How to pave over concrete?

Brycem

Hi our current outdoor area is concreted however besides the fact we don't like the look the fall isn't great, particularly around the retaining wall. As such we are considering our options in terms of paving the area with hope we can fix the fall/water pooling and make the area look nice.

My question is can we:

- install pavers with sand (or appropriate base) to ensure fall is corrected

- likely would need to install channel drains, would this occur before or during 

- how do I calculate amount of pavers needed 

- do I concrete the edge pavers?

Thanks! Have attached photos of the area let me know if any further details is required 

    

JacobZ

Hi @Brycem,

Unfortunately, paving over the concrete is not going to fix the issue of pooling water, as pavers need to have gaps between them and once water goes between these gaps, it will drain down, hit the same slab of concrete and flow to the same points it did before. Paving can help, but water will still end up where it did before if it is not addressed at the slab level.

I'd suggest installing channel drains at the low points around the concrete area prior to paving. This will help move the water away to a drainage point, preferably a stormwater pipe. For this step, I would consider speaking with a plumber, as they would be required to connect the drainage to your stormwater system.

Once the drainage has been managed, I would use mortar instead of paving sand and then fill between the pavers with polymeric sand to help lock everything in place. Using mortar allows you to adjust your levels on the go, and it is far less likely to erode from water getting beneath the pavers.

To calculate the number of pavers needed, simply work out the area, then divide that figure by the area of an individual paver. This will give you a very close approximation that you can work with. Slight gaps between the pavers may mean you have more than necessary, but it is always good to have some spares.

Using mortar as your base, there is no real need to concrete the edge. If you wanted to, you could use the mortar to create a small ramp on the edge of the paver to create a smooth transition from the concrete to the pavers, but this all depends on how the paved area would finish.

Allow me to tag @Nailbag, @Noyade and @R4addZ to see if they have any thoughts or advice they can add.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob