Sarasota Outdoor pavers

Where does it work best?

• Pool decks: Textured faces made for wet feet.
• Patios and lanais: Outdoor rooms that match the floor inside.
• Walkways: From the driveway to the front door.
• Inside to out: The same look on both sides of the slider, in a tile made for each side.

Which kind of paver?

• Porcelain pavers: about three quarters of an inch thick and dense like porcelain tile, in stone, wood and concrete looks.
• Travertine and other stone: natural stone, every piece its own, sealed against stains.
• Concrete pavers: they lock together on a bed of sand, held in at the edges, in many shapes and colors.
• Clay brick pavers: brick made to be walked on, with the classic look.

How are pavers laid?

It depends on what's there now. Concrete pavers go on about an inch of sand over a compacted base, with an edge to hold them in. Porcelain pavers can go down the same way, or straight onto gravel or sand, or even into a lawn as a path of stepping stones.

On an existing concrete patio, porcelain pavers can be set in mortar like tile, or raised on adjustable pedestals so the water drains away underneath. There's no single rule book for porcelain pavers yet, so each maker's instructions decide how its pavers go down, and the certified installers who work with us regularly follow them.

What about Florida sun, rain and pools?

The sun first. Color matters more than the material: dark pavers soak up most of the sunlight that hits them, and on a summer afternoon a light paver stays far cooler than a dark one. If you walk barefoot to the pool, go light.

Rain is the easy part: permeable pavers let it soak through to the gravel and soil below instead of running off across the yard.

Pools are hard on any surface. Stone around a pool is cleaned and resealed every few years, and around a salt-water pool a regular rinse with fresh water keeps salt from building up in it. For grip, each maker says which of its pavers suit wet, barefoot areas, and we check that with you.

Do pavers get hot by the pool?

Light colors stay much cooler underfoot than dark ones in full sun, which matters on a pool deck. Walk on a few in front of our showroom on a sunny afternoon and you'll feel the difference.

Can pavers go over my old concrete patio?

Often, yes. Porcelain pavers can be set in mortar on a sound slab, like tile, or raised on pedestals above it, depending on the height and the drainage. We look at it at the free estimate.