Can I Lay Pavers in Stone Dust?

Type of Soil

• The type of soil you are dealing with will directly affect your decision to use stone dust over regular sand. While stone dust is certainly a viable option for use with patio pavers and walkways in arid types of soil, if you are dealing with a clay-based soil, stone dust is not a good choice. The reason for this is because clay naturally retains water, which can then be transferred to the stone dust, mixing together and then turning into a hard base layer that will easily freeze come winter.

Climate

• Because stone dust readily retains water and acts like a type of clay that will turn into a hardened mixture when exposed to too much moisture, the climate you live in dictates whether or not stone dust is a viable choice. If you live in a dry arid climate such as in Arizona, stone dust is a good option. However, if you live in a place such as Missouri where the humidity is high and the soil naturally retains moisture, stone dust is not a good option.

Drainage

• Drainage is another issue with stone dust. Since it readily absorbs water and hardens into a clay-like substance over periods of time after being exposed to too much water, proper drainage is key to using stone dust with pavers. As long as there is a base layer of crushed rock or pea gravel to allow for proper drainage, stone dust is a viable option along with sand; but without some sort of drainage, it can lead to trouble down the road.

Freeze/Thaw Cycle

• The freeze/thaw cycle is one of the primary reasons that stone dust is a potentially dangerous paver foundation layer. Because stone dust can readily absorb water in the right conditions, it is subject to freezing in the winter months. Because water expands when it freezes, this causes the stone dust to expand, pushing the pavers up out of the foundation and causing buckling and cracking in your walkways or patios.