Decorative concrete allows you to choose any shape, size, colour, and surface treatment for your deck, including basic broom-finished concrete, exposed aggregate, and imprinted patterns that resemble tile, brick, natural stone, and even wood. You can also mix and combine decorative treatments, such as staining concrete with a stencilled or imprinted border or adding sawcut or engraved designs to a coloured overlay. In addition, your concrete pool deck can be designed to blend in with the outer facade of your house and the surrounding landscape, or it can be the primary focus of your backyard.

Stamped Concrete

Stamped concrete is an excellent alternative for pool decks that resemble natural slate, flagstone, or brick. Stamped concrete resembles actual stone but is easier to install and maintain when tinted with stains or dry-shake colour hardeners. Other creative surface treatments, including exposed aggregate, broom finishes, and borders, can be used with stamped concrete.

Coloured Concrete

Chemical stains, integral colour, and dry-shake hardeners are the most used to colour concrete pool decks and other external concrete. Stamped concrete and colouring go hand in hand, allowing you to perfectly mimic the colours of real stone or any other material. Lighter colours are trendy for pool decks since they reflect UV rays and keep the surface cooler.

Stencilled Concrete

Stencilling a concrete pool deck is an excellent alternative to decorative stamping and allows for the same artistic freedom. Rather than using rubber stamps, Stencilling employs disposable paper stencils to impart fresh concrete with brick or stone designs. You can get the look of individual stones or bricks that have been mortared together by applying a dry-shake colour hardener or stain to the exposed concrete before removing the stencil. Concrete stencils are available in various patterns, from running-bond brick to stone, slate, and tile.

Rock-Salt Concrete Finish

A rock salt coating is a low-cost, simple way to provide a plain or colourful concrete surface with a slight texture and slip resistance. It’s made by pushing rock salt grains into newly laid concrete with a float or roller, then washing them away. As a result, the concrete surface has a lovely speckled pattern that resembles slightly pitted, aged rock.

Exposed Aggregate

The aggregate in concrete is exposed, resulting in a pebble-like texture that is especially suitable for pool deck surfaces due to its great slippage resistance. When you use decorative aggregate in a variety of colours and sizes, the result can be appealing. Combining exposed aggregate finishes with areas of smooth concrete to generate fascinating contrast is a popular approach.

Brushed or Broomed Finish

A brushed or broomed finish will give your pool deck surface a slip-resistant texture. Running a broom over a freshly poured or newly coated concrete surface produces a brushed finish. Although this is a more basic design option, it does allow you to apply colours and stains to your surface properly.

A Few other Pool Deck Options

Concrete Pavers

Precast concrete pavers, like poured-in-place concrete, are an excellent choice for pool decks because they are robust, slip-resistant, and can mimic the look of natural stone or brick. Concrete pavers are also available in various colours, forms, and sizes, allowing you to develop design schemes that complement the shape and aesthetic of your pool.

Wood Decks

Because it doesn’t withstand severe pool chemicals and moisture, wood decking isn’t usually a good choice for in-ground pools. Tropical hardwoods, such as ipe or composite materials, can be employed, but they are often prohibitively expensive. You can stamp and colour concrete to seem like wood planking if you want that aesthetic. It will last longer, be easier to maintain, and be less susceptible to chemical, water, and UV radiation damage.

Tile and Brick

Pool deck surfaces have historically been made of brick and ceramic glazed tile. Because of its durability and completed appearance, tile is commonly used for pool copings. Brick is also an appealing and long-lasting material for pool borders and decks. However, “antique” bricks should be avoided in locations where freezing occurs, as this material is known to absorb water and spall or crack during the frozen winter months. Brick and tile can be slippery and hot to walk on. Another issue with these materials is their high price tag and time-consuming installation.

Travertine

The aesthetic of a travertine pool deck is elegant and Mediterranean. Over a sand and gravel base, these stones are laid out like pavers. By using stamps or special coatings, concrete can be utilized to achieve a similar effect at a far lower cost.

Flagstone

Flagstone, sometimes known as “bluestone,” has a sleek and traditional appearance. On the other hand, very sunny locations can quickly heat flagstone to unbearable temperatures, especially for young children.

Granite

Pool decking made of granite has a rustic appearance and is quite durable.

Final Note

In order to choose the best pool decking option, it is essential to plan things out ahead of time regarding the design, the material, the budget, the installation team, lifespan, etc. We highly encourage you to discuss your project with one of our landscaping specialists at PENTARM GROUP so that you can minimize your stress and choose the best choice.