The Wellington crew for driveways, patios and pool decks
Wellington has equestrian properties where drives take horse trailers, and that load changes how deep the base needs to be.
What we see on Wellington properties
Wellington has equestrian properties where drives take horse trailers, and that load changes how deep the base needs to be.
Here is the honest version: a sunken paver is a symptom. The base under it lost material, usually to water, and the surface settled into the gap. Resetting the pavers without correcting the base just buys you a season.
The ground under most of the region is sand sitting on limestone. It sheds ordinary rain easily. The trouble comes with the heavy afternoon storms, the ones that put down two inches in an hour, when the sand cannot drain fast enough and water starts carrying it out from under the base.
Roots from mature trees are another cause. Moisture collects in a paver base and roots grow toward it. The result is a raised, uneven patch above wherever they spread.
We are out this way most weeks, so a look at the property is usually a matter of days rather than months. If it turns out the honest answer is that it can wait, we will tell you that too.
How a job here runs
We come look at it
Somebody from the crew comes out, stands on the problem, and tells you what is actually going on underneath it. No sales visit, just a look and an honest read.
You get the plan in writing
Everything in writing up front: what we are doing, what it is made of, how long it takes, and what it costs. Nothing changes without you signing off on it.
We build the base first
Excavation to the depth this job actually needs, aggregate compacted lift by lift, bedding screeded flat. The slow part, and the part that decides whether the surface is still flat in ten years.
Pavers go down and get cut in
Field laid to the pattern, edges cut on site, and a restraint set around the perimeter so the field cannot creep.
Joints get filled and the site gets cleaned
Sand swept in and compacted, the surface washed down, and the property left the way we found it. We haul our own debris.
What local conditions do to a paver surface
Polymeric sand binds when it is wetted and resists washout better than plain sand, which is why it has become the default. It has to go in dry, get swept properly off the surface before wetting, and be watered in the way the manufacturer specifies. Rushed installation is why some jobs end up with a hazy residue over the pavers.
We treat topping up joint sand as structural repair. The sand in those joints transfers load from one paver to the next, which is how a field of loose units holds together as a surface. When it washes out, each paver takes its weight alone and soon starts to rock. Rocking pavers crack. Refilling early costs a lot less than resetting.
Compaction in lifts is the difference between ten years and two.
If you like the look of freshly wet pavers, sealing gets you close to that all the time. It also makes stains easier to lift and helps hold the joint sand. What it asks of you is a recoat every few years and some care in choosing a product, since the wrong one can look plasticky or trap moisture. We will be straight with you about whether yours needs it.
Our rule of thumb is a quarter inch. A paver edge lifted more than about that much is a trip hazard waiting for someone, and it should move to the top of the list. On commercial sites, add liability to the reasons, since a fall there is more than a maintenance problem.
Pavers that went down on a proper base do not ask for much. Every so often, look at the joints. If the sand is low, refill it, and if leaves or dirt are packed in, clear them out. Watch for settling and deal with it while it is small.
Compaction
Thin layers, each one compacted before the next goes on. A thick dump with one pass of the plate leaves loose stone hiding under a firm skin.
Fall
We pitch the surface roughly an eighth to a quarter inch per foot away from the building, enough to shed water without anyone noticing a slope.
Restraint
A perimeter edge restraint is what stops the field creeping outward and the joints opening from the outside in.
What Wellington calls us for
Also nearby in Palm Beach County:
What we tend to use around here
Concrete pavers cover the biggest share of what gets installed. They are pigmented through the body of the unit, so the sun fades them gently and evenly over time. New ones look a touch different from how they will look after a year or two, since the color settles as they cure out. Shapes and colors run wider than any other paver.
If budget is tight, clay brick is usually not where we start, since it costs more and comes in fewer shapes. If the priority is a surface that looks the same in twenty years, it is the answer. Its color is the fired clay, and that does not fade.
Pool decks are where travertine earns its place. Bare feet notice the difference right away: in direct sun it runs cooler than concrete. Keep in mind that every unit is a little different, since it is quarried stone, and that areas exposed to oil or heavy staining should be sealed.
You can see this on almost any failing driveway. The middle usually looks fine and the outer two feet are a mess with wide joints and rocking units. That is not the edge wearing out faster, it is the edge restraint having failed and the field unlocking from the outside in.
The edge restraint is the piece nobody thinks about and it is what stops the whole field from spreading. Pavers work by interlock, which means each unit is held by its neighbors. Take away the restraint at the perimeter and the outermost course starts creeping outward, the joints open, the sand washes, and the failure marches inward from the edge.
Finding us in Wellington
We are based in Miami and out this way regularly.
The shortcuts that surface two years later
You cannot see any of these when the crew packs up. They show up later, which is why they keep happening.
Using the wrong sand in the bedding
Using whatever sand is on the truck is a common shortcut. Bedding has to be sharp, angular concrete sand, because rounded mason or beach sand lets pavers drift once weight goes on them.
Sealing too early
Give new concrete pavers time before sealing. They have to cure and let efflorescence work its way out. Sealing during the first month risks catching that white bloom under the sealer, where it stays for good.
Laying over the old surface
A new surface laid over an old one usually looks fine for about a season. After that, the base that ruined the first surface starts ruining the second. Speed and price are the only things the shortcut buys you.
Skipping the geotextile
Fabric between the ground and the base is a small step that keeps the base doing its job. Sandy soil especially wants to wash up into the stone layer above it. When it does, the base loses its strength and you get low spots that come back no matter how often they are reset.
The edge restraint is the piece nobody thinks about and the reason the field holds.
Common questions
Will the new pavers match what I already have
New pavers start out looking newer than the ones already down, because concrete pavers change color a little with sun and age. Sometimes the match is exact and sometimes it is close. When a line is discontinued or the difference is too obvious, we walk you through the options before anything gets ordered.
What happens to the old surface
We remove it. Breaking out and hauling the old concrete or pavers is a normal part of our scope, and where a recycler is available, that material gets recycled instead of landfilled.
How do you keep it from settling again
We start with a question: where is the water going? That answer usually explains the settling. From there it is a matter of correcting the drainage and putting a proper base back in, plus handling any root or downspout feeding the problem.
Do you work with HOAs and property managers
All the time. We keep boards and managers informed as approval moves along, and we phase the work so residents keep access throughout. Tell us your process and we will fit the job into it.
Do you cover Wellington, FL
Yes. Wellington, FL is inside our regular working area and we are out that way most weeks. Call and we will tell you honestly when we could get to you.
Is there a warranty
There is. Our workmanship warranty is written down and handed to you with the job. The pavers carry their own coverage from the manufacturer, and we pass that paperwork along as well. We will also be clear about the limits, since a warranty cannot cover something like a tree root that arrives later or a drainage change on the property.
Start with a conversation
The fastest way to get a real answer is to have one of us stand on it. We will walk the property, look at where the water goes, and write up what we find.
Quality you can stand on