Pool Deck Resurfacing in Orlando

What resurfacing can and cannot fix

Resurfacing puts a new top layer on the existing concrete deck around the pool. It covers stains, faded paint, worn texture and small cracks, and changes the color and feel of the whole area. It does not fix the slab under it. An overlay bonds to the concrete that is already there, so a slab that has settled, heaved, broken into pieces or developed wide cracks has to be repaired or replaced first. As a rough guide, hairline and narrow cracks can be routed and filled; cracks that are wider than about a quarter inch, or where one side is higher than the other, point to movement below the surface.

Options common on Florida pool decks

• Acrylic spray texture (knockdown). A bonding primer, then a cement-acrylic texture coat sprayed on and flattened with a trowel, then a sealer. Its light color and texture make it cooler and less slippery underfoot than smooth concrete, which is why it is so widely used on Florida pool decks.
• Stamped overlay. A thicker cement overlay pressed with patterns of stone, brick or wood. It needs a slip-resistant additive in the sealer, since a smooth sealed stamp can be slick when wet.
• Microtopping. A very thin coat for recoloring a deck whose texture is still good.
• Pavers over the slab. Thin pavers or travertine set over sound concrete, raising the deck height slightly. Door thresholds and the height of the pool edge have to allow for it.

Heat, water and the pool edge

Florida sun makes deck temperature a real choice: dark colors and smooth, dense surfaces get uncomfortably hot, and lighter textured coatings stay cooler. Rain has to run away from the pool and away from the house, so any low spots that hold water are corrected before the coating goes on. The joint where the deck meets the coping is a movement joint; a coating run straight across it tends to crack along the pool edge, so it is kept open and sealed with a flexible joint compound instead. If that edge is already broken, new coping is set first.

Upkeep after the new surface

Coated decks are resealed periodically to keep the color and the grip; how often depends on sun, foot traffic and pool chemicals splashing out. Leaf stains and rust from furniture feet are easier to lift from a sealed surface. If the interior of the pool is also due, schedule the new finish inside the pool before the deck, so hoses and equipment do not cross fresh coating.

What sets the schedule? The deck area, how many cracks and low spots need repair first, the system chosen and its coats, drying time between coats in Florida humidity, and afternoon rain in the wet season.

Frequently asked questions