Overheard someone at Home Depot talking about using mortar mix for leveling pavers instead of sand

I was grabbing some grout last Saturday and this older guy was telling his buddy how he's been using mortar mix under his patio stones for like 15 years now instead of sand. He said it locks everything in place way better and you don't get washout after rain. I stood there pretending to look at tile spacers just to hear more of what he had to say. Has anyone else tried something like that for a DIY paver project or is it a bad idea down the road?

2 comments

2 Comments

jessicaflores13d ago

Oh, I actually tried that method about ten years ago on a back patio and it was a mistake. It held up fine for a couple summers but after a bad winter I had cracked pavers and water pooling in spots that never dried out. @piper_reed is spot on about the drainage issue, and I ended up tearing the whole thing out and switching to polymeric sand like they mentioned.

piper_reed13d ago

Gonna have to call this one out a little bit, mortar mix can actually trap water underneath and cause more problems with frost heave than sand would. Sand lets water drain through naturally, while mortar creates a solid barrier that freezes and shifts everything in winter. I'd stick with polymeric sand for the best of both worlds since it locks in place but still lets water drain.