Should I seal my pavers in Florida?

On a well-built deck yes: sealing locks the joint sand, resists staining and slows fading. On a deck with a failing base it hides the problem without fixing it. Not on brand-new pavers either, which need to weather first so efflorescence can work its way out.

Can pavers be laid over existing concrete?

Often yes, and it is common on lanai floors and patios. What matters is whether the slab is sound and drains. Laying over a cracked or ponding slab transfers the problem to the new surface.

What does a paver deck cost in Sarasota?

Quoted individually. Square footage, paver choice, how much excavation the base requires and whether anything must be removed first all affect the price. Projects up to $65,000 can be financed through Wisetack, subject to credit approval.

Should the paver deck be done while the pool cage is off?

If the cage is coming off anyway, yes. The crew has clear access, nothing must be worked around, and the cage anchors go back into a deck already at final height. The alternative means cutting and patching around standing posts.

Paver pool deck installed inside a screened pool cage in Sarasota, Florida

Paver decks, patios and driveways. The base is the job.

Q: Why do my pavers keep shifting?

Almost always the base or the edge: the excavation was too shallow, the fill was not compacted in lifts, or there is no edge restraint holding the perimeter so the field creeps outward and the joints open. Joint sand washing out makes it worse but is rarely the root cause.

Pavers almost never fail because of the pavers. They fail because somebody skipped the excavation, the edge restraint or the joint sand — the three things nobody sees once the deck is down, and the three things that decide whether it stays flat.

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Why pavers move

A sunken paver is a base problem wearing a paver costume.

Excavation depth. A pool deck needs less base than a driveway, and a driveway that will hold a truck needs more than most crews dig. Cutting this is invisible on day one and obvious in the second rainy season, when tyre tracks appear in the entry.

Edge restraint. Pavers rely on the surrounding pavers for support. Take away the edge and the whole field creeps outward a few millimeters a year until the joints open. Many spreading paver patios have failed because this step was missing or inadequate.

Joint sand. Polymeric sand locks the field together and keeps weeds and ants out of the joints. Plain sand washes out in the first storm and takes the interlock with it.

Get those three right and a Florida paver deck has the foundation to stay flat for years. Get one wrong and no amount of good paver fixes it.

Base firstCompacted in lifts, not dumped and rolled once

Edge restraintThe single most skipped step, and the reason decks spread

Polymeric sandLocks the joints, keeps out weeds and ants

DrainageSlope away from the house, before anything is laid

Paver pool deck under a white aluminum pool cage with a lake behind it in Sarasota

What we lay

Four surfaces, four different builds

Same pavers, very different bases. A crew that builds them all the same way is telling you something.

Pool decks

Slip resistance and heat matter more than load. Travertine stays coolest underfoot; concrete paver holds color longer. The cheapest moment to do this is while the cage is off.

Driveways

The deepest base of the four, because it carries a vehicle every day. Under-building a driveway is the most expensive shortcut in this trade.

Lanai floors and patios

Often laid over an existing slab, which changes the whole build — and requires checking that the slab is sound before anything goes on top of it.

Walkways and entries

Narrow fields spread fastest, because there is proportionally more edge. This is where edge restraint stops being optional.

Sealing

Worth it, with one honest caveat

Sealing is the most oversold service in Florida hardscape. Here is where it earns its money and where it does not.

What sealing does

Locks the joint sand so it stops washing out, resists staining from leaves, rust and barbecue grease, and slows the fading that Florida sun does to color.

What it does not do

It does not hold a bad base together, and it does not stop a deck without edge restraint from spreading. Sealing a failing deck is a coat of paint on a cracked wall.

When to do it

Not on brand-new pavers — they need to weather first so efflorescence can work its way out. After that, on the cycle the product calls for, and always on a dry deck.

Sunset over a lake seen through a screened pool cage in Sarasota County

Financing

We offer financing

Prefer to pay over time rather than all at once? Prequalify for financing through Wisetack and spread the cost over monthly payments.

Checking your options takes about a minute and will not affect your credit score.
Projects financed up to $65,000, depending on the amount you are approved for.
Up to 6 payment plans, with interest-free options for qualifying customers.
No origination fees, no prepayment fees and no late fees.

Prequalify for financing

All financing is subject to credit approval.

Questions

Paver questions

Not here? Call (941) 961-0162.

Why do my pavers keep shifting?

Almost always the base or the edge. Either the excavation was too shallow or the fill was not compacted in lifts, or there is no edge restraint holding the perimeter, so the field creeps outward and the joints open.

Joint sand washing out makes it worse but is rarely the root cause. Re-sanding a deck with no edge restraint buys you a season.

Should I seal my pavers?

On a well-built deck, yes — it locks the joint sand, resists staining and slows fading. On a deck with a failing base, no: it hides the problem without touching it.

Not on brand-new pavers either. They need to weather first so efflorescence can work its way out, otherwise you seal it in.

Travertine or concrete paver around a pool?

Travertine stays noticeably cooler underfoot, which matters on a deck people cross barefoot in July, and it looks more like stone because it is. Concrete paver costs less, comes in more colors and holds its color longer.

Both work. The deciding factor here is usually bare feet in August.

Can you lay pavers over my existing concrete?

Often yes, and it is common on lanai floors and patios. What matters is whether the slab is sound and whether it drains — laying over a cracked or ponding slab transfers the problem straight to the new surface.

We check that before quoting, and say so when the answer is no.

What does a paver deck cost?

Quoted individually. Square footage, the paver you choose, how much excavation the base needs and whether anything has to come out first all move the number.

Projects up to $65,000 can be financed through Wisetack, subject to credit approval.

Should I do the deck while the pool cage is off?

If the cage is coming off anyway, yes — by a wide margin. The crew has clear access, nothing has to be worked around, and the cage anchors go back into a deck that is already at final height.

Doing it the other way means cutting and patching around posts that are already standing.

New pool cage

If the cage is coming off, the deck underneath is the cheapest it will ever be.

New aluminum lanai screen enclosure on the back of a Florida home

Lanai enclosures

A new lanai floor and the enclosure around it, in one mobilisation.

Pool cage with freshly replaced screen panels above a pool and spa in Sarasota

Screen repair

The other half of making an old pool area look new again.

Get started

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2H Rescreening

Phone(941) 961-0162
Emailsales@2hrescreening.com
Office1159 Sarasota Center Blvd
Sarasota, FL 34240
HoursMonday–Friday, 8:00am–5:00pm
Saturday & Sunday closed

Florida contractor license CRC1334065 Certified Residential Contractor — licensed and insured. Verify our license with the Florida DBPR at any time.