What Is Geotextile Fabric And Should It Be Included In Your Paver Installation?
Do you have clay based soils or silt based soils in your yard and are worried about the long term durability of your new paving stone patio or driveway. There is an easy solution to this challenge; install geotextile fabric or what is commonly known as filter fabric.
Filter fabric is designed to separate the base material from the underlying soils. Southern California soils commonly are clay or silt based. Over time and especially during rains, the native soils could eventually mix with the compacted class II base material and eventually weaken the paving system.
The compacted base is really the beginning of the interlocking process of your installation. The base consists of 3/4 inch sharp angular stone all the way down to ground concrete. Once your base is wet down and compacted it creates the foundation for your pavers to be built on. Even the screed sand is varied in size so it also creates and interlocking effect. Standard demo removes the expansive soils, but over time with possibly rain storms or over watering of your yard, clay can migrate and mix with your base.
Installing the geo-fabric will prevent this from happening and aid in the long term durability of your paving stone project. The fabric is placed on top of the native soils and your base is then placed on top of the fabric, thus creating a barrier that allows water to shed and prevents the soil around it from working its way into the base.
If you do not have clay based soils or silt then this will not be a challenge for you. For a minimal investment filter fabric is a great addition to your project.