Pool Paver Decks

14 years ago

Do not install pavers on your pool deck. Go with concrete. After having pavers for over a year on my new pool, I decided to have the surface pressure washed by a reputable sealing company. After spraying to get the mold out of the paver cracks, the company sprayed the sand into my pool as well as all over my cage screens. Apparently this is the usual practice in Southwest Florida. Pavers need to be sealed every two years or so. Naturally you want any mold/mildew and dirt cleaned from them. What you end up with is a sealed deck with all the sand missing. Guess who's going to put the sand back in? After all the research on re sanding, you really can't use Polymeric sand unless you have at least 1&1/2" of depth for the pavement joints (Techniseal). Now, without digging out some pavers, how do you know how deep and how consistent your joints are? Secondly, if some of your substrate is washed away, then you fill and fill and fill the joints forever (unknowing that you have a hole underneath your pavers somewhere. Yes, mine were professionally installed with the substrate compacted by machine. After using leveling, mason or joint sand, you will find that you have to wash the tops of the pavers off, which again reveals joints that weren't completely filled. I've brushed my pavers 3 times now and unless you have really dry, fine sand, you'll be doing it several times like myself.

Guess what? Every two years you get to go through the same work again! I swayed back and forth as to whether to have concrete or pavers. Many pool builders lean towards pavers since they make more money on them and you end up with high, high maintenance after it is built. I don't have interlocking pavers, just 12" squares and now I'm really regretting it. Better luck with the rest of you when building a new pool.

Oh, did I mention that I just had to replace my pool vac due to the sand in the pool clogging up the gears! As soon as some $$$$ come along, I'm ripping out the pavers and having concrete poured. So I get a few cracks, at least I don't have to pressure wash, re sand, re seal and wash my cage every two years! Sure I will clean the concrete but no sand!

Another side benefit with pavers on sand is that you get to track it in all over the house as well. No matter where you walk on the surface, there's sand sitting there, even after a good hard Florida rain! Good luck!

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Comments (5)

brentr_gw
14 years ago
I am so sorry for what you did, however we like our pavers even though we have only had it for 4-5 mths. Our PB told us to never pressure the pavers and we do not have problems with sand all over the place and even sand missing. We live in Jacksonville so I would assume that we get very hard rain. We have no mold yet but I have used some bleach to get out some stains and it worked great. The only maintanance is the ocassional sweeping with a broom (twice in 4-5mths) Not sure what you have done but we love our pavers... They are practically maintance free... BTW we have not sealed them because the PB said to let them breath for at least a year. LOL
michelle_phxaz
14 years ago
We have pavers near our pool under our BBQ island. We used the polymer/sand mix for the grout, once you sweep it between the pavers and use a power tamper to shake all the sand in place (you will need a lot more than you think!), wet it down and it dries hard like concrete.

We have had it for several years and we have one crack we need to fill, but the stuff really sticks in place and there is no sand to track anywhere. You say that you need 1-1.5 inches, any ruler will tell you how deep the sand is currently. I would try the polymer over the sand (scrape as much as you can out), it is cheaper than tearing the whole thing up. Good luck!
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terryibra
14 years ago
I was just going to mention the gator grout-polymer stuff. It is great. Rent a vibrating tamper and shake down as much existing sand as you can because the stuff is expensive and use what you have to build up the base. I agree that you need 1" depth. I would also seal it when you are done. It is suppose to be mildew resistant but the added protection of a good sealer would be a wise up front cost. It is a great product though!
steve_fl
14 years ago
I also have pavers - I have had them for 4 years now-
I pressure wash (lightly, more like hosing off) at least once a season-
I have had NO problem with mine-
(The small area of concrete I had poured at the same time looks terrible due to cracking-wish I could tear out the concrete and replace with pavers)
Pavers are great, especially here in Florida, as they allow the deck to shift as needed on the sandy surface-Mine are still as straight as the day they were installed, with no cracks like the concrete.
It almost seems like the OP sprayed the pressure washer directly into each joint of the pavers if he blew that much sand out.

Plumbago-try using a pump up sprayer with about a 25%-50% mix of chlorine bleach and water, spray down a section of the deck, and hose it off with a garden hose.
This will get rid of the mold/mildew, and keep the sand in the joints of the pavers-
Also, start at the edge of the pool and work your way AWAY from the pool, this way any debris and sand that is pulled up is going AWAY from the pool, not into the pool and your cleaner will not need to suffer.
brentr_gw
14 years ago
steve fl, I agree with you. I use bleach in a pump up sprayer along the edges where I get some mold and it is gone immediately. I also like the look a clean paver. Our PB said that I would have to resand about once every 2 yrs. I do not see a problem with that. I guess it is just routine maintanance. We just had lots of rain in Jacksonville and all the sand seems to be in place. Of course there are a couple of pavers where some sand is missing hovever no problem filling these cracks with a half cup of sand when the weather is sunny and dry. It give me something to do while I have a beer in the other hand :)

Pool Paver Decks

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