Paver FAQ
Paver questions
Sixteen questions about base, joint sand, sealing, stains, settling and materials, answered short with the full page linked.
Questions about the system
What is the difference between a brick and a paver? A clay brick is fired clay; a concrete paver is moulded concrete with pigment. Clay holds its colour indefinitely and comes in fewer shapes; concrete offers far more sizes, colours and patterns and softens in colour over years.
What thickness do I need? Sixty millimetres for patios and walkways, eighty for driveways and anywhere a vehicle can reach. On rental properties we use eighty everywhere.
What holds the edge? An edge restraint, either a poured concrete haunch or a spiked aluminium profile, buried so it does not show. Without it the outside course rolls outward and the field loses its interlock.
Why herringbone on a driveway? Because no continuous joint line runs in the direction a turning tyre pushes, so the field resists the load better than a running bond.
Do pavers need a concrete base? No. They need a compacted aggregate base and a bedding course. Pavers set in mortar on a slab are a different, rigid system with different failure modes.
Questions about keeping them
How often do joints need re-sanding? Every three to five years on a driveway in this climate, sooner if the field is pressure washed often or a downspout crosses it.
Why are there ants? Loose or missing joint sand gives them somewhere to tunnel. Cleaning the joints to depth and filling with polymeric sand closes it.
What about weeds? Same cause. Seed germinates in open joints; a properly filled and cured polymeric joint gives it nothing.
Can I pressure wash them? At moderate pressure with a surface cleaner, yes. A turbo nozzle at three thousand psi excavates the joints and erodes the paver face.
Will the colour fade? Concrete pavers soften over years rather than fading unevenly, which is why a repair blended through a field disappears and a solid patch does not. Clay brick holds its colour.
What if my paver is discontinued? We lift units from a hidden area for the visible repair and blend a current product into the donor area. It is the standard answer to a fifteen-year-old field.
Questions we get about this
How much base do pavers need on Florida sand?
Six inches of compacted limerock under a driveway, four to five under a patio or pool deck, plus 1 inch of bedding sand, edge restraint and polymeric sand. Paver Driveways.
What is polymeric sand?
Joint sand with a polymer binder that hardens when misted, locking the field and keeping ants and weeds out. Installed dry, vibrated in, activated with a light mist. Polymeric Sand: When It Works, When It Fails, and How We Install It.
Why are there weeds and ants in my joints?
Regular sand, or polymeric sand installed thin or wet. Clean out, re-sand with polymeric, seal.
What is the white haze on my new pavers?
Efflorescence: salts migrating out of concrete pavers during the first rainy season. Normal; it washes off with an efflorescence cleaner before sealing. Do not seal over it.
Should pavers be sealed in Florida?
Concrete pavers, yes, 60 to 90 days after installation and every three to four years on a driveway, two to three on a pool deck. Travertine and marble take a penetrating sealer only; porcelain none. Paver Sealing & Cleaning.
Why did my pavers turn white after sealing?
A film sealer over moisture or efflorescence. Strip and re-seal on a dry deck with a breathable product. Sealer Types Compared.
Can I pressure wash pavers?
Yes, with a surface cleaner and a wide tip at 2,500 to 3,000 psi; a narrow tip etches the surface and blows out joint sand, which then needs replacing.
Why are my pavers sinking?
Base washout at a downspout or sprinkler, thin base, or no edge restraint. Fix the water, lift, rebuild the base, relay. Paver Repair.
Brick pavers or concrete pavers?
Clay brick keeps its color forever and suits traditional homes; concrete pavers cost less, come in more sizes and colors, and interlock better under tires in 80 mm.
How long do pavers last?
The units outlast the base; a paver drive on a rebuilt base can be relaid indefinitely.
Is travertine slippery around a pool?
Tumbled and honed travertine grip well wet; polished is not used outdoors. Travertine.
What is a soldier course?
A border row of pavers set end-on (long side across the path); a sailor course is set long side along the path. Both frame the field and stiffen the edge.
How thick should driveway pavers be?
80 mm (3⅛ in) on driveways; 60 mm on patios and walks.
Can pavers go over my concrete pool deck?
Usually, with 1-inch remodel pavers, if the deck is sound and the extra inch works at the doors and coping. Paver Pool Decks.
Which pavers do you install?
Belgard, Tremron and Oldcastle Coastal lines, clay brick, permeable systems, travertine, marble and large-format porcelain; HOA palettes first.
How do I get rust stains off pavers?
An iron-specific cleaner, then adjust the sprinkler heads or filter the well water or it returns. Rust Stains From Well-Water Irrigation: Identify, Remove, Prevent.
Get a written estimate for your project
Tell us the size, the surface you have now and where the lot is. We visit, measure, check access and drainage, and send a written proposal. No pressure calls.
What changed in this update: 2026-09-11 — first published