deck the Hard Way

  • Getting Patio Bases Right

  • Oil-Canning Deck Fascia

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Highlights

  • Fine Homebuilding All Access
  • Fine Homebuilding Podcast
  • Tool Tech

    Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

  • "I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

    Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

    Sign Up See all newsletters

Video

View All
  • Micro-Adjust Deck-Baluster Spacing for an Eye-Deceiving Layout

  • Install Cable Rail Around Wood-Post Corners

    How to Install Cable Rail Around Wood-Post Corners

  • Podcast 190: Becoming a Contractor, Patching Old Siding, and Strengthening a Building With Spray Foam

  • Podcast 188: Smoothing Plaster Ceilings, Enforcing Airtightness, and Better Brick Walkways

View All

Decks

View All
  • oil-canning deck fascia

    Oil-Canning Deck Fascia

  • hidden fasteners

    Easy Hidden Fasteners

  • acrylic flashing tape

    Make Deck Framing Last

  • deck lighting

    High-Quality Deck Lighting

View All

BOOKS, DVDs, & MERCH

Shop the Store
  • 2020 Fine Homebuilding Archive

    Buy Now
  • Code Check Building 4th Edition

    Buy Now
  • Fine Homebuilding Magazine Slipcase

    Buy Now
  • Musings of an Energy Nerd

    Buy Now
  • Shop the Store

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 298 - April/May 2021

    • Butt Boards for Smooth Ceilings
    • Help Installing Gutters
    • Safety Bucket
  • Issue 297 - Feb/Mar 2021

    • Foundations for Success
    • Staircase Renovation
    • Ditch the Hose
  • Issue 296 - Dec 2020/Jan 2021

    • Insulating Glass Keeps Getting Better
    • Simple Way to Make Old Walls Straight and Plumb
    • Making Sense of Minisplits
  • Issue 295 - Kitchens & Baths

    • Condo Kitchen Reimagined
    • Row-House Remodel
    • Rise of the IAQ Monitor
  • Issue 294 - Oct/Nov 2020

    • Schoolhouse Reimagined
    • Tool Test: Folding Sawhorses
    • A Better Way to Build Tall Walls

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Sign Up See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Manage Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2021 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk
  • Account

  • Log In
  • Join

    Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk
  • Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

    Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

    All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

    Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

    More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • Customer Support

    Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Sign Up See all newsletters

Follow

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 52%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in