Common Pool Deck Maintenance Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Keeping your swimming pool deck clean and damage-free requires knowing what not to do. Here are common pool deck maintenance mistakes and how to avoid them.

There are more than 10 million swimming pools in the United States alone. When it comes to maintaining your pool deck, you'll need to first know all about pool deck maintenance mistakes. Many people don't realize that there are certain things you should avoid when following a deck maintenance routine. 

If you don't take care of your deck in the proper way, you will find that it will only last a fraction of its lifespan. Then, you'll need to replace it with a new deck sooner than later, and this will only cost you money that you don't even need to spend. But where would you start with pool deck maintenance mistakes?

Keep reading and learn more about them below.

Not Cleaning Your Pool Deck

The first big mistake is not cleaning your pool deck as often as you should. No matter what your pool deck is made of, you should aim to clean it once every other week. In some cases, it may even be best to clean it once a week.

Why is cleaning your pool deck so important, you might ask? It has everything to do with the debris and grime that will build up on the deck if you don't take care of it. Even if you keep the pool itself clean, the water will still affect the cleanliness of the deck. 

This is not to mention that leaves, grass, pollen, and other debris will slowly start to pile up on the deck. Over time, all of the debris will start to discolor the deck. More than that, the deck will start to get slippery and overall unpleasant due to the debris that has built up over it. 

The Details

The only way to prevent this problem is to clean the deck on a regular basis. There are plenty of deck cleaning methods to try. However, when cleaning pool decks, it is important to remember that you should only use the right deck cleaning products depending on what material your deck is made out of. For example, if your deck is made out of wood, then you should only use cleaning products that are safe for wood. 

On the other hand, if your deck is made out of another material that isn't as finicky as wood, you can get away with using a more general type of cleaner. Whatever the case, as long as you clean your deck on a regular basis, it should stay in good shape. 

Choosing the Wrong Deck Material

Different decks need to be maintained differently, depending on what material the deck is made out of. For example, a wooden pool deck tends to need a lot of maintenance compared to other options. You need to treat the wood in a particular way to make sure it doesn't begin to rot or fall about. 

Wooden decks are also more susceptible to certain types of damage such as termite damage. On the other hand, if you get a deck made out of tile or similar material, you will find that such a deck will only require very little maintenance. This is also true with stone and other hard materials. 

This is not to mention that certain materials naturally last longer than others. If you want to make sure that your pool deck lasts as long as possible, then it is best to choose the right pool deck material in the first place before you worry about maintenance issues. 

Once you choose a good deck material, then you can start to think about the different ways in which you should maintain it and what kind of maintenance mistakes you should avoid. For example, you preferably shouldn't build a wooden deck in a place that gets too much sun. Excessive sun exposure will only discolor the wood and make it look older than it really is.

Ignoring the Pool Chemistry

The chemistry of your pool has a great effect on the state of your pool deck. At least once a week, you need to balance the chemicals in your pool to make sure your pool is clean and safe to swim in. If the chemicals in the pool need to be rebalanced, then all you need to do is add the right chemicals to do the job.

You should always make sure that the pH level of your pool is between 7.2 and 7.8. This is the perfect range for the pool's chlorine to be active and to make sure that it keeps the pool clean. In the summer, you'll want to check the pool's chemistry even more often, usually around twice a week. 

What would happen if you don't pay attention to your pool's chemistry, you might ask? If the pool's chemistry is not as it should be, the chemicals in the pool won't be able to keep the water clean. Then, algae will then start to form along with other types of debris. 

The algae in particular will stick to the deck and discolor it. This is not to mention that it is often hard to remove algae from decks, especially those made out of porous materials. 

All About Pool Deck Maintenance Mistakes

There are many pool deck maintenance mistakes that you should avoid if you want to keep your deck in good shape. For example, you should always make sure that your pool deck is clean so that the debris and dirt don't destroy the deck's materials. Choosing the right deck material in the first place is also a good idea, along with paying attention to your pool's chemistry. LayorCare Pool & Patio Protection can help.

To learn more about pool decks, contact us here.