Vent: My 'simple' paver patio project turned into a 3-week dirt fight

Thought I could lay a 10x12 patio myself in a weekend, but the ground in my yard was so uneven it took me 3 whole weeks of digging and leveling just to get a solid base. I had to rent a plate compactor and buy way more gravel than I planned, which blew my budget and my schedule. Anyone else have a basic backyard job that spiraled out of control like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

hollyscott17d ago

Feel like every home project has a hidden second project you only find after you start. My husband tried to replace a bathroom faucet last month and ended up fixing rotten floorboards under the sink for twice the cost and time. It's never just the one thing you see.

emma_lee2216d ago

Ugh, it's the worst rule of home ownership. You never just fix the thing you set out to fix. It always peels back a layer to show you something else that's broken or done wrong. My theory is houses are just slowly falling apart and our repairs are a desperate attempt to slow it down. Every single project becomes a whole investigation into the last person's bad choices.

henryr4516d ago

Tell me about it. My home improvement attempts are basically a Russian nesting doll of problems (but way less fun and way more expensive). Last year I went to change a light switch and found wiring that looked like it was installed by a scared raccoon. What should have been a 20 minute job turned into a whole weekend of me learning way more about electrical code than I ever wanted to know.