I see your photos now - are the pavers outside the doors concrete? What are the Saltillo pavers you are talking about? Will the entire concrete area around the pool be removed?

We want to cover the entire pool deck and patio with Saltillo, and the do pavers in the grassy patio and walkways (they aren't built yet).

I am still very confused. You say 'Saltillo tile' - like in this image????

So then what are the grayish pavers by the doors? Concrete? Are they staying/going?

Please be very clear and descriptive with what you are saying and show photos to illustrate.

You are seriously going to jackhammer up all the concrete that currently exists around the pool and all the way up to the house?

no. we are going to tile right over it.

Yes, similar to the image you attached (although I believe that is terracotta), the pavers by the door in the grassy area are temporary.

Have you had a pro come out to quote tiling right over? Has the pool coping been addressed? We did a full pool remodel when we lived in TX so I know that transition is the tricky part. There are pavers that look like sections of tree trunk (so circular and they are in concrete). An organic looking paver will compliment/not compete with a Saltillo tile.

borealis-stepping-stones

Your setup is very similar to ours, and we need to redo our patio and pool deck as well, so I'll be interested to see what you do. I've never seen saltillo go right up to the water before. Sounds slippery. And hot. And like a tripping hazard. Pavers tend to be pink or gray. Saltillo is yellow/orange. I'd do flagstone over pavers. (note: They also get very hot.)

Is the current surface kooldeck? Is it in good shape?

Hi! Yes, it's Kool decking and it's in pretty decent shape, not perfect.

I’m still wondering how all these details will work if you go over the deck. Coping transition? Door threshold heights? Weight of tile causing slab cracking? Has your local pro shown you jobs like this that have stood the test of time? I’m very skeptical (speaking as a former Saltillo tile home owner).

https://www.houzz.com/photos/saltillo-tile-flooring-phoenix-phvw-vp~11547160

I know your post is about pavers (and I still stand behind my recommendation) but I’d be curious to hear your research re my concerns.

We actually did put Saltillo tiles over an existing concrete walkway and porch, and it has worked out just fine. I don't know about pavers or pool coping issues; my thought is that your lovely home looks very contemporary (from the little bit we can see), and these Mexican tiles seem to be rather design-specific for homes with that particular flavor. I love them, but then our house has a Spanish tile roof, iron/glass door, tile accents, etc.