Can You Put Pavers Over Concrete?

Tricks of the Trade is an article series dedicated to providing answers to commonly asked questions. The interviews are conducted with ProSource Wholesale® trade professional members, looking to offer their insights and experience to these thoughts that arise during the building or remodeling process.

Mike Sandoval is the owner of Sandoval Fine Tileworks and an interior designer member at ProSource of Amarillo (TX). 

 

Homeowners looking for the most reliable application for pavers should look no further than over their concrete slab. They can place pavers over concrete and create that cobblestone aesthetic around driveways, pool decks, and backyards.

With those pavers being mortared down and in place, they have this inherent ability to lift up a bland concrete slab and add etiquette to the outdoor design. You’re no longer looking at one giant slab of concrete. It’s more like you’re looking at a finished floor with way more work put into it. The detail of the stonework in pavers these days really sets itself apart from the average slab.

 

 

Benefits of Pavers Placed over Concrete

One of the strongest draws to putting pavers on concrete is that homeowners aren’t sacrificing practicality for style. A car can drive over pavers placed over concrete. Many often think about limitations that could exist when considering putting pavers on a slab, but they just don’t exist. Well-constructed pavers have been around for a long time. In the days of the Romans, they’d do a gravel bed, packed with a sand topping, and they’d place pavers over that. That’s how they made roads back then.

The appearance of putting pavers over a concrete slab can change the way a house is perceived. The visuals look refined and finished, delivering detail that didn’t previously exist. Often times, homeowners will test those styles with samples that we’ll get them from ProSource, and our concrete guys set up their form. That way, the homeowners can see how it all comes together, before they are properly placed.

ProSource is my go-to team that I turn for design and products, and I’m grateful for the collaborative nature in the showroom. Teamwork makes the dream work. My account manager pulls out the design boards and catalogs featuring the latest products for outdoor style, and I can rest easier and focus on the installation process of putting pavers over concrete.

Challenges With Pavers over Concrete

In order to put pavers over concrete, the existing concrete slab needs to be in really good condition. It can’t be pitted, flaking, or contain large cracks. The sand bed also needs to be well-compacted. If the compaction isn’t done well, you are going to get some sort of settling in time, puddling with water if you don’t have anything to contain the moisture. We use waterproofing membranes, in order to soak up any excess moisture and often have to utilize specialized products to ensure density amid heavy moisture.

That includes hydraulic sand, which also should be used when dealing with cracked slabs of concrete, in tandem with crack suppression membrane. That sand was as solid as it gets the next day, and to this day, it’s as sound as the day we put it in.

In situations where we have to start from scratch and the concrete slab doesn’t already exist, additional pitfalls arise. If we’re installing pavers over incoming concrete that come in at 2 and 3/16” thickness, those pavers go underneath the threshold flush during the pour. No one wants a paver patio with uneven surfaces.

In these difficult situations, this is where having a plan comes into play. Preparation is crucial when choosing to put pavers over concrete, which means having all of the tools and materials beforehand. Homeowners and pros alike need to be aware of all of the little details, such as the height, thickness, and style, because once you put that paver down, especially if you stick it down with a good mortar, it’s likely there for life. This can get really complicated if a homeowner chooses a trendy paver that may lose its appeal over time. That means that if a homeowner wants to swap it out, that won’t mean using a chisel. That means using a jackhammer. The complications associated with the removal need to factor into a homeowner’s selection process.

Being in the business a long time has allowed me and my team to understand the dos and don’ts involved with a project like putting pavers over concrete. With most projects, we look to make sure that the projects work in real-world conditions, but there are times that we have to work double time to figure out a way to make challenging client desires happen. Once we make the impossible work, we try and make sure that there will be as little maintenance as possible.

Easy Maintenance With Pavers on Concrete

Putting pavers over concrete is a long-term commitment that shouldn’t require any excessive maintenance. A homeowner can easily pressure wash it, sweep it, or hand wash it, in order to preserve its appearance. While it isn’t necessarily going to wear like a coating or acid stain would, it still needs a decent clean-up from time to time.

A benefit to pavers is their ability to be resistant to high temperatures and UV rays. The sun simply doesn’t eat it up as much. The temperature on a concrete slab is 10 to 12 degrees hotter than on a paver, making walking on the surface cooler to the touch of a foot. This makes it ideal around pool decks and for those with pets in high temperature climates. Maintaining these placed pavers ensure that the appearance of the outdoor design are preserved for years to come, creating curb appeal when used on a driveway and ensuring that there is a stable path to the pool or decking in the backyard. 

By collaborating with ProSource and their entire showroom team, our clients are able to keep the outside of their homes looking great with their selected pavers over concrete.

Tagged: Outdoor Products Flooring Tile