Splashing Out

DIY Pool Paving

Give your pool a new look with a round of new pool paving. Hardwearing, long lasting and smart, you won’t look back.

What you will need

• River sand
• Estcourt pavers (500 x 500 x 40 mm)
• Cement
• Plaster sand

Tools

Pick, spade, rake, stamper, level, tape measure, rubber mallet, builder’s crayon, pegs and builder’s line, angle grinder and masonry disc, safety glasses, bricklayer’s nosing trowel

Steps

1. Plan your area, choose your pavers and select a pattern. Dry-lay a section of pavers in pattern so you can see what effect it has when put together in that area.

2. Prepare your ground by clearing any pots, groundcover and stones. Add 25 mm to the depth of the pavers (ours are 40 mm) and dig down to that depth to ensure the top of the paver sits level with the coping on the side of the pool.

3. Lay 25 mm of fine river sand and use a flat piece of wood to screed it. To make sure you get the bed of sand perfectly 25mm deep, lay two lengths of 25 mm conduit piping and use them as rails for your screed block to rest upon.

4. Start laying the paving in the most visual place so that any cuts you need to make are not as noticeable. Lay the pavers one by one, tapping each paver in place with a mallet. Check as you go to ensure your pavers are level, with a slight angle away from the pool to drain rain water into the garden and not into the pool. Lay all the whole pavers, identifying any cuts that will need to be made.

5. For cutting complex shapes it is always best to make a template of the cut and then trace it onto the paver with a builder’s crayon. For straight cuts, measure twice, cut once. Use a masonry cutting disc on an angle grinder to do the cutting. Don’t forget to wear your safety gear.

6. After laying is completed, make a grout mixture of 3 parts plaster sand, 1 part cement and water. Add a little water at a time until you have the consistency of stiff porridge. Use a bricklayer’s nosing trowel to apply the grout between the pavers, pushing it deep into all the gaps. Clean the excess grout of the pavers and then clean them with water and a sponge.