What Every Pool Owner Should Know Before Cleaning, Re-Sanding, or Sealing Their Pavers
If you own a swimming pool and you’re thinking about having the pavers around it cleaned, re-sanded, or sealed, this may be the most valuable thing you read all summer.
Not because we’re trying to scare you.
Not because we’re trying to sell you anything.
But because these are the conversations we have with homeowners every July—usually after the frustration has already started.
Pools are wonderful.
Restoring the pavers around them? That’s where timing, planning, and communication become everything.
Timing Is Everything
If you want the smoothest experience possible, there are really only two ideal times to restore pavers around a swimming pool:
- Within a couple of weeks after opening your pool.
- Shortly after closing it for the season.
Can it be done in the middle of July?
Absolutely.
But doing so usually means more cleanup, more patience, and more inconvenience for everyone involved.
Whether you’re planning a family gathering, graduation party, summer cookout, or simply want to enjoy your backyard again, the right time to restore your pavers can make all the difference.
When you’re ready to bring your pool patio back to life, we’re here to help.
The Pressure Wash Company is the Lehigh Valley’s trusted source for professional paver restoration, cleaning, sanding, sealing, and repairs.
👉 Get Expert Paver Restoration from The Pressure Wash Company
– Get Expert Paver Restoration from The Pressure Wash Company
Why Debris Always Ends Up in the Pool
One of the biggest misconceptions homeowners have is that we can somehow keep every grain of sand and every piece of debris out of the pool.
Unfortunately, that’s impossible.
During pressure washing and re-sanding, old joint sand, dirt, organic material, and fine polymeric sand naturally move with water, gravity, and wind.
Even when we’re extremely careful, it’s completely normal for:
- Fine debris to settle in the pool.
- A small amount of sand to reach the bottom.
- Skimmers and pool filters to work harder for several days.
- Your pool robot to have a full-time job for a few days.
If your winter cover is still on, we also can’t properly clean within several feet of the pool’s edge, leaving visible transition lines that no homeowner wants.
That’s not poor workmanship.
It’s simply the reality of working around water.
Planning a Pool Party? Read This First.
This is where we see the most frustration.
If your pavers are restored just a few days before a graduation party, birthday party, cookout, or family gathering, expect your pool to need extra attention afterward.
For the next several days:
- Fine sand may continue settling.
- Your robot will probably need frequent emptying.
- Filters will work overtime.
- The water may need additional vacuuming.
Nothing has gone wrong.
The pool simply needs time to clear itself.
The Costly Surprise We See Every Summer
Over the past several years we’ve noticed another trend that’s becoming increasingly common—and unfortunately, increasingly expensive for homeowners.
Many people decide to renovate everything at once.
They’ll resurface the pool.
Install new coping.
Replace concrete.
Update landscaping.
Buy new patio furniture.
Then they’ll call us to restore the pavers.
From the homeowner’s perspective, that makes perfect sense.
Unfortunately, that’s often where the hidden costs begin.
When pool contractors install new coping or perform concrete work around a pool, they usually remove the first one or two rows of pavers surrounding the pool.
After the new coping is installed, those pavers are put back.
The problem is what happens underneath them.
Far too often, the proper stone base isn’t rebuilt correctly, leaving voids beneath the pavers.
The result?
The pavers rock.
They wobble.
They settle.
Even more common, some of those edge pavers become partially embedded in fresh concrete during the coping installation.
When we arrive, we can’t simply pressure wash and re-sand the patio.
Instead, we often have to:
- Remove the affected pavers.
- Chip hardened concrete off the bottoms and sides.
- Rebuild the base using ¼-inch clean stone.
- Reset and level each paver correctly.
- Blend everything back into the existing patio.
At that point, we’re no longer performing a standard restoration.
We’re rebuilding part of the patio.
Naturally, that adds labor and cost.
Nobody enjoys delivering that news to a homeowner, but there simply isn’t a shortcut if the goal is to make the patio last.
When the Pool Is Perfect…But the Patio Isn’t
Here’s another issue many homeowners don’t anticipate.
Your brand-new coping is perfectly level.
Your patio may have settled over the last 10, 15, or even 20 years.
Naturally, homeowners ask us to make the patio flush with the new coping.
We’re happy to do that.
But we can’t simply raise one row of pavers.
To create a smooth, safe transition, we often need to remove several rows and gradually feather the elevation back into the existing patio.
Sometimes it’s three rows.
Sometimes it’s much more.
Depending on how much settlement has occurred, it can become a substantial reconstruction project instead of a simple repair.
The good news?
It can absolutely be done.
It just requires additional labor, materials, and planning.
A Simple Conversation Can Save You Money
If you’re planning a pool renovation and know you’ll be restoring your pavers afterward, have a conversation with your pool contractor before the project begins.
Let them know the pavers will eventually need to be professionally reset and restored.
A little extra care during the coping installation can save hours of labor later and help protect your investment.
When every contractor understands the complete project from the beginning, the finished result is almost always better—and often less expensive—for the homeowner.
The Pool Robot Dilemma
Now for one of our biggest requests.
Please…
Leave the pool robot out until we’re finished.
Seriously.
We know it’s tempting.
We even understand why.
You see sand in the pool and naturally want to clean it immediately.
But here’s what happens.
During sanding and sealing, the robot constantly climbs the walls and sprays water onto freshly sanded pavers.
Those wet pavers can’t be sealed.
So instead of finishing your project, we’re waiting for everything to dry again.
We’ve actually removed robots from pools, cleaned them, unplugged them, and set them safely on the lawn—only to come back the next morning and find them happily swimming laps again.
We always laugh because it happens more often than you’d think.
Give us a day or two.
Once we’re finished, your robot can go back to work, and trust us—it’ll have plenty to do.
The Things Nobody Thinks About
Pool restoration projects affect more than just the pavers.
You may need to temporarily move:
- Patio furniture
- Umbrellas
- Grills
- Decorations
- Toys
- Planters
Your pool chemistry may need a little extra attention.
Your robot may need frequent filter cleanings.
And depending on the timing, you may not want to use your pool for a few days while everything settles and cures.
None of these are major problems.
They’re simply part of the process.
The better you plan, the smoother the project goes.
Why We Tell You All This
Could we simply show up, do the work, collect a check, and leave you to figure it out?
Sure.
But that’s not how we operate.
We believe homeowners deserve to know exactly what to expect before the first paver is ever cleaned.
Sometimes that means recommending you wait until a better time of year.
Sometimes it means explaining why a project will cost more than expected.
Sometimes it means telling you something another contractor never mentioned.
We’d rather have an honest conversation today than an uncomfortable one tomorrow.
The Bottom Line
Beautiful pool patios don’t happen by accident.
They happen because the project is planned correctly from beginning to end.
With the right timing, realistic expectations, and good communication between everyone involved, your paver restoration can be one of the best improvements you make to your backyard.
And if this blog saves even one homeowner from an unexpected expense—or helps them schedule their project at a better time—it was worth writing.
Ready to Restore Your Pool Patio?
If you’re planning paver restoration, pressure washing, sanding, or sealing around your swimming pool, we’d be happy to walk you through the timing, process, and expectations before you schedule.
A little planning now can save a lot of frustration later.
⭐ Trusted by more than 150 Google Reviews
📞 Call or Text: 484-424-5200
🌐 thepressurewashcompany.com
📘 Follow The Pressure Wash Company on Facebook
PA HIC #203240
