Pool deck flooding. would pavers and a bigger drain help?

[BasicTek]

I'm hoping to get some feedback from anyone that has converted their concrete deck to pavers. I was given a quote for remodeling my deck with pavers. It was described that the pavers would go on top of my existing deck (effectively raising it about an inch - 1.5 inches) Part of the project would also entail them adding a much bigger 3" drain as well (currently I have a little baby maybe 1" drain).

Now since Irma something seems to have collapsed and I've been receiving huge amounts of water from my neighbors yards both of which as higher than mine. I'm building a trough against my fence that should reduce the water flow but raising my patio an " and increasing the drain should also keep a lot of the water from going on it in the 1st place.



I was wondering if that seems like a sound plan? If anyone has any experience with remodeling concrete to pavers. Are they durable, can water seep underneath (between concrete and paver) Anything else I should be aware of with pavers vs painted concrete....

The whole job (pavers, drain, refinish pool, and add new tile to the pool) has been quoted @ $13,000 so far from a very reputable company (blue horizons). I will be taking other quotes as well and hoping to do all the work next spring. Any ideas appreciated.

To note my pool deck is already surrounded with rocks (not dirt) with frech drains embedded under them. The water and diret are coming from my neighbors house on the right where I'm building the trough to keep it out. I have a similar trough in my backyard and it seems to stop almost all the water from that neighbor from getting in my yard (or slows it down enough so I don't see it).

Here's a close up of the river of water coming under my neighbors fence, and you can see the trough in the back not allowing anything through... If given enough time water will make it's way to my front yard and public drainage. Just whatever happened after Irma seems to have overwhelmed my drainage for now...

 

[jragan]

In some cities, building codes exist to control down-elevation drainage. Same can be said for most HOA building/design committees. You might look into the latter as a first step towards encouraging up-elevation neighbors to fix their problems...

 

[BasicTek]

In some cities, building codes exist to control down-elevation drainage. Same can be said for most HOA building/design committees. You might look into the latter as a first step towards encouraging up-elevation neighbors to fix their problems...

Thanks! That was brought to my attention by another neighbor, but I was trying to find a solution that wouldn't put my neighbors in a bad spot, at least not intentionally. I've completed most of the trough and we were already considering pavers, so I figured I'd check with others that had converted from concrete to pavers and see if I could just completely solve the problem on my end...

 

[jimmythegreek]

pavers on top of concrete will add no additional drainage to ur pool deck. Pavers will allow roughly 15% of the water on them to seep thru the joints to the base if sand/stone dust is used for the joints. Most ppl use polymeric sand for their joints now and it doesnt let any water pass thru its like a concrete deck. I agree with previous poster, you should nicely speak w ur neighbor about the run-off, if its doing it now and not before something changed. May be as simply as adding a short piece of pipe to a downspout or allowing him to tie into your underground drainage and problem solved. Ive done alot of these jobs and you will be amazed how much water comes out of a downspout in even a light rain

 

[BasicTek]

Well what appears to have happened is our rear neighbors are much more elevated than us (maybe 5 ft) and their water rolls down their back yard to our yards. Now it's kind of each neighbor for themselves at this point, my previous owner built a 2' trough (filled with plastic, dirt, and rocks) against a big board on board privacy fence (going about 1' underground) this stops the back neighbors water pretty well. My side neighbor build a wood garden holding a bunch of dirt and plants. The hurricane apparently destroyed this and has been pushing all the dirt through my side fence (seen in my lower pick above). My side neighbors are only a foot to 2 higher elevation than me.

So my concrete deck is about is about 1" below the wood deck on that side and basically invites all that water and dirt through the screen. So if I raise the concrete with pavers at least it will be even and a little higher and not so inviting to all that water (at least that makes sense in my mind). In the meantime I have also built a new trough against my side fence so that alone should keep the bulk of the water and mud on the other side of the fence. I like the idea of pavers (after trying to keep this white painted concrete clean) either way but wanted to make sure if this problem continues that I won't ruin the pavers, or have water seep underneath causing other issues.

I have spoken to my neighbor and he's lived here 30 years (the best he's done) is built this dirt filled garden against the back fence. It works fine for regular rain but when it gets torrential and the water has a nice easy route (like under my fence) then it becomes a problem. Now that my fence is no longer an "easy route" the water will go through his yard and drainage (hopefully) but if it still finds a way to get in my yard I don't want a lower elevation concrete deck inviting it in....

I'll definitely mention the "polymeric sand" to the contractors and I see that working fine for above. When they put the pavers on the concrete will there be any space between where water can go or does the concrete get covered with something like grout?

 

[jimmythegreek]

it depends how they set them. They have thin pavers about an inch thick. these get mortared to the concrete like tiles. You can do the same w standard 2 5/8" pavers you wont rly be able to dry set them w existing concrete bullnosing you have. You will need bullnose for around the pool coping and they get mortared down as well. You fence and stone idea is very basic and isnt gonna do much for rains. If you give us a pic of the whole side yard and elevations theres a better way. If your doing the pavers for the water issue I wouldnt bother, not gonna change much. digging a dry creek bed on that side or a drain channel pitched to lower ground is gonna stop it once and for all and keep you dry. You basically need to pick up water where its coming onto your property and redirect it where u want it to go as long as its lower elevation (needs gravity pitch to run off). In some cases if you must go uphill you can install a tank much like a septic tank w a pump system and catch water there and pump it up to where it needs to go, its the last resort way of doing things. You can also dig a huge hole, put a leech tank in and alot of 3/4" gravel and make a dry well. Would be cheaper to do the drain and re-coat your white concrete with something else Id bet and it would actually work. You also have to account for height on doors when going up w pavers etc. you will gain about 3" overall height

 

[BasicTek]

Thanks again. The dry creek bed already exists under the wood deck on the right, it's filled in with rocks and french drain taking lots of water to my front yard down 1' - 2' Here's a pic that kind of explains although you won't be able to see the bed underneath the deck. In the end I will have to replace that deck, and probably dig it all back out again but I don't have the resources for that right now. It's still partially functional (I see the water coming out of the french drain in front, but it gets overwhelmed when the river of water was coming through my fence (that should be blocked now)

Also you can see that having my white concrete deck about 1" lower then the rocks in back, wood on the right is taking on all the muddy water that was coming through the fence. I have to think if it was the same elevation as the deck it would take on less water and combined with the new trough maybe almost none... When it's installed they will be increasing the drainage with a 3" drain across the length of my house 45' making it better at dispelling the water that is on the deck.

Ultimately when it floods the boiling point was about 3" of standing water in my entire back yard before it all went to the front. Tha majority of which went to my lower elevation concrete deck. Now I believe I should have vastly slowed the buildup of the water with the trough, the higher elevation with better drainage deck should take care of itself, and eventually when we redo the wood deck we'll increase the drainage in that creek...

Back to the pavers it sounds like they will be fine by how your describe the process, they showed me the 1' - 1.5' ones as what they were intending to put down. I was mainly worried that water would get underneath them as I don't know anything about how they will be installed. It sounds like that shouldn't be an issue.