A beautiful pool is one that is bordered by a beautiful deck or poolside area. Located around the pool, the pool deck is a space designed to bring life to an environment that is both pleasant, welcoming, and safe. However, to combine aesthetics with safety, it is essential to arrange your deck correctly and use suitable materials.
Whether for a new project or a renovation, we provide you with all the tips you need to implement and build a deck around a pool.
Things to Know Before Choosing Your Poolside Area
Before setting up a deck around your pool, it’s crucial to understand its purpose and the factors to consider when selecting it. Indeed, the pool deck is one of the main elements of a landscape design around a pool.
The Purpose of the Poolside Area
The pool deck, also known as a poolside area, is a space arranged around the coping stones. You should install it for numerous reasons, especially to enjoy more comfort. Indeed, the poolside area allows you to move easily and freely around the pool. It is generally equipped with loungers or a garden set to allow the family to gather for a meal or have fun together.
Additionally, the poolside area keeps the pool clean, as it acts as a barrier between the grass and the pool. This way, by walking on the deck before diving into the pool, grass won't end up in the water, as it stays on the ground. Besides that, the poolside area helps manage runoff by preventing rainwater from flowing into the pool.
Furthermore, the deck ensures your safety, as it is a flat, non-slip surface that prevents slips. Finally, the poolside area adds style to your outdoor space. It can be customized according to your preferences.
Criteria for Choosing a Poolside Area
Now that you know more about a pool deck, it’s crucial also to be aware of the factors you should consider to make the right choice. When selecting your poolside area, you need to consider the price, the type of landscape design you desire, the type of pool, the type of pool house if you have one, and the type of terrain. It is also recommended to consider the non-slip aspect of the deck to prevent accidents.
The Different Types of Pool Decks
There are various materials available for creating a secure space. You can choose the one that suits your aesthetic preferences. Here are the different types of poolside areas you can install at home.
1- Wooden Pool Deck
Wood is a highly appreciated material for setting up a poolside area. It offers the possibility of adapting its "natural" aspect to a variety of color and aesthetic preferences. It's easy to find decoration ideas around your pool that will match perfectly with the wood of your deck. Additionally, it is very easy to install. Although wood has many advantages, it also has drawbacks.
- Advantages: Wood brings a natural feel to the pool area. Additionally, its various types can cater to all tastes.
- Drawbacks: This material requires regular maintenance to preserve its quality and beauty. It can also cause splinters, as it can break into sharp fragments.
Learn more about wooden pool decks in our dedicated article, as well as above ground pool decks.
2- Tiled Pool Deck
Stars of pool decks since time immemorial, tiles come in a variety of colors and shapes. You can get a customized poolside area with this material using straight or diagonal layout solutions, for example.
- Advantages: Although tiles are the stars of poolside areas, they suit all budgets and are easy to maintain. They are even available in various colors and shapes.
- Drawbacks: Despite its advantages, pool deck tiling does not handle impacts well and can be slippery, especially when it is very smooth.
3- Stone Poolside Area
If you want to enjoy your patio for as long as possible, opt for a natural stone poolside area. Offering several shades such as pink granite or slate gray, natural stone is less fragile than tiles. While it has notable advantages, it also has some minor drawbacks.
- Advantages: Natural stone has a long lifespan and is easy to maintain. It allows you to choose a color to match your taste.
- Drawbacks: When dark, natural stone can get excessively hot. Make sure to choose your stone type wisely. If it’s too smooth, the stone needs to be treated with a non-slip solution.
4- Concrete Pool Deck
Widely used for creating pool decks, concrete is a material that allows for customizable paving. In terms of décor, it can offer an aesthetic finish when colored, printed, or stamped. However, before choosing a concrete pool deck, it is essential to know its pros and cons:
- Advantages: When it comes to décor, concrete offers many customization options. Additionally, you can use this material alone to set up your poolside area.
- Drawbacks: Laying a concrete deck is not always straightforward. Moreover, you must add resin to protect this material. Finally, the budget for its construction is often variable and depends on the region you live in, the type of concrete, and the exterior setup.
5- Grass or Turf Poolside Area
If you want a natural corner around your pool, turf is the ideal material. It's best if it's synthetic since it doesn’t require much maintenance compared to natural grass, which risks dirtying the water during mowing. Like other materials, synthetic turf has both pros and cons.
- Advantages: The turf poolside area is easy to set up and gives a "green and nature" look to the pool.
- Drawbacks: However, a turf pool deck can deteriorate quickly if not of good quality. Moreover, this material easily attracts dirt, complicating its maintenance.
6- Composite Pool Deck
Designed to help you avoid the splinters of natural wood, the composite poolside area is a wood flour combined with resin. This material presents all the visual aspects of wood but doesn’t require the regular and essential maintenance that natural wood does.
- Advantages: With composite, you’ll have a wooden-look pool deck without using wood. Easy maintenance is also one of the material's benefits.
- Drawback: Unlike other materials, composite has fewer drawbacks. However, some composites can have a plastic appearance.
7- Mobile Pool Deck
A trendy new concept in pool setup, the mobile pool deck, also known as a sliding deck, serves both as a safety cover and an outdoor deck. It moves similarly to a gate. The operation of the mobile deck is based on a rail system installed around a pool.
- Advantages: The mobile deck is an excellent protection against bad weather. It keeps your water clean and allows it to maintain its temperature longer. The movable deck limits water evaporation and acts as a safety feature, as it's inaccessible once closed.
- Drawbacks: Depending on the type of poolside area chosen, professional installation is necessary. Additionally, its price per square meter is high. Adequate space is required between the pool to open the sliding deck.
When to Build Your Poolside Area?
Building a pool deck takes into account the materials as well as the seasons of the year. Thus, if you opt for a concrete slab, it's preferable not to proceed with its construction in winter, especially in regions where temperatures drop too low, as this type of work is typically conducted at temperatures between 41°F and 77°F. Additionally, pool deck construction won't be feasible during extremely hot summers.
On the other hand, for a wooden poolside area, it's advisable to avoid rainy seasons as wooden coatings don’t like humidity. However, tiles and stone are more resistant to water than to cold.
In addition to materials, weather conditions, and temperatures, building a poolside area also depends on obtaining a permit. Indeed, installing a pool deck of more than 215 square feet and/or 24 inches in height requires a permit. Therefore, you should build your poolside area after obtaining it.
Finding the Right Company to Install Your Pool Deck
While it's possible to install a pool deck yourself, it is preferable to seek the expertise of a professional. However, hiring a specialized company represents an additional cost due to the investment involved in building the deck.
Nonetheless, this factor shouldn't stop you from seeking professional expertise. The professional is experienced in this type of installation. They can advise you on the choice of coating. Additionally, a company specializing in pool deck installation can provide a construction adapted to water exposure and covered by insurance while adhering to construction rules.
To find the right company to handle your pool setup, you just need to get an estimate to assess the budget of your future poolside area.
Here are all the essential details to know about setting up and building a pool deck. We hope you now have more insights on how to have a poolside area built at home. For those looking to decorate their outdoors in an original way, discover all our pool floats:
