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I'm planning to build a small paver pathway in my garden along the side of my house. This is just to allow my trashcans to travel through and there will not be much foot traffic otherwise.

I understand the basic process involves adding gravel, then sand, compacting each layer, and finally laying the pavers.

However, I have a question about the existing soil. The current soil grade is much lower than the desired level (it needs to be raised to match the rest of the pathway). The soil is covered with sparse grass and weeds but has remained undisturbed for years, so it's quite compact.

Do I need to dig up the soil and remove the grass and weeds, which would disturb its current state of compaction before adding the gravel? Can I just lay the gravel directly on top without disturbing the compacted soil? My concern is that digging might loosen the already compact soil, but I’m not sure if that’s the right approach. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

isherwood
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Anoop
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1 Answers1

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You can leave the topsoil, but you'll probably regret doing that later.

Topsoil is more prove to move over time, especially if you get freezing weather at any point in the year. Even without freezing weather, as the organic content in topsoil is used up by plant (and other soil) life, it will shrink. When it moves, your pavers will get out of whack and start tripping you up at the joints until you correct them.

Ecnerwal
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