Mid-Atlantic Pools

Residential in-ground swimming pools have become a combination of safety, affordability and aesthetics for Mid-Atlantic Pools and our customers. Paver stones can usually bring all three of those points together so before you commit to a standard or upgraded stamped concrete walkway I hope you’ll take a moment to read through this article.


When you sit down to discuss your new pool project try to take a little time to get to know who you might hire. Determine if they are not only qualified to handle your project but if they have you and your family’s best interest at heart before handing them your business. Having had consulted with hundreds of homeowners over the years I can attest that each potential customer usually has something unique for me to consider as a professional contractor. For some it may be accessibility to the construction area and my biggest concern would be whether or not I can get all of the necessary equipment into the back yard of a home. For most however the biggest question I have had to answer is how to provide best quality and value that can hold up to the test of time while not becoming a regret afterwards. This is where paver stone patios and walkways come in to play, it not only answers questions regarding safety and aesthetics but they often become the long term solution to affordability.


Broom finish concrete offers affordability and grip when looking at purchasing a new inground swimming pool. It allows you to purchase volume at a relatively low price and for those of you with children and elderly persons in your family it will offer the most skid resistant surface to help prevent slips and falls when installed correctly. The downsides to standard concrete are many however; cracking and chipping is a normal characteristic to concrete and over time it is also proned to staining. It is not uncommon for us to go in and replace standard concrete when remodeling a swimming pool in as little as 10 to 15 years because of these issues that come up from time to time. I also noted that it can be the most skid resistant “when installed correctly” which leaves room for error; there have been cases when broom finish concrete has become unsafe to walk on and either requires to be resurfaced or torn out completely and installed again. This not only costs time and money but who wants that headache at the end of a project that might have already taken months to complete?


Stamp concrete has somehow become the go to solution to dress up residential swimming pools and even our company offered it for a brief period of time. When installed correctly with good color selection it can be beautiful but there are drawbacks to stamp concrete that are not easily fixed, if at all. First, stamp concrete is colored with bags of dye that are mixed inside the truck on site while the material is still wet. So if you have an unusually large project that requires more than one truck load of concrete mix you risk having problems before the job is even poured. This gets down to basic chemistry so if the volumes in each truck are not 100% identical you probably will run into color match issues. I’m not trying to say that it’s not impossible to match two loads of raw material but take into consideration some basic facts as to what it takes to make that happen. Matching raw material requires identical sand, stone and Portland to be added to each truck plus identical amounts of water that are both at the same temperature and humidity. So even if that is accomplished you still have to be able to pour identical amounts of dye to each truck which is difficult at best. So let’s say all that is accomplished; what if the concrete cracks and a portion of it needs to be replaced? Let’s say it doesn’t crack; the biggest problem I personally ran into with stamped concrete around swimming pools is safety. The final product is just too slippery around swimming pools, bottom line. I have used professional contractors that have poured small glass beads into the sealant to help produce the much needed texture but it was always inconsistent and never produced the level of grip that would give you confidence while walking on it. Our company offered stamp concrete for less than a full season before taking it out of our options list; we would rather risk losing a potential client than run the risk of our clients hurting themselves. We believe in our decision that firmly.


Paver stones on the other hand don’t have any of these issues. The final products are poured in a factory controlled environment and come in various textures, shapes, sizes and colors. Pavers can last decades without issue and even if one were to arise they are easily replaced or repaired. Mid-Atlantic Pools will only install paver walkways and patios on top of a 4” concrete slab with a minimum rating of 3,500 psi. This practice prevents settling and pumping of the ground beneath the stones and is performed to provide our customers with years of trouble free enjoyment. In the rare case an area needs repair our company can go in and remove only the stones necessary and often times reuse the same stones once the repair is completed. Not only does this remove color match issues it offers peace of mind that your landscape project can truly mature over time with minimal interruption, if at all. Paver stones can be mixed and match both in texture and color to provide a final product that is truly as unique as your imagination but what’s most important is that you will never have to worry about an unsafe or slippery surface to walk on ever again. When comparing price you will find that pavers do cost more than broom finish but less than your stamp concrete options. When comparing final aesthetics and safety we at Mid-Atlantic Pools feel that there is no room for argument, paver stones will always win!