Why Use Base Panels for Pavers and Retaining Walls 

Thanks for the great insights. I'm considering using Gator panels following with the steps you've detailed for a 12' x 12' paver area. My neighbor who has done hardscaping for years using traditional methods seems skeptial this approach will hold up through long term freeze and thaw cycles in northern Indiana. Do you have examples of longevity and the ability of this approach to perform over the long term? Thanks.

I’m new here, wish there were someone in Chicago like you! Can we lay pavers directly on top of the base panels, on top our existing concrete patio?

Hi i bought these brocks panel from Home depot along with step 2 sand. I saw videos where they put sand first then the Brock paver panels and some videos put sand on top of the Brock panels . I'm confused what goes first. Please help. I'm trying the make a small walk way with 16x16 step stones from home depot.

I already have gravel on my backyard, but I wanna put a shed (bought at Costco). Can I just install these plastic pavers on my gravel then put the shed on top of these plastic pavers? Thanks

Great Video!... What is the brand of the level you are using?

We have clay soils that can get very sloppy. I read the Brock instructions and it tells me to tamp the soil by hand and then add the 1/2" of and and then the Brock panels. Knowing how "squishy" our clay soil can get, this just seems like not enough. Thoughts, from your professional experience?

Great Vid. I would like your advice. We are putting in a flagstone patio in our backyard where there used to be a raised beds, play structure, etc. There was no grass to remove. The ground is very gravelly mixed with dirt. It is not extremely flat nor gel but the dirt is very loose (not heavy clay or organic!). (Our son built a tumbled cement black fire pit right on the dirt that has not moved at all over the past few years. We're in the Pacific Northwest with rainy mild weather. It will be hard to lay gravel because there is no easy way to get it back behind the house, downgrade slope to the area, but we thought we had to... until we saw this option. SO, do you think leveling and tamping with a layer of snd under the synthetic base is a reasonable alternative to 4" gravel, hand carried and hand tamped, then sand, then the flagstone pavers? THANKS!!!

My backyard currently has over 4% slope and therefore I will have disturbed soil at the rear end to bring it 1.5% slope. My house has a walkout basement and bringing gravel down to the backyard is quite an effort. The synthetic base will save that effort as I plan to install 1900 sq feet of pavers. Can I use the synthetic base on the disturbed clay-type soil area?

Hi Michael. Congrats on your great channel. I am out in Southern California and am currently tackling my own DIY SAND SET paver project. I am using synthetic base panels AND my porcelain paver is of course 3/4". I don't use any crush base. After the weed barrier cloth and 1/2" of lightly hand-compacted sand, the base goes on top of that. When I placed the paver, I found that it is still have some gives, hence it does not fill like a solid paver surface. Please tell me what I missed. Also, your clip on HFB material for screeding. What is the equivalent out here in So Cal because nobody knows HFB. :) Peter

Great video -- probably the most detailed on the subject on YT -- can you use paver base panels under brick or just pavers?

Hi, I am planning on using paver panels for a project, but my screed layer will be sand. I was wondering whether I need to compact that sand before putting in the panels or if I only need to screed it. Thanks!

Hi! Thanks so much for taking the time to make all these informative videos. Question on using the paver base and laying down pavers next to a sitting wall that is installed on a traditional base. According to Gator Base, the paver base panel needs to extend 6 inches from the end of the pavers. However, if the pavers (on the Gator Base) will butt up next to the sitting wall (on a traditional base) this of course violates the “6 inch rule” for the pavers on the Gator Base. What has been your experience in these situations? Is the “6 inch rule” for pavers on the Gator Base only needed to accommodate edging support (which the sitting wall should provide). Or is that additional 6” space on the Gator Base needed for some other reason? Thanks again for all the videos!

So glad I came across this video! I currently have a patio and walkway of pavers against my foundation, there is some sloping towards the foundation and water pooling. There is limestone base and 2" of sand under the pavers. Could I install base panels on top of the sand to help raise and grade away, or should I remove the sand and add more limestone (1/4 or 3/4 down, 1/4 or 3/4 clean ?) and sand instead? Zone 3a btw.

Thank you very for creating all these informative videos. I am planning to lay a walkway using these synthetic base panels this spring, however, I cannot fond them in any of local big box stores. I live in the Niagara region (Ontario side) and have not been able to fond Gator panels. It seems Rona carries Brock pavers. Are these two brands different?

Can you butt up a base panel install to a portion of pavers that will be installed using open graded base? Pavers installed on open graded base will compact 1/8" to 1/4", will pavers installed on base panels compact less than that or the same?

The Alliance Gator people specify compaction of the bedding sand (by hand tamping) but in professional installer videos they don't compact the sand. Can anyone explain?

Can you use the plastic edge restraint and then add concrete on top of it? is that just redundant or counter productive? Thanks for your videos! Will be starting my project soon: have a 10 X 14 section with a decent slope, was debating if I should use synthetic base or not.

Thanks for this video! If I need a 6 inch retaining wall under one edge of my patio, do I lay paverbase on top of the wall or do i butt paverbase up against the back of the wall?

Would you recommend using this over existing concrete that’s in good shape? No videos on RU-vid about laying pavers over existing concrete mention these.

Glad to find this video, looking forward to lay 12x14 paver patio on flat terrain here in Montreal area. Aiming to use synthetic base, HPB as base and nonwoven fabric. Is digging only 2in to remove the grass would be enough? Is HPB better than sand? Any errors/mistakes to avoid?? Thanks in advance

I live in Central Florida and the soil is all sand. I dug 36inches to install a hammock post and it was all very loose sand. Am I still able to use these panels if I compact the native sandy soil, or should I opt for a gravel base?

"Ewout"

Can use a synthetic base for artificial turf grass install? Has anyone tried this before? I’m thinking of doing it

If using synthetic paver base panels - when applying polymeric sand after the pavers are laid, do you typically still use a plate compactor during this step to ensure the sand gets packed between the joints?

What is the product name and manufacturer of this new type of paver base for driveways that you mention in the video?

So, for a walkway along the side of the house, you would not use HPB, only paver base?

Hey man, thanks for your videos. Very useful. One quick question for you. I hope you can help me. What do you think if after using the weed barrier textile, I put stone dust and on top of that the synthetic Paver Base panels.

Hi Mike, if I use HPB as the bedding layer, do I need to compact them after screeding or can just fill the void where the pipes are ?

Great video. I’m about to start my DIY patio. I have a small concrete slab, and I’m planning on using synthetic paver base. What do you recommend me to do with the slab? I already have 1 inch and also half inch pavers.

Whether you do 10inch or 5 inch excavation, you still need machine to complete the work right?

I used the hard plastic interlocking ones under my jacuzi area and they are super super easy.

Would you use these for pool paver decking?

Looking forward to it.