Hi Jim,

I have a labor quote of $4.55 SF for mortaring in 36" square concrete pavers. Since I'm going over existing, they cannot be set on sand. I'm assuming you would be advised the same.

My cost may be higher due to the size and weight of the material. I also have the issue of the new areas as was mentioned. Still trying to decide the best way to go. Would be nice for it all to match but will be $$ to pour fresh concrete then paver over it. Then, of course, it all needs to be sealed :)

I do believe pavers are a great investment, though. If you get a crack or one is damaged, they can still be switched out, as opposed to a stamped deck that requires more maintenance and is difficult to patch.

Hope this helps a bit.

There has been lots of discussion on the forum about this. You can lay thin pavers over concrete, we do it in Vegas and if you stick with a light color paver it will stay cool here in 105. I personally tested it for our house and for clients too. It is still layed over a thin bed of sand over concrete. We use a polymeric sand brushed on top and wet, which hardens like concrete in the joints. If there is a problem ( which we haven't seen) and a paver needs removed, it can be pried up. There are companies in FLA that manufacture them, so does Pavestone in certain cities. Don't know where you are at as shipping them is hugely $$$. Price is really only applicable in your market, it also depends on pattern and how large a job it is. Thin pavers and a good stamped overlay job here in Vegas is almost equal cost, $8 to $10 sq ft. Hope this helps, Barb

Wow!! Thanks folks. Wasn't expecting such a fast response and such clear explanations.

I'm in Raleigh, and we have quite a few big box stores as well as exterior speciality stores around that I'm sure I can find a suitable product...just didnt know what to ask for, but I assume I wouldn't have been the first to ask stupid questions.

Just wanted to get a good handle on it so I can set financial benchmarks before they stick it to me. :)

Hey airborne101 and others - Does that polymeric sand harden enough to seal the joints from rain and moisture? Can you also get the side pavers that would lap over the concrete side? As I've already mentioned, I know nothing about all this, so the questions may seem odd.

I'm wondering who I might talk to around here about that kind of application? Don't think it would be a brick mason. My problem is getting the right people for the job, but I don't know who/what those tradesmen would be. I don't want to hire someone that charges me $12 a sq when I only needed the guy who charges $6. Know what I mean?

Hey Jim, this is a great place to ask ? and get info ahead of any build. Since you have existing concrete, thin pavers are a great way to go. Raleigh should have someone who sells/installs them. See pavestone.com, they manufacture and sell in many big US cities, look at the specs for each type of brick, you want a 1"+ thick paver. Also see thindex pavers, I forget if it is thinpavers.com or thindex.com , they use white cement base so the colors are lighter and cooler. They are in Florida but they have installers all over the South, they have an 800 number to call. We have installed lots of them and I really like the look of theirs. If you are handy, its not a hard install. Don't know about your contractor laws, here in NV its a stone mason or masonry contractor that installs them. Check out also limestone or travertine over concrete, gorgeous look and some prices are comparable. I got on this forum specifically looking for new decking for our 15 year old pool. My main concern is $, look and the dreaded hot foot due to desert heat/sun. I had to eliminate lots of products because of the heat.
Edge treatments for pavers are available as well. We overlap the edge a bit with the regular pavers and butt up grass or gravel or we have used a stair tred edge. Edge pavers are always cemented in place,the rest just set over sand.
Polymeric sand hardens like concrete, it will absorb some water like concrete, but seals the joints better than regular paver sand. It is not a sealer that protects the paver, thats a whole different animal.
You have a lot of choices and a search on this forum will show you lots of pools with gorgeous decks in pavers, stone etc. Prices are regional, so what is cheaper for you will be determined by whats available there. I have seen lots of products I love, but shipping them from the East Coast is cost prohibitive for my own personal project. Gothicstone.com is a great site for real stone, they are in PA I think. Best of luck, Barb

I had stamped concrete poured 2-3 months ago and I already see many hairline cracks (though I'm in N California). I have about 1200+ sq ft of deck. I'm thinking long term pavers is the way to go!

Thanks for the great information airborne101. That's the info I was looking for. I'm not in big hurry, but I do want to do all the needed research before I start writing checks. I would like to know what I'm dealing with and what I can expect to pay for a good job.

I'm fairly handy around the house, but I think this type of thing is a little over my pay grade. That's why I wanted to start getting as much info as I can. Thanks again.

Glad to help, this forum has been valuable to me as well. Always better to research first and spend $ second. I get at least one client a month that does the opposite. Even tho we are in the business, I don't want to waste $ either and there are so many choices out there. Keep us posted.

To jvmagic - pavestone should distribute close to you, and the thindex pavers are installed by a Sacramento company, see the website either
thinpavers.com or thindex.com FLA company that uses white cement base versus pavestone doing a grey cement base, I like thindex colors better.
Hope this helps, Barb

On our prior pool we had concrete w/acrylic. We had quite a bit of cracks and it was sometimes slippery which was difficult with having young children. The pool I am building now has pavers. They were installed last week and I love them!! It looks very nice with the pool and I think it will help stop the kids from running around the pool like they did with our prior one. Good luck on your research!!

Hi Gotpool,

Can you share what comapanies pavers you use and what are the colors? They look beautiful. Did you use a sealant also, as they seem to have nice wet look to them? Can you also share the price per square foot you paid?

Thanks
Scal

A couple of points about pavers versus stamped concrete (I've built 2 pools and am building a third right now in Sedona, Ariz - - the other 2 were in Wash DC and San Diego). I've used stamped concrete and pavers and am going with pavers this time (although, i'll be honest and say i'd be hard pressed to decidedly pick one over the other. Stamped colored-concrete, which i used in Wash DC was perfect for the application we had, near a river, and lots of trees and the contractor applicator sprayed it down with just a bit of black-rustic paint inside the sealer giving it a fair cobble-stoning texture of shadows on the surface. Sure there were cracks that developed here/there and he told me there would be - - but with the light application of black paint in the sealer, cracks seemed to blend into the whole application. As for pavers, i would suggest you be much more picky. Why? The colors they give you to choose from WILL vary from mixing load and groups of pallets to mixing load and groups of pallets. I DON'T CARE WHAT THE MANUFACTURER TELLS YOU - - I've visited the plants in Phoenix (43rd St.) for Pavestone and Belguard (in Atlanta). Trust me and go there and challenge them to give you (in Pavestone's case) a true 2-tone brown paver from an Adirondeck paver model and hold it up to say a 2-tone brown from a Villa paver model (nearly identical paver models - - except Villa is a fraction of an inch thicker). The colors will be different!!! And the brochure colors (they will tell you - - "well that was with a mix formula we were using several years ago."). Lessen? If color means a lot to you (as it did me) - - i drove to the plant (in one case) narrowed down the color and paver model and then told the plant foreman to "freeze" 25 pallets and i'd put my order in for them. Phoenix was a 4 hour drive for me - - but i got what i was looking for and made personal time to visit friends while i was out there. If you're in Raleigh, I suggest you visit the Belguard plant in Atlanta (or if you want the textured surface, find the nearest Pavestone plant (i think there is one in Charlotte and you can freeze your pallets and place an order in from your closest Home Depot who is a Pavestone - - they're all Pavestone dealers. Get someone you like at Home Depot; tell them what you're going to do, and then drive down to Charlotte to decide which product and color you want - - obviously take all the samples home with you that you want. Lastly, you may look at a Riccobene product (similar to a flagstone look a like) made out of New Mex - - but dealers around the country. I think i'm going with that for the Sedona house. One last thought: Do not under-estimate the amount of heat those pavers (if they are even slightly dark - - like a flagstone) will generate on your feet if you're barefoot on a bright sunny day. Lay down your samples in the middle of the day when there is sun and then stand on them (i did this test before choosing my last model). Believe me they get hot - - and i didn't want my kids hopping foot to foot (like i'd seen them do at other folks' homes). Might not be an issue in Raleigh - - but it's an issue out here. White pavers are clearly the best for staying cooler. (Also i saw someone talk about sealers above. I love the "wet" look and it looks great on stamped concrete. My opinion though is that it doesn't get the same effect on pavers. If you happen to be in Sedona, i can give you an address of a house that has a huge amount of pavers down a long driveway. Stop in front of it and you'll be shocked - - he sealed the entire length and it just looks plane ludicrous - - some sort of slip-and-slide from Whammo! Sealer looks great on stamped concrete (and i use it) - - it doesn't carry the same effect on pavers. Maybe with the right model paver - - but every time i've seen some one do it - - well Whammo! Looks cheap and unreal.

Nice looking pool deck, gotpool. Just a little too dark for what I need, but nice just the same.

Thanks for all the insight, folks. I'm getting a wealth of knowledge here. We have to deal with the heat too (105 yesterday is absurd), much more so this summer. Been in the +100's for 2 weeks.

I think I agree with no sealing of the pavers. Don't think I'd like that look. But they'll definately be affixed to the current surface and expansion surface like airborne101 was explaining above.

Use a good water based sealer on your pavers and it won't change the look. You want a sealer that will penetrate the paver not one that will adhere to the surface.

Jim, I agree with above folks, the high shine sealers look rediculous on pavers. A good water based penetrating sealer wont show ( it may make the light pavers slightly darker, very slightly). Those high shine sealers can be slippery when wet and they need reapplied in high traffic areas, they dull down.
When doing my research on pavers versus some natural stone products, I couldn't get any of the paver products to hold stain. They have such a high psi strength, ketchup, grape jelly (no sense wasting wine) salsa and cooking oil didn't stain them. I would definitely seal a paver driveway because of tire marks and oil.
On color, pavers - and natural stone for that matter, will vary from pallet to pallet like sedona said. A good stone mason will pull from various pallets as he lays the project. I am not a huge fan of pavestone products because of the reasons sedona mentioned, but any company will have variation when making a manmade paver.
One last thing that has been mentioned before, its always a good idea to be on the jobsite when projects that affect the "look" are done. Its easier to correct most problems at the start of a job, than when its all done.
Now if I could just find something I like and can afford, I'd be a happy camper. Barb

Scal - Thanks. The pavers are from Flagstone and they are the New England Creme, Beige, Charcoal done in Random pattern. The pavers are actually just wet, there is no sealer on them. I don't think we will seal them. They do look darker wet. As far as the price, I really do not have a final breakdown on that. Since we had done previous work with them, they worked with us. Our original quote was just under $4K for the deck but that includes the acrylic deck, cantilever, pavers.

As far as the variation in color, I agree with Sedonahome3. I actually thought they put down the wrong pavers (because the neighbor next door is also putting in a pool and they had them mixed up in our backyard.) I took pictures and sent them to Flagstone and they confirmed I had the correct one's. The pool company does have a deck of pavers that you can choose from and those were lighter in color so I wasn't expecting the brighter orange/brownish color. It actually looks nice though with our tile selection, roof, etc. So far my pavers have not been too hot so that's a good thing.

I dont have the traditional pavers, but before we remodeled I looked at several neighbors pools, many had done the cement pavers...they are very popular in Florida. I did notice that those who took the time to powerwash seal and maintaine their pavers on a regular/yearly basis their decking looked uniform and quite nice. I asked lots of questions since we were new to FL and the whole pool thing. A few neighbors decks were significantly faded in the sun areas versus the covered lanai areas. Once those cement pavers fade, I dont think the color doesnt come back, it happened to the folks behind me. I dont know if manufacturer or base color played a part in what I saw. I saw all different colors around pools and driveways. I would recommend sealing and reapplying the sealer as directed or needed. I think all the neighbors have had their pavers sealed over the years, it was obvious who took the time to maintain them on a continual basis.....I cant remember if that meant reappling the sealer yearly or every few years, we opted to go another route so my memory erased what it no longer needed to know:)

Hi jimtnc, I'm new in Raleigh and have a semi circle driveway. I am too trying to decide between stamped concrete cobblestone or a cobblestone apron on both entrances and edging lining both sides of the driveway. I'm curious to know what you decided to do and who you recommend in Raleigh.