Concrete vs paver patio for my backyard in Portland

I built a concrete slab two years ago and my neighbor just did a paver patio last spring. After the winter rains here in Portland the concrete got these hairline cracks from the ground shifting. His pavers? They settled a bit but no cracks at all, just some sand I had to top off. Anyone else switch to pavers after dealing with concrete issues?

2 comments

2 Comments

rosew3721d ago

You mentioned the pavers settled but didn't crack, so did you have to do any prep work different than the concrete slab to stop that from happening?

tyler61421d ago

The settling with pavers is actually part of why they work better for me in certain spots. The whole point is they can shift around a bit without failing, unlike concrete that just cracks when the ground moves. I did put down a good 4-6 inches of compacted gravel base before the sand layer, which is more than you'd normally do for a small concrete pad. Also used landscape fabric under the gravel to keep the dirt from mixing in over time. The concrete slab I poured elsewhere started cracking along the control joints after two winters because the ground underneath heaved, but the pavers just moved a little and settled right back when things thawed out.