Commercial and residential pools can be wildly different from each other. Not only in usage and purpose, but even in design and construction. That includes the pool deck, an important feature of any pool.
There are special considerations to take in when designing a pool deck and installing pool decking for a commercial pool. We break down everything you need to know about commercial pool decking.
What is Pool Decking?
Making the decision to construct and install a commercial swimming pool is a big one to make. It involves a great deal of planning and cost-benefit analysis, even when just considering the pool deck.
Pool decking is different from the pool coping. Coping refers to the material that borders the pool and serves as a barrier for the water in the pool. It is normally around 12 inches wide. On the other hand, pool decking refers to the area that surrounds the pool and serves as the space to furnish the poolside and the opportunity to create a unique and distinct poolscape for your commercial pool.
What Should be Considered for a Commercial Pool Deck?
1. A pool deck can become extremely hot
If you’re designing an outdoor commercial pool, you should know that pool decks can become very hot during the high points of the day. This is because some pool deck materials are more susceptible to absorbing heat than others.
This problem can be mitigated by the installation of texture on your concrete pool deck like a classic knockdown finish. This is because a mottled texture on your pool deck creates a slightly uneven surface that does not become as hot as a perfectly smooth pool deck. The texture will also help with slip resistance and can therefore create a safe pool experience for everyone using it.
2. Color plays a role
When it comes to designing your pool deck, color plays an important role. Not only does it affect the overall appearance of your pool deck, but it can also help reflect light (and therefore heat). The kind of paint or concrete stain used can also help avoid unwanted stains on your deck.
If you’re concerned about heat, light colors are perfect for pool decks. They reflect heat away from the pool deck and are extremely attractive as a minimal approach to pool decking.
3. Lighting and irrigation need to be solved first
Pool decking is an extremely exciting phase of pool design and construction. It’s tempting to jump right into choosing the kind of material you want, but you will need to consider technical aspects of the deck first.
For example, if you have a complex lighting plan you want for your deck like built-in lights, you will need to hire an electrician to set the wiring up first before you can put a deck on top to decorate. In the same vein, if you plan on creating a green wonderland around your commercial pool, you may want to build in an irrigation system first to avoid the problem of manually watering every plant on the deck.
4. Concrete can do (almost) anything
When it comes to cost, concrete wins every time. It’s affordable, durable, and has great customizability. That means that when you’re considering what kind of material you want for your deck – wood, stone, tile, or concrete – remember that concrete stamping techniques mean that you can get practically any material you want for a fraction of the cost.
Concrete “wood”, “stone”, or “tile” will look just like the real thing – but it’ll have the cost and the benefits of a concrete pool deck.
