Advise on paving around a pool

Having a pool is a privilege and an absolute delight in the hot summer months, but the maintenance of the area around the pool can get pool owners down. Attempts to hide low maintenance can be done by planting a pretty garden, but plants can be damaged by excited children who jump into the water with soil coating their feet, making the pool dirty.

Here are a few tips for pool owners  looking for a reliable paving company:

Look for a company that will offer a reasonable quote along with a favourable design, a guarantee that will protect you, references in the form of testimonials from “real” customers as well as quality workmanship. Ask about their materials. It must be first grade; SABS approved bricks from a leading supplier. Ensure that should you want a certain design that the company you select will keep this in mind and that they will apply their knowledge to make your dreams their reality. And insist that the team you choose must clean up after every working day.

When considering what type of paving to use around a pool there are a few things to consider:

· Depth of the pool
· What type of chlorinator (salt/normal)
· Has settlement taken place under the surface (only applicable if it’s a new pool)
· Are there flower beds next to the area I want paved?
These questions are important, however the most important question is what type of chlorinator are you using.

Selecting the right chlorinator

If you are using a salt chlorinator then stay away from paving tiles or simulated product. The reason for this is in the way that the tile is laid coupled with the way in which the salt reacts.

Once laid, the paving tile is grouted with the open joint method which means there is a gap of approximately one centimetre in between tiles. That gap is filled with the grouting mixture and left for a period of three days to cure.

Once cured the paving as well as the pool is ready to be used, however when the salt water splashes on the tile and the grouting,  the water evaporates and leaves behind the salt crystals. These crystals in turn expand and contract within the pours of not only the grouting but also within the tile. Over a short period of time this leads to grouting failure as well as the paving tile looking old.

Around a pool it’s best to use either a clay or a cement product grouted in the closed joint method. Both cement and clay products are far less porous than a paving tile or a simulated stone product. This leaves far less chance of wear and tear and grouting failure around the pool.

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