Pool Decks in Ocala, FL

Pool decks take more abuse than almost any other concrete at a Florida home. They sit in full sun, get soaked with pool water and rain, and carry bare feet that notice every hot spot and rough edge. Ocala's summers are long. Wikipedia's climate table shows average highs of 88.9 degrees in May through 89.5 in September, with July and August averaging 92. The deck has to handle that from spring through fall. We build new concrete pool decks, tear out and replace failed ones, and resurface decks that are sound underneath but worn on top.

Signs your pool deck needs work

• Cracks across the deck, especially ones that have opened or shifted
• Sections that have sunk so water pools instead of reaching the drain
• A gap opening between the deck and the pool coping
• Rough, flaking or worn spots that scrape feet
• Old coatings that are peeling or faded
• A deck that gets too hot to walk on

Settled sections are common around older pools. The soil around a pool is backfill, and if it was not compacted well when the pool went in, the deck above it can sink years later.

Replace, resurface or level?

Resurfacing works when the slab is solid and the problem is on top: wear, stains, small cracks or a faded coating. A cement-based overlay or a cool-deck coating goes over the old concrete. HomeGuide lists basic pool deck resurfacing at $3 to $6 per square foot.

Leveling can lift a sunken section back into place if the slab is otherwise in one piece. HomeGuide lists mudjacking a 400 square foot pool deck at $1,600 to $3,600.

Replacement is the answer when the deck is broken into pieces, badly out of level or pulling away from the pool. The old deck comes out, the backfill is compacted, and a new deck is poured.

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What goes into a new pool deck

Base. The backfill around the pool is compacted in layers. This is the step that decides whether the deck will settle.

Slope and drains. The deck slopes away from the pool toward the yard or toward deck drains, so pool water and rain do not run back into the pool or pond in low spots. With 13 to 18 rainy days a month in Ocala's summer, this matters.

Forms and reinforcement. Reinforcement and joint layout are planned around the pool shape, steps and any screen enclosure footings.

Expansion joint at the coping. The deck and the pool move differently. A flexible joint between them keeps one from cracking the other.

Finish. Broom, a light texture, stamped or a cool-deck coating. Every option needs grip for wet feet.

Keeping the deck cooler

Light colors reflect more sun than dark ones, and textured coatings stay cooler than smooth sealed concrete. HomeGuide's pool deck resurfacing guide describes cool-deck coatings as a non-slip finish that helps lower surface temperatures. If the pool is not under a screen roof, a cooler finish is worth considering. Stamped decks in light colors work too, with a non-slip grit in the sealer.

Screen enclosures and permits

Many Florida pools sit under a screen enclosure, and its frame usually rests on a thickened edge of the deck. If your enclosure is staying, we work around its footings. If it is being replaced, plan the deck and enclosure together. Pool and enclosure work often needs a permit. We check what your address in the City of Ocala or Marion County requires.

Care

Rinse the deck regularly to clear chlorine and salt residue. Reseal sealed and stamped decks every few years. Keep the expansion joint at the coping in good shape, because water that gets under the deck there washes out the base.