12’ long wall with 3 two foot waterfalls is going down long side. Dive rock (granite step)with two planters is going on deep end. Patio/deck is going to be brushed concrete. Definitely not doing pavers. Too much movement with frost heaves. I like simple.
More pics to come at end of day.
Very cool...
I was on the fence about pavers or concrete in this climate. I really liked the smooth uniform surface of the concrete and thought that pavers just looked too busy and all those joints would just be holding debris. I do not agree with your frost heave theory though. One thing I do know is you can not stop the frost, so no matter what surface you choose you will have frost under it. So it is the proper subgrade prep that will reduce the amount the ground moves. Frost heaves are created from dissimilar materials containing different moisture content. Less moisture = less movement. Since you had all sand you should have very little movement. I went with pavers in the end (which did not move at all last winter) because i was afraid of these issues with concrete.
- Any type of pool repairs or deck repairs the patches simply look awful unless you top coat the entire deck
- There are 2 types of concrete. Concrete that has cracked and concrete that will crack. If you get a knowledgeable flat work guy that knows where cut in the joints and you are very Lucky you might not see any cracks. I did not Want to gamble on that one and would hate seeing a big crack in my deck.
- There are so many variables to have a correct pour of concrete for a nice finish look. You need the correct weather and Temps (remember your in New england...) the correct crew with the correct attitude. The correct mix and timing for the concrete. No debris blowing around. Just to name a few.
Pavers are produced under controlled circumstances and are easily replaced if some are found to be defective.
I went with The pavers and used some huge pieces (called grande) in the mix to help with the busy look. After using the polymeric sand I found the joints were no issue at all. My deck is aways very clean.
We are so late in the season the absolute best thing that could happen for your deck would be to go through a freeze, thaw season and be installed early next spring. I realize there are a lot of downfalls to this but just something to consider.....