My dad told me to always check the gravel source before a pour, and he was right

Sage Hart · 2026-04-07T06:55:06.419888+00:00

I was setting up a pour for a patio in Tacoma and the supplier sent over a load of river gravel. My dad, who did this work for 30 years, always said 'river rock is too smooth, it won't bond right, get crushed.' I figured it was fine and used it anyway. Two months later, the customer called because the surface was already flaking apart. I had to tear it out and redo the whole thing with proper crushed aggregate, which cost me about $1200 out of pocket. That smooth surface just doesn't lock in with the cement like angular stone does. Has anyone else had a mix fail because of the wrong type of rock?

ray_miller846mo ago

Wait, you didn't listen to your DAD? @milesbailey

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milesbailey6mo ago

Man, that's a classic lesson about aggregate shape right there.

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anthony1296mo ago

Yeah, @milesbailey nailed it with the shape thing. It's all about that mechanical bond, you know? Those smooth surfaces just slide past each other instead of locking together like jagged crushed stone does. Makes you wonder how many other guys have learned that the hard way.

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