We are scheduled to get pavers around our pool and am hearing mixed views. The plumbers, electricians and pool installers are all telling us that we are crazy for using pavers. If anyone has any experience or knowledge, please help.
Do pavers around pool sink or shift?
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The deck we had at our first home - no pool, had pavers and they had shifted all over the place.
However, that may well depend on how well the ground is prepped ahead of time.
Anyone with experience?
However, that may well depend on how well the ground is prepped ahead of time.
Anyone with experience?
Annie,
First of all, welcome to TFP. A few questions to help us answer your questions. What type of pool??? Above ground, In ground, etc. That would make a big difference.
First of all, welcome to TFP. A few questions to help us answer your questions. What type of pool??? Above ground, In ground, etc. That would make a big difference.
You will have pavers heaving with frost more readily than any other surface I would say. But if you put down like say 8" of crushed stone, and finished it with sand, plus provided drainage to the stone, then I don't see much problem. The thing about pavers is that if a section does heave, it does not crack. Are you putting them in mortared, or loose? Either way, there will obviously be some maintenance to them, either fixing mortar or sweeping sand into the cracks about twice a year.
Pavers are only as good as the base. A big plus with pavers is that if you ever have an underground line break it is much easy to move the pavers and put them back than to jackhammer concrete.
- Apr 5, 2007
- 425
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I've seen it done well. But the man who did produced the best paver work I've seen in person or in any magazine. Most professionals do a so so job when it comes to paver's. It can be done...just make sure you have an adequate depth of base and it's compacted every 3-4" and after the bricks are installed.
have fun!
dan
have fun!
dan
I did my brick paver sidewalk, and I am totally happy with it. But, it is imperative that you get a solid base. That is key, if you dig it out and, and it is spongy, put underlayment under the stone to carry it. You should never skimp on compaction. I used 8" of stone, or more under my sidewalk, and the heaviest item it sees is a wheelbarrow full of dirt or plants on occasion. But really, the only thing that I have had a problem with, is the paver lights float up about once a year, slowly, and I just pull them out, scrape the sand around with a trowel and replace them. I also have to sweep more sand in about twice a year. Not a big deal. It is more of a big deal to put it in right.
Are you planning on putting it in yourselves? You can rent all of the equipment. Plate compacter, wet saw, whatever, you can get it.
Are you planning on putting it in yourselves? You can rent all of the equipment. Plate compacter, wet saw, whatever, you can get it.
There is a sand on the market to swipe between the pavers. You sweep it in and then give it a light mist with the garden hose. After a couple of hours it is completely harden. It feels like a combo of sand and rubber and something that makes it turn hard. Its about $22.00 for a 30kg bag. I could look for the name on a bag if your intersted.
we have a huge pool deck and pavillion floor with pavers and love it. the key is a good installer, packed base, sand the joints, and seal the pavers and sand joints. it sets up very hard and looks great. our installer used a concrete collar around the entire deck and that really prevents any shifting. the collar is below grade, so grass or mulch hides the 4-5 inch collar. we even used pavers as coping, with some overhang. kinda old world looking.
go look at some jobs in your area. also go the brickyard and talk to the rep that sell the pavers and ask then to recommend someone. we used belgard pavers.
www.belgard.biz
go look at some jobs in your area. also go the brickyard and talk to the rep that sell the pavers and ask then to recommend someone. we used belgard pavers.
www.belgard.biz
Sorry, it is an inground, L-shaped pool with spa and SWG...oavers will be installed by a professional. We were just informed by our township that as of this year we must install a wire grid around the perimeter of the pool to avoid shocks. The grid has to sit 8" below the surface. Since this is new, everyone is now scrambling to locate this product. Can't wait for this to all be done and enjoy the pool.
You have to cadweld it to metal in your pool I believe. I have done alot of cadwelding wire for cathotic protection on underground fire protection watermains at O'Hare Airport. It makes sense to me, but I didn't do it, seems like a good practice for safety sake. What with your pool not being made out of metal, I don't really know what good it will do though. Where does it get attatched? Surely it doesn't just get buried around your pool in a circle, that would not ground anything.
The base prep is the key to a good job. As far as "special" sand gose I've never heard of that. A 50/50 mix of good portland cement and mason sand should do the trick.
Polymeric sand has gotten fairly popular. It is way less work than mortar and holds up better than plain sand. See for example "http://www.supersandbond.com/". Not everyone is a fan though, see for example "http://www.pavingexpert.com/point02.htm".
Pavers $%(@$%
I noticed someone mentioned pavers around a pool, some advice from a looney canuck who just dug up a 20 X 40 inground and replaced it with a 14 X 28 Inground. The previous pool, had pavers all around the outside permiter of the 3 ft cement wall, while it looked great upon first couple of years, every year, they previous owners had to remove at least 4 to 5 hundred, smooth out the sand and replace, not to mention they were constantly complaining about sand and ants. I know that now they have mortars that can be used, but if used, and frost lifts occur, major trouble and pain the butt. I would not recommend them at all, ask around, everyone will tell you it depends on the foundation, but find me a contractor who will quote what will be the true cost of placing all that material in, I have read they easily have to go down 3 to 4 feet to insure lil or no movement. I think once truly priced out, it will be the same cost as concrete.
Just my thoughts,
Rik
I noticed someone mentioned pavers around a pool, some advice from a looney canuck who just dug up a 20 X 40 inground and replaced it with a 14 X 28 Inground. The previous pool, had pavers all around the outside permiter of the 3 ft cement wall, while it looked great upon first couple of years, every year, they previous owners had to remove at least 4 to 5 hundred, smooth out the sand and replace, not to mention they were constantly complaining about sand and ants. I know that now they have mortars that can be used, but if used, and frost lifts occur, major trouble and pain the butt. I would not recommend them at all, ask around, everyone will tell you it depends on the foundation, but find me a contractor who will quote what will be the true cost of placing all that material in, I have read they easily have to go down 3 to 4 feet to insure lil or no movement. I think once truly priced out, it will be the same cost as concrete.
Just my thoughts,
Rik
I just built my own 45x20 IG pool. I can address two items here. If you are going with a vinyl liner pool you can avoid putting the bonding mesh under the pavers by going with galvanized walls vs. polymer walls. The steel walls act as the bonding grid. You just have to bond all metal pieces greater than 3" in length to the wall.
Regarding the pavers - After pouring the concrete bond beam I backfilled the entire overdig with either pea gravel or washed CA6 (depending on which quarry I was getting the stone from). I was lucky enough to start the pool in late fall and do the patio in early spring, so it had plenty of time to settle, although the combined pea gravel/washed gravel hardly settled at all if any. Next we prepared the base. This was the most important part. I put a thin layer of portland cement (dry powder) over the gravel to lock it in place. Then put down road fabric to keep the fines from the binding gravel (CA6) from working its way down the gravel base. Each layer of CA6 was wet down and packed with a wacker plate compactor. No more than 1-2" per layer. A solid 10" base was made before the leveling sand was placed. Even the leveling sand was wet down and packed once the screed pipes were placed. The entire patio was locked into place using polymeric sand. This is a portland based sand. It keeps the sand from coming up (so it doesn't get in the pool or auto cover tracks in the coping) and prevents weeds.
I really wanted to use the pavers as coping since it looks fantastic. The auto cover I used was very easy to install and has a prebuilt polymer cover box. Unfortunately this system doesn't (didn't when I bought it) accomodate brick/concrete coping. We mortered in all the bricks that are up against the coping. Basically we packed the coping with morter and made a bed of morter for the first row of bricks. It came out looking fantastic.
We needed lots of pavers and retaining wall bricks (50 pallets) due to the severe elevation difference, 9ft over a distance of 60ft.
The landscaping company that did all the brick work is owned by my brother. He spoke with the brick mfr (Unilock) and several other landscapers that have done many pools to determine the best technique to prevent any heave or settling. The bottom line with pavers is it's all about the base. Heck, they do 14-18" base packing every 2" when they do driveways depending on the soil conditions.
Regarding the pavers - After pouring the concrete bond beam I backfilled the entire overdig with either pea gravel or washed CA6 (depending on which quarry I was getting the stone from). I was lucky enough to start the pool in late fall and do the patio in early spring, so it had plenty of time to settle, although the combined pea gravel/washed gravel hardly settled at all if any. Next we prepared the base. This was the most important part. I put a thin layer of portland cement (dry powder) over the gravel to lock it in place. Then put down road fabric to keep the fines from the binding gravel (CA6) from working its way down the gravel base. Each layer of CA6 was wet down and packed with a wacker plate compactor. No more than 1-2" per layer. A solid 10" base was made before the leveling sand was placed. Even the leveling sand was wet down and packed once the screed pipes were placed. The entire patio was locked into place using polymeric sand. This is a portland based sand. It keeps the sand from coming up (so it doesn't get in the pool or auto cover tracks in the coping) and prevents weeds.
I really wanted to use the pavers as coping since it looks fantastic. The auto cover I used was very easy to install and has a prebuilt polymer cover box. Unfortunately this system doesn't (didn't when I bought it) accomodate brick/concrete coping. We mortered in all the bricks that are up against the coping. Basically we packed the coping with morter and made a bed of morter for the first row of bricks. It came out looking fantastic.
We needed lots of pavers and retaining wall bricks (50 pallets) due to the severe elevation difference, 9ft over a distance of 60ft.
The landscaping company that did all the brick work is owned by my brother. He spoke with the brick mfr (Unilock) and several other landscapers that have done many pools to determine the best technique to prevent any heave or settling. The bottom line with pavers is it's all about the base. Heck, they do 14-18" base packing every 2" when they do driveways depending on the soil conditions.