Pool Deck Staining in Oklahoma City

Why pool decks lean toward lighter colours

Bare feet are the main test of a pool deck. Dark concrete absorbs more of the sun’s energy than light concrete, so a deep brown or charcoal deck can get uncomfortably hot by mid-afternoon in July. Most pool decks are stained in sand, buff, light tan or soft grey for that reason. A lighter tone also hides the chalky film that pool water leaves behind as it dries. If you want a richer look, a darker accent band around the coping or along the edges keeps the walking areas cooler.

Water-based stains are common on decks because they give an even, light colour. Acid stain can work on bare concrete too, but it tends to produce darker, mottled earth tones.

Grip comes from the sealer

Stain does not change how slippery concrete is. The sealer does. A glossy film over smooth concrete can be slick when wet, so pool deck sealers are usually mixed with a slip-resistant additive. This is a fine grit, often a polymer bead or aluminum oxide, stirred into the final coat or broadcast onto it while it is wet. The amount is a trade-off. More grit means better traction but a rougher feel and a deck that is harder to sweep. A matte or low-sheen sealer also helps, since it shows fewer scuffs and reflects less glare.

Chlorine and salt-water pools

Splash-out is constant around a pool. Chlorinated water can slowly lighten some stains and soften some sealers, which is why the zone right next to the water often fades first. Salt-water pools add another issue. As splashed water evaporates it leaves salt in the surface pores, and repeated wetting and drying can lead to scaling, where thin flakes of the surface pop off. A breathable penetrating sealer, or a well-maintained film sealer, keeps salt water from soaking in. Rinsing the deck with a hose now and then also helps.

Cool-deck and other existing coatings

Many older pools have a cool-deck finish, a textured knockdown coating trowelled over the concrete to keep it cooler underfoot. Others have a spray-on acrylic texture or a painted surface. Acid stain needs bare concrete to react with, so it does nothing useful over these finishes. A textured coating in good shape can usually be refreshed with a water-based stain or a recolouring product made for coatings, then sealed. If the coating is peeling or hollow-sounding, it has to come off first, and the concrete underneath may need repair.

Large decks on older lots

Pool decks are a big share of the work in Nichols Hills, a 1929 planned town where many of the large single-family homes have pools and newer rebuilds sit beside original 1930s to 1950s concrete. Matching a new section to old concrete is mostly a colour exercise, since the two take stain differently. Testing a small area first is standard practice. The same deck often runs onto a patio, covered under patio staining.

What sets the schedule? The deck area, any existing coating that has to come off, the stain colour, and how long the sealer needs before the pool area is used again.

Common questions