One of the greatest pleasures on a warm or hot day is relaxing by your pool. It's a great family event for kids and adults. There are many types of pools to choose from. Since it is only hot for a few months of the year, you may want to put up an above ground pool. These pools are less expensive than built in pools, and need to be taken down or covered every fall.
If you choose a built in pool, then you will need pool decking. There are several kinds of pool decks to choose from. You can use wood, concrete, brick, tile or decorative concrete. Stamped Decorative Concrete can be made to look like tile, brick, pavers and various other sizes and shapes.
If your choice is Decorative Concrete, you have made an excellent choice. If you are a do it yourselfer, this job may be harder than you anticipated. You may want to consider hiring a contractor to do the work. If you own a construction and building materials online company, this may be an easy task for you. To the rest of us, there is the cost of concrete, labor, time and the season of the year. There are issues laying concrete when the weather is too cold or too hot. Your concrete might freeze if you do your project in the winter. The concrete might dry too quickly if it is too hot outside.
- Laying concrete starts with sub base preparation, using 2-4 inches of stone or base material. This has to be done perfectly, taking slope and low spots into consideration. Any low spots that are not addressed will turn into puddles when it rains. This is one of the most important parts of the project. A good foundation is the base of success.
- The next step is mixing and pouring the concrete. Concrete is very heavy, 150 lbs. per cubic foot. Unless you work for a construction company, it is backbreaking work trying to do this project yourself. Concrete has to be purchased, taken to your home in a pick up or U-Haul, taken out of the truck and carried by hand or wheelbarrow to your work site. Not a fun way to spend your weekend! The concrete has to be mixed and poured right away since concrete can harden quickly. Unless this is really your passion, it is best to leave this job to a professional Concrete Contractor. They have the tools, knowhow, labor and machinery to make this happen for you. This is not a project that you want to mess up, it's difficult to redo. You will be spending a lot of time on your new pool deck, so it's so important to do it right the first time.
- One of the best reasons to choose concrete pool deck is affordability. Concrete can be designed to look like flagstone, pavers or brick without the price tag. You can keep it simple or go as extravagant as you desire. Concrete will also last a long time since it is a durable material. Concrete can withstand the heat, cold, rain and snow. If you do experience some cracking, concrete is not too difficult to repair by a professional. Wood decks can fade and disintegrate with time and the elements. Your pool is a major investment, so make sure that your choice for pool decking is the right one. One fine day in the spring you will be putting out the deck furniture, firing up the BBQ and enjoying warm summer days at your pool on your new deck.
