Pavers Around A New Pool-slab Or No Slab?

Richie-C

Hi all,

I'm getting a pool installed and I've had about 4 masonry estimates and have received about 4 different answers regarding whether or not to lay a 3" slab or tamp sand, crushed concrete, etc. to lay the pavers on.

The guy in favor of a slab is guaranteeing his job for 10 years becuase he insists that his method is that good. The guys in favor of sand insist that theirs is the best way as long as they are there upon install to tamp the heck out of the sand around the pool.

Prices are all over the map - anywhere from 10-14 per square foot. I live on Long Island NY

We are trying to avoid having a pool with dirt around it for 6 months to a year.

What to do!

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Richie-C

natural1

I would think it depends on the type of pool in some ways. If it is a steel wall pool tamping around it's perimeter is discouraged because it could damage the walls and the plumbing.

Flowable fill is a good option. Expensive but will give the best guarantee of no settling.
Another option would be to put a 6" slab around the perimeter low enough to allow for your pavers. 3" would be inadequate in my opinion.

Brickie

In ground or above??


What were the 4 answers????


3" slab of what?????????


I, like the overwhelming majority of masonry/hardscape contractors, do not charge by the square foot. There are way too many variables.

You have also omitted give us more info on your project, like the size, type of pavers, etc., which are some of the things one needs to figure out pricing...............

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Richie-C

Gotcha--

OK.

1) in ground vinyl liner pool, 24x44 mountain lake (free form) concrete foundation

2) Maybe not really 4 answers--I was being sarcastic--but actually 2 masons told me concrete slab (3" deep) around perimiter of pool--pinned to the foundation of the pool. and some sort of "pillar" technique. The other two said that they recomend installing the pavers on tamped sand with some sort of crushed concrete base. The paves would be installed right after the pool gets installed.

3) Material: Have not finalized yet, but probably Cambridge tumbled pavers--not sure of size, but would guess 3 or 4" pavers?? Approximately 1000 square feet.

By the way, the masons I spoke to each sort of threw out a aq foot number. That's where I got the 10-14 per sq ft figures. One of the masons said "pavers go anywhere from 12-16 per sq ft.

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Richie-C

Tscarborough

Although I am a big fan of concrete pavers, I am not a fan of pavers around a pool. Too much sand, and polymeric sand is not the answer.

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dakzaag

Just my $.02, if you don't want it to settle or heave, pour a pad, then set the pavers.

You may not get a concensus here, I have read a lot of different opinions about this subject.

The good news is your not paying much for the advice and if we are wrong we will never admit it.

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D K & Sons
The maintenance schedule for brick
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2. Repeat as often as needed.

CR2

Pavers are usually dry set over 1"stone dust, over a well compacted 6" crushed run base, and polymeric sand as a joint filler, no need to have a slab , if done properly, pavers are a nice choice, but if you have any doubts about them, you should consider stamped concrete instead.
Good Luck!

ruskent

Flowable fill. Or backfill the pool with 57s compacting slightly. The geo texile on top of the 57's then 8in of road base.

Using concrete for paver base on LI has alot more to do with the mob and less to do about the actual install.

Richie-C

Thanks for the replies...Ruskent, I am not a mason, would you mind explaining your comment so that I can speak intelligently with the masons? If I should be looking for this to be done a certain way, I want to be able to ask for it.

Thanks,

Richie

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Richie-C

Brickie

Well, one can lay & point the pavers with mortar

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ruskent

You can either backfill the pool with flowable fill which is a a slurry mix that comes in a redi mix truck. It cured to 99% compaction and you can dig it out any time. Or use 3/4 crushed stone.

natural1

What Rusk is saying is backfill the pool with either flowable fill (This is sold by most concrete companies and is poured like concrete) or fill with 3/4" clean gravel. If your pool is a vinyl liner then you have either steel walls or or some kind of poly wall. Either way you need to be carefull if you tamp the fill. Flowable fill will not need to be tamped.

On top of the gravel install geofabric. This will prevent any sand from leaching into the gravel. On top of the fabric goes the standard paver base- 6" compaceted abc gravel then 1" sand then the pavers.

One advantage of pouring a concrete apron is that your coping stone would have something substantial to adhere to.

Captainsls

Concrete INTERLOCKING pavers are intended to be a flexible system. Pouring a concrete pad (placing a flexible system over a rigid pad) defeats the purpose.



As far as the issue of compaction around the pool, the pool installer should have addressed this with flowable fill or 3/4 stone as Matt described.

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NJ Brickie

The only time I have ever seen interlocking pavers installed on concrete is when there will be vehicle traffic on them. You can not say putting pavers on concrete is wrong it is just not the usual practice, since most cases it is not needed and would not be cost effective.

natural1

Agreed brickie. The notion that you can't put pavers over concrete is absurd. Never seen a flexible paver. What are the pavers going to get upset if they are not flexing.

Tscarborough

Flexible paveMENT, not paver. That is exactly what ICP are engineered to be. You can certainly put them over concrete, but it is not required for vehicular traffic, even very heavy high cycle areas like shipping docks.

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NJ Brickie

I did not mean to imply that it was required where there would be vehicle traffic. Just that the only time I have seen or installed pavers on concrete was in that situation.To say that doing it this way is wrong is not correct. That must be one fancy loading dock.

Tscarborough

http://www.icpi.org/myproject/03%20F...%20Oakland.pdf

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dakzaag

Maybe its just the freeze thaw cycles here, but I look at a lot of side walks and patios that are sunken and seperating and they look like crapola. The ones that stand up over time and look like something you want your friends to see are placed on top of concrete. JMHO

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D K & Sons
The maintenance schedule for brick
1. Stand back and say "man that looks nice!"
2. Repeat as often as needed.

NJ Brickie

I was right, that is one fancy loading dock.