The contractor who looked at pool/lanai deck today said that pavers were best long term solution-- said that taking the current surface off wasn't really necessary that they would lay a sand base and could level that to give even patio surface even if current surface is not level... Said that if you took it off you didn't know condition of the original surface under it Price including labor, new coping, taking out the bottom aluminum strip of screen cage to lay pavers and then replacing it and screen, and all pavers was just over 6K-- Also said pool itself looked in good shape--didn't really need resurfacing (which it doesn't) so didn't push for that... which was positive indicator to me that maybe he isn't out to gouge us... He has good recommendations on Angie's List and I can ask for other recommendations if we want them Also have couple of other people going to look at the patio Any suggestions for what type of pavers work best for pool decking... Most of the pavers I have seen for patios have been pretty rough and don't think they would be very comfortable for walking on in bare feet...but know we don't want something slick and dangerous... can they be treated with something to "cool" them down so they don't retain heat? These are questions I will email back to the contractor-- didn't think he would call back so quickly with his price so wasn't quite prepared... anyone have umbrella holes in a paver deck? are they worth the extra cost? there is no spa in this pool--and no sun/tanning ledge--so don't know if they would be that useful... appreciate info and if there are good pool designs posted here using pavers would appreciate knowing about them so can get some pictures...

Totally depends on preference. Pros & cons to both and nothing is totally maintenance free, although some things may require more maintenance than others. In our Upstate NY climate, everything takes a beating - regardless of selected product. Long story short, I will never have another deck nor do I prefer poured concrete. Decks take too much of my time and money for maintenance (even composite) and I just don't care for the stamped concrete. In our climate, poured concrete shifts as do pavers. Pavers (or natural rock) are much more forgiving to shifting than concrete which generally (not always) eventually splits & heaves (even slightly) around here. Pavers shifting are easier to remedy than poured concrete should you desire to do so. I spend a total of 30-60 minutes a year maintaining the paver patio which includes weekly sweeping and minor weed killing in the cracks. Zero cost in supplies - just time. Probably not much more in maintenance for a poured patio either. The deck we used to have required washing, water repellent treatment (staining if preferred), tightening screws/bolts that came loosened up over time and occasionally replaced pieces of floorboards that became warped or split, parts of the skirting (should you choose to have one), and spindles on railings which became loose over time from bumping, leaning etc... The patio allows us to be ground level with shrubs & flowers which we used to only see from above on the deck. Fast growing plantings around the patio can screen things out pretty quickly as well, should the need be there. When your up on a raised platform like a deck, sometimes it can be more challenging unless you integrate a wooden screen into the design (which requires maintenance like the rest of the deck - more time & money). Regardless, I would remove the existing slab before I'd do anything. Should you go with a deck, the footings will need to be dug into the ground which will require removal of the concrete. Patios (poured, paver or stone) are only as good as the base they are built on and the current slab would need to come out to do build your new base. Only opinions and preference but it's good to consider all options that you are to make the best decision for you.

We have a 1200 sq ft 20 year old PT yellow pine deck that includes a walkway 5'x 35'. About the last 20 feet where it ends at the driveway needs replacing. Unfortunately, this job seems to be a little small to be cost effective for the good companies in our area. The ones that came out to look at the project were really in hopes that I would actually replace the whole deck. They were all in agreement that its actually in pretty good shape and should be good for at least another 5 years. So I've found an individual to do it that has done several similar projects (decks and pergolas) for friends of ours that look good. I understand the risks of not having a contractor per se, but I don't really have a choice here since I can't do it myself. I will buy the materials (PT yellow pine), 2x6 planks, 4x4 posts and other support material. The plan is pretty simple, we'll tear out the existing walkway and basically repeat the same structure. The walkway is level and is just above the ground with the top of the planks no more than 8 inches above the ground. Here are my questions: 1. When we take out the existing portion of the walkway, I assume the existing posts should also be removed and not left in place or is it OK to leave them in as long as you're not hooking into them? Assuming we take them out should we use the same holes or fill them in and use new holes - just thinking about rot issues. 2. Is there any long term benefit to staining/sealing all sides of the wood before you put it down? 3. We used a weed barrier when the deck was built, I assume this should be replaced with a new barrier. Correct? 4. The section of walkway we're replacing is shaped like an "L" with the junction being a nice curve instead of a square. We are going to change this to a "tee" so that the walkway will continue another few feet and ramp down to the yard. The purpose here is to allow my son to get into the yard in his powered wheelchair. My concern is the end of the ramp - should we have some type of concrete or stone footing there to maintain some some semblance of a smooth transition? What do you suggest? 5. We live in Houston - lots of hot sun, rain, humidity and trees. The reason for this section going before the rest of the deck is that it had major sun exposure for most of its life and most of the rest of the deck has shade a large portion of the day. This area also has had some tree root issues which have caused some minor buckling. Any suggestions on the root issues? 6. We have done a pretty good job of maintenace by using Cabot stain and sealer every two years - pain in the butt. Assuming we continue to do this type of maintenance (and yes we're here to stay), is there a lot of advantage to using IPE instead of PT yellow pine? Thanks in advance for your responses. Cheers, Larry

" We would like to xeriscape the yard and have a cactus garden and some sporadic pavers. ... Can we just infill with gravel over the lower paver deck and plant the cactus directly into the gravel?" No .., the roots won't make it through the pavers, and cacti need more than just gravel to live in. However, pavers make an excellent weed control and mulch. It would be a pity to waste the previous owner's hard work setting those things. Re-define your idea to be "paver patio with inserted low water use plantings" and it's a piece of cake. Remove a few pavers where you want to plant something, making sure to leave enough room for stem expansion (2-3 times the width of the estimated mature stem size). Plant. Run drip lines if you are going to be using them, and use the gravel for mulch just in the spot where you removed the pavers to fill the hole level with the patio. You will have to monitor watering carefully, because the pavers act as a mulch and it will be easy to overwater. This picture is over the top, but you see how it's done. A plant or two, then an area with more plants than pavers, as if they are taking over the patio slowly. Mix fluffy low growers in with spiky tall ones. http://habhero.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Cheryl-Mills-IMG_1717-4x6.jpg