Pool Deck Repair Versus Replacement: The Better Option For Your Budget
The pool areas in our Arizona homes provide an ideal location for relaxing, recreation, family fun, and entertaining. Were fortunate that our climate allows us to enjoy them longer for the year than most places.
The deck surrounding the pool deck creates the look and style of the area so keeping up its appearance assures continued enjoyment of the pool. If your pool deck needs attention, there are two ways to make it more structurally sound and visually appealing. The first is to completely replace it the second is to repair it. There are a number of factors to be considered when deciding the best approach to meet your needs.
Other Pool Deck Repairs
Besides the common problems of cracking, spalling, and discolorations, other problems can occur in pool decking and can be addressed in a variety of ways. Preventative measures can also be helpful!
- Sinking Concrete If your concrete is sinking, rather than completely resurfacing it, you can hire a professional to do a process called slab jacking. Slab jacking is when they drill holes into the concrete and pump extra grout under it until it reaches its desired height. Afterward, they fill back in the drill holes. The base price for such a procedure would be 300 dollars.
- Preventative Measures If your pool deck is experiencing minor hairline cracks. simply resealing the entire surface will help prevent further damage. To know if your sealant is still doing its job, pour water on it and watch for the concrete to absorb the water, or for it to stay on top. If the concrete absorbs it, you will need to reseal the concrete.
- Sealant Failure Just as mentioned above, test your sealant and if it needs a new coat, add one to prevent cracks and other problems. You may need to strip the previous sealer, even it is not working, before you apply a new one.
- Slipperiness If your concrete pool decking is fine other than the occasional slipperiness, add a grit additive to your sealer to add more traction to the concrete. This can help prevent pool-goers from falling, especially when the ground is wet.
The Most Common Types Of Cracks In Pool Decks
Unattended damage can lead to larger issues with in-ground pools, so you want to know what type of deck cracking youre dealing with to decide if its repairable or not:
- Expansion joint issues: The concrete pool deck expands and contracts as temperatures rise and fall. Expansion joints are ideally filled and smoothed with a coating of special polymer grout or colored concrete overlay to prevent water from seeping in.
- Torn or broken tile: Improperly installed tiles can crack and tear or break away from the rest of the deck.
- Exfoliating: Older decks tend to have spiderweb-like cracks caused by excessive calcium leaching out of the concrete, causing the surface layer to flake off.
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Extreme Makeover: Pool Deck Edition
Aside from maintenance and fixes, resurfacing your pool deck offers one more benefit: beautification. Maybe youre tired of your bland, gray concrete deck and you want something a little more colorful and contemporary.
This is where complete pool deck resurfacing comes in. Unless youre a mason or a hardcore DIYer, youll want a professional to handle it. Its usually a fairly inexpensive process.
The professional mason will apply a thin layer of concrete around the entire perimeter of your pool either with a trowel or a special sprayer. Any cracks or other minor damage will be repaired at this time.
You can add any color you like to the concrete, whether its a warm tan to make your pool look like a desert oasis, or a sparkling aqua reminiscent of the ocean. You can even match the exterior of your home, if you like. The possibilities are endless.
And its not just about color. You or your pro can add flair like intricate scrollwork or a brick pattern. You may even be able to have the concrete deck look like a wood deck, so you get the rich and rugged look of wood without the splinters and regular staining.
Dont feel like youre stuck with a plain pool deck just because its made from immovable concrete. With a little imagination and elbow grease , you can have a gorgeously resurfaced pool deck in a weekends time.
How To Repair A Pebble Pool Deck
Pool deck repair is needed immediately once fissures and cracks are visible in your pool. Cracks in the pool deck are necessary to be fixed because it affects the total appearance of the pool as well as the safety of its users.
Summer is about to come and enjoying your pool during these hot days is totally unavoidable. That is why you need to fix its cracks and repair its pebble pool deck at once, and dont let your kids swimming enjoyment be delayed by these simple pool concerns.
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Step : Broom Finish Texture
As soon as you trowel or squeegee the resurfacer to an area about a couple broom widths wide, drag your broom across the surface to give your pool patio a new texture.
Don’t wait to broom it, the material drys fairly quickly. Do a small section and broom it, then do another small section and broom it. It helps to have help like I do in the picture, then you can just keep moving, slowly from one end to the other.
Seal All Of The Open Concrete Joints
Water that is allowed to puddle on the pool deck or coping area may need to be diverted and all joints should be sealed so that water cannot penetrate into the soil around or near the pool. Although this does not appear that important, if left un-maintained it can lead to problems.
This is especially true in areas that have expansive soils, which a large part of the nation has. When expansive soils get wet, they expand, which generates a lot of pressure on the pools coping and deck area, causing cracks and damage. Therefore it is a good maintenance practice to keep the coping maintained and sealed.
Another concern is that the area around or even under the pool may have some loose fill dirt. When this dirt get wet it may settle some, which in-turn may cause the pool to move or shift do to the fill dirt getting wet. This movement may occasionally cause under ground pipes to crack or separate, resulting in more damage.
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How Pool Deck Resurfacing Makes Your Life Easier
Aside from the fact that cracked concrete looks a little shabby, too many cracks can make your pool area extremely dangerous for your swimmers and your wallet.
Sharp concrete edges arent exactly friendly to bare feet. And even a light fall on concrete while wearing a swimsuit can mean more than just skinned knees.
Then theres the financial danger of poorly maintained concrete. When water seeps into unattended cracks, it can end up collecting behind the walls of your pool. Too much water can shift the soil and damage the structure, cracking your liner and causing a pool leak.
We probably dont need to remind you how expensive that can be, but were going to anyway.
- Finding a leak yourself costs nothing. But if you cant find it, youll spend a few hundred dollars for a pro to find and repair the leak.
- Having a professional do a vinyl patch job can cost a couple hundred dollars.
- Replacing an entire vinyl liner can cost more than a thousand dollars.
- Repairing your concrete foundation can run about $65 per linear foot, depending on what type of liner you have and where you live.
- Filling in hollow spots behind your concrete foundation can cost between several hundred and more than a thousand dollars depending on the size of your pool.
So you see how a few seemingly innocuous cracks can lead to expensive pool repairs. But you can avoid those repairs by resurfacing your pool deck and then keeping up with regular concrete maintenance.
Step : Protect It With Sealer
Apply a concrete sealer like RadonSeal deep penetrating concrete sealer. You can watch me in the video below to learn how to apply it.
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Hi, I am Mike Day, owner of Days Concrete Floors, Inc. in Maine, where I’ve been working with concrete for 40 years now, and this website is where I can share with you all the knowledge and wisdom I’ve gained from installing all kinds of decorative concrete, concrete floors, concrete overlays, stained concrete and also fixing cracked or spalled concrete.
Theres a lot to cover, so if you have any questions, contact me!
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Keeping The Cracks Sealed Is Important
Keeping moisture from getting through any cracks in the concrete is an important part of pool deck maintenance.
The reason is that when water seeps through the cracks in the concrete from rain or water splashing out of the pool, then it penetrates through the cracks and gets into the soil under the concrete deck. When this happens, conditions will likely worsen over time there will be more cracking and any damage to the concrete deck will accelerate.
Cracked Or Shifted Pool Coping: Causes And What To Do
Home » Pools and Spas » Cracked or Shifted Pool Coping: Causes and What To Do
Coping at the pools edge serves several purposes and may crack or move at times. Coping serves as a top cap for the pools concrete bond beam and provides an architectural edge for the pool or spa. It may also serve as a small barrier to help keep water on the pools concrete deck from running back into the pool.
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How To Patch A Pool Deck
A swimming pool deck provides easy access to the pool for you and your family. Its roughened surface enables you to walk and play around the pool with less danger from slipping. If the pool deck cracks, water can seep behind the beam, a part of the pools integral structure. Excess moisture might cause the soil to shift to the point where it no longer supports the pools walls. No matter whether your pool deck is plain concrete or a polymer resin overlay, select a repair product that has enough elasticity in it to allow the pool deck the movement it needs. Make sure to choose one suitable for your pool deck material.
Get A Quote To Eliminate Swimming Pool Trip Hazards Today
Worried that your sinking swimming pool deck might be a tripping hazard? Clarke Basement Systems has successfully raised and restored hundreds of pool decks in Vaughan, Markham, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Oshawa, Richmond Hill, Barrie, Peterborough, Newmarket and throughout Ontario. Contact us today! We can answer any questions you have about concrete repair and provide you with a free estimate to repair your pool surround.
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How Do You Fix Sinking Concrete Around Your Pool
If your concrete surface is sinking, a contractor can use a technique called slabjacking to fix the problem. This option can prevent you having to remove your pool deck altogether.
The slabjacking process follows these steps:
Are You Ready For Your New Pool Deck
Pioneer Pools serves homes in Tucson and most Southern Arizona neighborhoods. If youd like to get a pool deck renovation estimate or wish to speak with a specialist, give us a call at 881-7031. If youre considering having your entire pool refinished, mention that as well. Its a lot smoother and cost effective to streamline both repairs. If you are not sure what you want, our professionals will provide all the information you need to make a decision that is right for you. Well be happy to give your family the pool theyve always dreamed of.
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The Homeowners Guide To Repairing Concrete Pool Decking
Having a concrete pool deck can be incredibly appealing and cost-effective, but do not forget that even the most expensive and cheap materials must be maintained to keep their durability and strength. Concrete pool decks can be remedied in a variety of ways.
Common problems for concrete pool decking are cracking, spalling, or discoloration. Options for solving these common problems range from small caulking jobs to total resurfacing. Fixing the problem will require an analysis of the situation and the proper tools.
While common problems can be fixed easily, we will discuss the repairs for simple things, all the way to complete resurfacing. Either way, concrete can be renewed through the following techniques and with the help of professionals.
If you need to replace the entire pool deck, heres the average cost to install concrete around your pool.
Resurfacing A Concrete Pool Deck
If the repairs are not giving you the desired result, or the problems go beyond these simple fixes, resurfacing the concrete would be a good option. Resurfacing allows for a new overall look of your concrete and is simply put as adding another layer of concrete on top of the existing slab. When doing this, you can also change the color or texture of your concrete and add in more preventative measures and texture. Resurfacing decks take about 5 steps.
This does not have to be done yourself though, and a concrete professional would be able to help.
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What Is Pool Coping
A pool copinggives a protective cover on the top of the sidewalls of a pool, and also defines a border by being on the edge of the pool deck structure.
Why Do You Need Pool Coping?
- The prime purpose of a pool coping is to return splashes of water back to the pool.
- Pool coping also prevents water seepage into the base of the deck.
- The smart design of a pool coping can stop the entry of dirt, debris, and fallen leaves into the pool.
- It can also give a grip to swimmers, making it easier for them to hang out in the pool.
- Well-designed pool coping can act as a diving point to facilitate swimmers to experiment with different diving postures.
- Anti-skid surfaces of a pool coping cut the risks of slipping for swimmers while walking or diving.
- As a structural element of the pool, the pool coping can act as a retention cap over pool siding/side walls beneath.
How To Fix Cracks In Your Concrete Pool Deck
If you need to fix a crack in your concrete, you can either patch or fill it.
In order to fill a crack, follow these steps:
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Causes Of A Sinking Concrete Pool Deck
Many concrete pool decks are prone to settling because of the pool construction process. The backfill soil that’s added around the pool excavation will not be as dense or well-compacted as the undisturbed soil. When a heavy concrete slab is poured around the pool, loose soil will often compress under the slab’s weight, causing sections of the concrete to sink or settle.
Why Should You Go For Pool Coping Repair
We know the major components of a typical swimming pool. Decks pool coping, and siding walls are made of construction material like natural stones.
- Heat expands the material in construction.
- Reversely, cold constricts.
- Such cold-heat cycles can weaken the grouts and cause cracks gradually.
- A difference in temperature always occurs between the top and base ground areas.
- Rainwater can enhance damages further by direct penetration and growing molds or bacteria-like living organisms in fissures, cracks, opening, and grouts.
Water Seepage behind Pool Siding:
With the pace of time, the bonds between bricks, tiles, or stone slabs on the surface of the side walls are weakening. Similarly, concrete fill also becomes porous due to continuous wear & tear by pool water and external environmental factors like weathering.
These all factors are resulting in water seepage from pool water to the adjoining ground through the structure of the sidewall. Any damage caused needs quick attention in order to prevent further seepage, and pool coping repair can easily solve it.
Water Intrusion Underneath Pool Coping:
As discussed earlier, weathering impacts can weaken the pool coping layer on the top of the ground and sidewalls. Cracks, fissures, and grout opening can let seepage of the water beneath the collection copping layer.
Water Penetration Underneath Mastic :
Water Leakage Due to Weak Sealing or Coating of Pool Coping:
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