Pool Deck Maintenance: How to Prepare Your Pool Deck for Summer

A refreshing dip in a cool home swimming pool is something most pool-owners dream of after cold winter and chilly spring. However, preparation of a pool for the season and swimming pool deck maintenance are not that cheerful. You can either hire a professional to do it for you or do it all yourself. The latter can cut down on costs, that is why we decided to share with you in this article some pieces of advice on how to clean a pool and its deck properly.

Clean the Pool and Water

Firstly, you should add some chemicals such as chlorine to the water. You may also need to use an algaecide and stabilizer. After it, take out all the leaves from the pool. Brush its bottom and sides. It is recommended to have the pump on as you scrub because all the debris will go into a filter and thus the water will be cleaned. But remember that the filtration system needs preparation for reactivation too. You’ll have to make sure all the filtration baskets and the main filter are clean. And finally, vacuum the pool to remove the rest of the debris and leaves.

It is also necessary to test the level of chemicals in your pool’s water after you have backwashed the filter. Use special test kits and follow the instructions on them so as not to put too much chlorine into the water. Also, it is highly recommended to test the level of salt in your swimming pool. You can do it with a salt test strip to make sure you add a perfect amount of salt.

Clean the Pool Deck

You should take into account that the pool deck maintenance depends on what material a deck is made of. Usually, it is composite, vinyl wood, concrete, or tile. One thing that remains the same is that you’d better remove all the unnecessary things from a deck and sweep it before cleaning.

Concrete Pool Deck

Rinse the deck with a hose to wash away any debris or dirt. Then you can clean a deck with a brush and water-mild detergent mix or a water-bleach mix liquid.

Stone or Paver Pool Deck

Let’s look at another material for a pool deck. Pavers’ maintenance is very simple, just as stone’s. You’ll have to add chlorine bleach to water and use a brush or a mop to clean the deck.

Wooden Pool Deck

Wooden decks require a bit more maintenance than the ones made of other materials. Use a paint roller to spread the cleanser over the surface and scrub it quickly until the cleaner goes dry. Leave it for some time and rinse the cleaner away. Then let the deck dry for at least a day.

Composite Pool Deck

Use a soft brush and a special detergent to clean a composite pool deck - its maintenance is straightforward. By the way, if you haven’t finished the building of a pool yet and you wonder how to keep your pool deck cool, setting a choice on composite as a material for it is a great option.

Vinyl Pool Deck

You’ll need to wet the surface with a hose or a bucket. Leave it for some minutes and dissolve dish soap in the water. Afterwards, scrub the deck with this mixture and a hard brush. In a few minutes, rinse the deck.

Removing Dirt, Discoloration and Stains

You should remove dirt from a pool deck on a regular basis. If you don’t, it will increase the likelihood of stains’ development. They can also appear because of metal outdoor furniture such as a grill. Not cleaning spots left by food and drinks can also cause stains. Fortunately, tri-sodium phosphate or muriatic acid will help you solve this problem and make the surface of your deck perfectly tidy. You can buy these substances at most DIY stores and home goods. Stick to the instructions when you use these chemicals and remember that leaving them for too long won’t have a better effect.

Discoloration is another problem that can occur when it comes to a pool deck. To treat it you can use an anti-discoloration solution. Apply it to a mop or a brush and scrub the deck. Then soak a mop with water and get rid of detergent’s traces.

Staining the Deck

Staining your deck will give your pool a fresh look in an instant. But only if you do it right. Not to make a deck an eyesore, follow some easy steps.

• Clean the deck.
• Fill in the cracks if necessary.
• Seal the surface to make the paint stick to it better.
• Prepare paint suitable for the material your deck is made of.
• Apply two coats of paint. Before applying the second coat the first must dry for 24 h at least.
• Pay special attention to corners and edges.
• Seal the deck again to give it a more smooth and shiny look.

Sealing the Deck

When it comes to a pool deck, cleaning and sealing might be the best ways to elevate its aesthetics. If you decided to do it, mind that the deck must be absolutely dry and there should be no immediate rain in the weather forecast. Measure the surface to define how much sealant you’ll need to buy. When you have purchased it, apply a sealant to your deck twice with an interval of 5-10 minutes. It will take about 8 hours for the surface to dry after sealing.

Conclusion

You may have already realized that preparing a swimming pool for summer is not difficult, but you’d better not postpone this task until the last day and not wait until the first warm weekend kicks in.