Replacing concrete apron with pavers

[IASteve]

I have a pool built in 1990 with a stamped concrete apron around the perimeter. It's an inground vinyl lined pool.

The concrete has cracked in several places, looks dated, and I believe the skimmers need some underground plumbing work. I would like to tear it up and put down pavers around the perimeter.


Are there any issues with removing the concrete? How is it tied together with sides of the pool?

 

[kimkats]

I know what my gut says but I am going to reach out to a couple of people who may know for sure. @Newdude who has a vinyl pool so may know just how it is all tied in. @ajw22 and @jimmythegreek who seem to know something about everything pool!

Kim

 

[Newdude]

My coping is glued with construction adhesive. Yours from 1990 might just be mortar which would be easier to remove if you wanted to replace the coping also. The patio shouldn’t be attached and probably has a caulk like material between the two.

hang tight tho, Kim wasn’t kidding about the other two. And many others.

 

[ajw22]

There seem to be so many different ways a hole in the ground can be constructed to take a pool liner. I think @jimmythegreek will need to see close pics of the coping and how the pool liner is hung.

Have you tried to track down who built the pool? Check town building permit records? Ask around town and see if folks remember who was constructing pools at the time? Then you can possibly get details on the pool wall, floor and liner track.

You need to deal with the pool cover track.

Is the concrete deck up to the pool coping in good shape? What does the joint look like where the coping and the concrete deck meet?

 

[IASteve]

I haven't tried to track down the pool builder, but that's a good idea. I was told by the local pool store owner that he built it after I gave them my address. His details about the house were sketchy, but the pool was also 25 years old at that point.

The concrete is in decent shape. It cracked about 4 feet out from the pool almost all the way around. The concrete by the coping & pool is in good shape, but the corners are cracking out. I don't have good pictures and it's under a few inches of snow right now. I'll have to get some on the Spring.

We will probably just get rid of the cover. We keep the pool open most of the season and only close it for vacations or late fall.

 

[Newdude]

Are you doing the patio yourself, or just getting an idea of how extensive it would be for whoever you hire ? I have a similar size patio (9 ft on 2 sides and 5 ft on the others). I had done some walkways and smaller patios before and briefly entertained the though of saving big bucks on labor by doing it myself. I even had 4 or 5 offers from friends to help. I decided to just hire someone because I didn’t have much time to spend on it and I was speechless at how much work it entailed and how many people were involved. It took them 7 days and there were between 4 and 10 workers at any given moment. They were long days too, not just a morning or afternoon.

In hindsight, it was 10X the size of what I had previously done myself with help, so it makes sense that it was 10X the labor too. If I had chose to DIY, I’d probably still be working on it 7 years later.

 

[IASteve]

I'm planning on doing it myself, but have entertained the idea of hiring it out. I'm not really sure who to call? A landscaping company?

I did a 15' square paver patio at the last house, it wasn't too bad, but I agree, this would be a whole other level. Just the logistics of carrying the sand and the pavers from the driveway to the pool area is going to be a workout.

 

[Newdude]

I'm not really sure who to call? A landscaping company?

If it’s a big enough landscaping company, many do hardscapes. Or traditional masons, driveway, walkway people. But specify that they need to have pool experience, The coping is tough to get right and needs someone with those skills as well. You could also ask the local PBs who they use and see if you like them too.

this would be a whole other level. Just the logistics of carrying the sand and the pavers from the driveway to the pool area is going to be a workout.

To say it was ‘pallets’ does not do it justice. It was pallets of pallets. And every last component was a ‘ton of bricks’....... Pavers, crushed concrete (RCA) and sand for the base, cement. Don’t get me wrong. You can certainly do it. Just go in eyes wide open at the scope of it all. And the man-hours is off the charts.

 

[jimmythegreek]

I did my personal pool of 1000 sqft 90% by myself but I had my trusty bobcat to help and I'm OCD no other reason for it. No way I would attempt that patio that's huge for a DIY. The coping alone is a week not including the footing pour for coping......basically you want to saw cut with demo saw all the way around 6+ inches out to free the lip. Jackhammer the concrete out and clean the site. Then carefully cut and chip the coping out. Often the liner gets ripped from flying concrete debris so be aware of that. Remove liner/coping track and replace with cantilever coping. Dig it out for a proper base and make forma for a small footing to mortar coping to. Width depends on coping selection. Build up base for pavers theres many ways and material to do this and pour ur footing. Do the coping then fine tune base for finl sand screed and lay pavers. Guessing by pics you have around 400 to 500 man hours soup to nuts on that patio. That's 2 solid weeks easy with a crew. A small walk behind dingo/bobcat is needed at the least