"The pavers around my pool are sloping and sinking down, also coming apart." Pavers that shift or pull apart at the edges almost always go back to what's under them: a base that wasn't compacted, or no edge restraint holding the outer row in. You can't see either once the job's done, so ask before. Call (786) 686-1048 and we'll connect you with an independent paver contractor serving your part of Miami-Dade. Ask how deep the base goes, how many passes with the compactor, what holds the edges, and what sand goes in the joints so a summer downpour doesn't wash it out.
The middle looks fine, but the edge row creeps out and the joints open up. Without an edge restraint, a concrete curb or a spiked edge, the pavers have nothing to push against. Coral Gables even draws a continuous concrete curb into its own paver detail.
The pavers went down, the storm came first, and the sand that should have locked them washed out. In Miami's rainy season the sanding and the weather have to be planned together.
Four months after the job a section sank, and the calls stopped being answered. A warranty only helps if the person behind it picks up, so put the repair terms in the contract and hold back part of the payment.
Planning pavers or fixing ones that moved? Call and we'll connect you with a paver contractor serving your area.
Call (786) 686-1048The base is the job. Ask for the base depth in inches, the material, compaction in layers with a plate compactor, and how the bedding sand is screeded. Around the pool, find out how they handle the soft spots, where the ground was backfilled after the pool was dug.
Twenty of the 128 stories we read were about pavers shifting, sinking or pulling apart.
Deposits, no-shows and warranties nobody honors together made up 30 stories. Keep the deposit small, get a start date in writing, and don't pay the balance until the job is done and you've walked it.
Put together, that's the biggest theme in everything we read.
Ask what sand goes in the joints, how long it needs to dry before rain, and whether they'll come back to top it up. Joint sand that stays put also keeps ants and weeds down.
Washed-out joints came up 14 times. Six more people found a haze after rain hit fresh sand.
None of the paver prices in our research came from Florida, so we won't put a Miami number on this page as if it were fact. What we can say: the contractor will price by the square foot, and these lines are what move it.
One homeowner's job with pavers, steps and a walkway ended at a final bill of $19,500 after a misquote. Get the square footage and the price per foot on the quote, so any change shows up as a line, not a surprise.
Pool decks are where pavers sink most, because the ground around a pool is backfill. Travertine stays cooler underfoot than dark concrete pavers, but it's porous, and some Florida owners regret it after it cracked or stained. Go and stand on a travertine deck that's a few years old before you choose it.
In Doral, Miami Lakes and many Kendall subdivisions, the HOA picks the paver, color and pattern. Doral asks for the HOA letter with the permit application.
Doral's Public Works fee sheet lists a brick paver driveway permit. Coral Gables sends new pavers and changes of material to the Board of Architects. Cutler Bay counts paved area against your lot coverage. The area pages have the details.
You'll be asked your zip code and the job, then put through to a paver installer.
Measure, check the ground and drainage, talk paver and pattern.
Square footage, base, edge, sand and sealing, itemized.
Dig out, lay and compact the base in layers, set the edge.
Pavers laid and cut, compacted, joints sanded in dry weather.
Weeds and ants live in open joints. Well-filled, well-compacted joints and a reseal every few years keep most of them out.
A haze after rain on new pavers is often joint sand residue that wasn't swept and blown off before the rain. Have the installer look before you scrub. Some cleaners make it worse.
They're a trip hazard and a sign the base is moving. It's usually fixed by lifting that section, rebuilding the base and relaying the same pavers, not by replacing the whole deck.
Lift only the sunken or loose area, recompact or add base, relay, resand and compact. Done right, the repair blends in because the same pavers go back.
Not with sand that needs to dry and set. Rain on fresh joint sand can wash it out or leave a haze. A good installer reschedules that step.
A little, if the edges aren't held. Resanding soon after cleaning, and checking the edge restraint, keeps them in place.
Document the payment and every message, send a written demand, and file complaints with Miami-Dade County Consumer Protection and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Small claims court is an option for smaller amounts.
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Phones are answered 8am to 8pm, 7 days. Tell them the job, the size and your zip code, and ask for a written, itemized price.
Have a slab, a deck or a driveway in mind?
(786) 686-1048