Atlanta Pool Deck Resurfacing: What to Expect Before Spring
Every spring, the same thing happens around Atlanta. The pool cover comes off, the water turns blue again, and the deck around it looks a little worse than it did last year. Maybe it's faded and chalky, or a crack has grown across the walkway. That's usually the moment people start looking into concrete pool deck resurfacing, and it's usually a few months later than it should be. Here's what the work involves, what to expect, and why the best time to call is when nobody is swimming.
Why winter is the time to plan a pool deck
Pool decks are seasonal work. People rarely redo a pool deck late in the year, and then everybody wants theirs done the minute it warms up.
Calling in the winter gives you room. You can get a quote, think it over, and pick a color without rushing. Weather matters more on a pool deck than on an indoor floor, so we leave some breathing room in the schedule instead of hurrying a coat of sealer ahead of rain. Starting early means a little rain doesn't push your deck into July.
What does resurfacing a concrete pool deck involve?
Resurfacing means we work with the deck you already have. There's no demolition and no new pour. If the concrete underneath is structurally sound, we give it a whole new surface on top.
The work happens in a few stages:
- Prep. We clean the deck and get it down to sound concrete. If there's old paint or an old coating on it, that gets ground off first. Prep is most of the job, and it's the part you'd never see in a finished photo.
- Texture. A textured cement overlay goes over the existing concrete. This is where the look starts to take shape, plain or with a stone-like finish.
- Color. We build the color on the prepared surface. You choose it ahead of time, and the color you approve is the color you get.
- Seal. A clear sealer goes on top to lock the color in and protect it from sun, water, and pool chemicals.
How long it takes depends on the size of the deck and the time each coat needs to cure.
Have Cool Deck or Sundek? We go right over it
A lot of older pools around Atlanta have Cool Deck or Sundek, the bumpy coating that's supposed to stay cool under bare feet. We don't install it. After 20 years of standing on these decks, we hear the same two complaints: it's coming up in spots, and it never really felt cooler.
Getting it off is almost impossible, so we don't try. We resurface right over the old Cool Deck or Sundek, then stain it the color you pick. We've been doing it that way for years.
What about the cracks?
We don't try to fill or patch cracks in a pool deck. Cracks fight to come back. You can cover one up, and a season or two later it shows through again in the same spot.
So we work with them instead. On a cracked deck, a flagstone pattern works the cracks into the design. The lines of the stone give the deck somewhere for those cracks to belong, so they read as part of the look instead of a flaw you keep noticing every time you walk out the back door. It's why so many people choose stamped flagstone overlays for an older pool deck.
The one exception is a slab that is actively moving or breaking up. That's not a good candidate for resurfacing, and if we see that in your photos, we'll tell you straight.
Picking a color and texture for a pool deck
A pool deck isn't an indoor floor, and it shouldn't be finished like one. We pick the texture with you, so it suits how you use the deck.
Warm tans, sandstone, grays, browns, or a mix of tones that looks closer to natural stone than plain concrete.
Want to see what's possible first? Our pool deck resurfacing in metro Atlanta page has more finished decks and answers to the questions we hear on almost every call.
A pool deck we've done
Here's one of ours in Marietta. This deck had an old red coating that had faded and worn through in big patches, so you could see bare concrete showing through all over it. Instead of tearing it out, we ground the old coating off and gave the same deck a whole new surface.
The finished deck is stamped in a flagstone pattern, colored in soft tans and grays, and sealed. Same pool, same diving board, same slab underneath.
How much does pool deck resurfacing cost?
We don't publish a flat price, because no two decks start in the same shape. What we can tell you is that working with the deck you already have costs far less than tearing it out and pouring new concrete. There's no demolition, no hauling, and no waiting on a new slab.
A few things move the price more than anything else:
- The condition of your deck. A clean, sound deck needs little prep. One with an old coating or paint needs heavy grinding before anything else can happen.
- The size of the area. That's the deck itself plus any spa surround or connecting walkway.
- The look you pick. A single color is quicker than a detailed, multi-tone stone finish.
Most of the time, we can give you a number over the phone.
After it's done: keeping it looking new
An outdoor deck works hard. Summer sun, rain, pool water, sunscreen, and a lot of bare feet. The clear sealer is what stands between all of that and the color underneath, so a pool deck needs to be resealed every two to three years. It's a much smaller job than the original work. Our guide to caring for stained concrete covers the rest.
Before you call: a quick checklist
- Take a few photos of the whole deck in daylight, plus close-ups of any cracks or worn spots.
- Get a rough size. Length times width for each section is close enough. Include the spa surround and walkways if you want those done too.
- Note any old coating or paint on the surface.
- Think about when you open the pool. Work back from that date, and give yourself room.
With JP Concrete Creations, you're working with a team that has been finishing concrete across Kennesaw and metro Atlanta for more than 20 years. Learn more about our concrete staining services in metro Atlanta, or call us this winter for a free, no-pressure quote.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to resurface a pool deck in Atlanta?
Plan it in the winter and get it done before swim season. Most people don't think about the deck until the pool opens, and by then they want to be using it. Calling in the off months gives you time to get a quote, pick a color, and get on the schedule.
Can you resurface a cracked pool deck?
Usually, yes, as long as the slab underneath is sound. We don't try to fill cracks, because cracks fight to come back. Instead, we use a flagstone pattern that works the cracks into the design, so they read as part of the stone look.
Can you resurface over Cool Deck or Sundek?
Yes. Removing old Cool Deck or Sundek is almost impossible, so we don't try. We resurface right over it with a resurfacing layer, then stain it the color you pick and seal it. We've been doing it that way for years.
How much does it cost to resurface a concrete pool deck?
Working with the deck you already have costs far less than tearing it out and pouring new. The biggest factor is the shape your existing concrete is in. A clean deck needs little prep, while one with an old coating needs heavy grinding first. We can often give you a number over the phone.
How often does a resurfaced pool deck need to be resealed?
Every two to three years. A pool deck lives outside in the sun and rain and gets splashed with pool water all summer, and the sealer is what protects the color underneath. Resealing on that schedule is how you take care of the color underneath.