My wife insisted the lanai be remodeled and with pavers. This meant going all over Sarasota and looking at brick, tile, colors, style, types, etc. Finally, she announced she had found the company, so she loaded me in the car and wheeled me into The Paving Crew where we went over our needs with Stephanie. They have a large outdoor showroom where you can see various styles and colors all laid out; and indoors you can discuss tiles and place your orders. Stephanie is a big help in explaining how it all works and offering suggestions that she feels will make for a better design. Everything was handled very quickly and efficiently by Stephanie and it was fortunate for us that as we were replacing the pool cage that the company we were using was one Stephanie knew, so she could coordinate the replacing of the cage and the new pavers. Hooray for me.
To get the ball rolling we had to write a check for half of the total cost which I did. And we were informed it would be a few weeks to get the pavers in the color we had ordered. In about a month we were called by our cage contractor that his crew would be arriving on Tuesday to start removing the cage and that two days later the pavers would arrive. We live in a community where any changes to anything have to be approved by the ARB (Architectural Review Board) before you do anything; I mean anything. And that process took almost a month (that included approval for replacing the pool cage also), so we were lucky that we had all our ducks in a row because when those pallets of pavers arrived and were placed in front of our house, we got a few looks.
Once the pavers were here the process began. The pool water was lowered and tarps were laid out to cover the remaining water. The first member of the Paving Crew was out there with a hand held concrete saw that must have weighed 40 pounds and probably more. He cut off all the old coping that surrounded the pool. Here is where you discover if you really get along with your neighbors. Regardless of ARB approval, the noise and sand blowing everywhere would test the patience of anyone. If you live in Florida, then you know that many houses lay check by jowl with the others. He used that saw to cut off the old coping and leave a smooth edge as the new coping would go on top.
Next, he laid out the design; and he had to cut the coping pieces to order individually so they would fit the design and cover the edges perfectly. I was mesmerized watching this artist handle the saw as it if weighed a few pounds and cutting precisely through concrete to get an even fit. His job took two days of working in high 90-degree weather with high humidity. He spoke Portuguese and my wife who speaks Spanish and French was able to have some discussion with him even if to just let him know if he needed anything to just ask. I'll be frank, as he cut through everything I feared he could easily cut off a foot or a hand but he made the incredibly difficult look possible. I can't say easy because that would not do his ability justice.
When his part was complete, the other members arrived and their job was no easier. Again pavers had to cut precisely to fit and the design we agreed upon and had to be laid out exactly or it just wouldn't look complete. This also was done in days of high heat and humidity. The crew showed up every morning and worked through the day. This was done professionally. If they were working at multiple locations, then they must have had multiple crews because there was no stopping until this project was completed. When we had questions, my wife either called Stephanie or emailed her, and she always replied to my wife's questions. At one point, one of the crew asked about the possibility of using some additional coping about the outside of the spa rather than the tiles we were going to use. My wife agreed that his suggestion was good and we went with it. It was a messy, loud, process that filled the air and coated everything with fine sand and concrete dust. So be prepared because if you are going for this, then you have to accept the resultant inconveniences. When the project was finished, the crew policed the area but there was a follow up crew member whose job it was to clean up anything left over in an attempt to insure everything looked presentable. This did not mean that afterwards my wife wasn't out there on a ladder cleaning all the dust off of the fan; or washing the windows to try and get the final fine grit that just sticks like the glue you wish you could find but can't. I'm sure that with a bit of time and some needed rain, mother nature will lend a hand. And in a month they need to return anyway to seal the pavers. Be sure I will let you know how that goes.
After we agreed that he job was to our satisfaction, my wife wrote out the second check to pay for the remainder of the bill.
We would recommend The Paving Crew without hesitation. read more