Poll: Flagstone vs Pavers

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allinspector

0
Feb 25, 2016
149
Atlanta, GA
So I'm in the process of building my own pool, we are aiming for a spring 2017 open.

In the past I decided on pavers, however I would like to get more opinions to help decide.

I really like the look of flagstone and it is more affordable than I thought.

It seems pavers are more functional.

Cost and installation labor aside, what are your opinions on the two?

Flagstone:
Looks better/more natural/more 'high end' in my opinion
Won't show stains easily
Can crack
Hard to repair / replace stones

Pavers:
Easier to maintain? (no annual sealing?)
Easier to repair / re-level
Won't crack (generally)
Not permanent (can get under and repair pool pipes in the future)

What would you go with?

Below is three inspiration pictures i found on google. One has the grey/blue flagstone, brown flagstone, and pavers i like.

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Polymeric sand in between the paver joints helps prevent weeds from growing. The polymeric sand when wet hardens and prevents the weeds. It lasts for a number of years and then you may need to reapply it.
 
We've had our polymeric basketball court for 6 years and some weeds are starting to shown up. Will need to reapply soon.
Out PB wasn't a big fan of pavers next to a pool because repeated water on the polymeric tends to cause it to lose its binding capacity more quickly than it would otherwise...and therefore wash out quicker. Not sure the truth of it but he was quite knowledgeable. I could see the logic in it. But I also don't see it as a really big deal in reality because no one seems to complain about it.
My feet are hot just thinking about a flagstone deck in GA.
The first pic looks like PA bluestone and the second OK flagstone. The former is hot I guarantee you. We have that as our coping.
 
Thanks for the feedback!

I honestly have not thought about how hot the deck will get.

That may be the main reason to go with pavers even though I love the flagstone look.

I am not too concerned with weeds, what multiple layers of fabric and sand won't stop - my weed burner/flamethrower will take care of without having to spray chemicals.

bmoreswim:

Your flagstone deck looks great! Trouble Free Pool

Nice mix of the grey/brown stones.
 
Thanks. They are fake. Painted concrete that is fading. But I'm easy going about it.
 
Typically pavers have spacers built into the side of them so there is a consistent roughly 1/16" gap around them. The polymeric sand is not only spread with a broom but must be worked into place with a vibrating compactor run over the surface then more sand added. And many once more over with the equipment then topped off with a brushed in layer for a really thorough job of getting the joints full top to bottom.
 

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Hi. I vote pavers but it's a tough call. I like the way the FS is laid out in those pics. I have pavers (tech bloc Blu 60) around 25% of the pool (rest is grass) and they get HOT. Hot enough that you would burn your foot so if heat is the deciding factor don't worry b/c either one will be boiling in direct sun. If you go the paver route be mindful of the type. I have a friend who has small pavers (almost octagon type shape) and the edges are very rough. Every step you hit an edge and it hurts after a while. With larger pavers you'll minimize this and if the edges are more rounded it won't be an issue. As for access to underneath, the pavers still need to be re-installed so there is a lot of labor too. I like the way both look but my preference is for pavers just for the uniform look. Weeds will grow from seeds that blow into the cracks, not from underneath. If you blow the decking regularly it can help keep the seeds off. But have someone re-sand every 5 years and you won't need to worry about it. Just my .02 :)
 
We have stamped concrete around our pool which is sealed with Shark Grip. We have pavers on our outdoor kitchen and fire pit area which yes gets weeds and moss even after having it power washed and polymeric sand reapplied last year. I actually bought a weed wacker just for the weeds that come up between the pavers. Drives me nuts!
 
We had all of our flagstone removed this spring. Put every kind/brand of sealer they sell on it and it never stopped spalling, flaking, etc. I like the looks of the pavers but it's going to partly depend on where you are. In AZ those will get so hot you can't walk on them barefooted. We went with a textured concrete and the best cool coat finish on the market, very happy with it now.
 
We have pavers laid on concrete slab so no possibility of weeds. We also have bluestone coping. The bluestone is hotter than a pistol in temps 80 or above, while the pavers stay relatively cool even with temps in the 90s. But, our pavers are light grey. A nearby hotel has darker pavers and they are too hot in the summer to walk on barefoot.

Regarding costs, we found the bluestone material is relatively reasonable but installation costs were very high, making the total cost almost double the total cost of installing pavers, at least in our area.
 
Weeds will still grow in joints of pavers even on a concrete pour. That doesn't stop a weed from rooting. The sand in he joints is thier bed material. They will also eventually grow in the poly sand. It you should prob be replacing the sand by that point though.

Weeds grow in anything. They grow in cracks of driveways cause dirt gathers in the joints and then a weed seeds to grow.
 
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