I’ve noticed the same thing with stone—sometimes it’s rock solid (pun intended), other times it shifts like crazy after a couple of winters. I wonder if drainage plays a bigger role than people think? In my backyard, the old limestone edging from the 1920s is still mostly intact, but the spots where water pools are always the first to move. Timber’s nice for a softer look, but even treated wood seems to go mushy after a decade or so. Has anyone tried brick as a middle ground? I’m curious if it holds up better with freeze-thaw cycles.
“the spots where water pools are always the first to move”
That’s been my experience too—water’s the silent saboteur of backyard projects. I tried brick once, thinking it’d be the Goldilocks option, but in the shadiest corner, it still heaved a bit after a rough winter. Maybe it’s less about the material and more about prepping the base? Has anyone experimented with gravel or sand layers under brick to help with drainage? I’m wondering if that might make a bigger difference than just swapping materials.