Stamped Concrete Pool Decks

Pool Decking Options
Time: 01:51
Get ideas on selecting the right pool decking for your home. Visit several backyard pool decks to see why designer Scott Cohen chose decorative concrete for the decking material.

View All 35 Outdoor Living Videos

A stamped concrete pool deck adds texture and patterns to your outdoor space. When combined with realistic colors, they can mimic many other surface materials like wood, stone, or slate in a budget-friendly manner.

IS STAMPED CONCRETE GOOD AROUND A POOL?

Colored and stamped concrete is an ideal pool deck surface that is beautiful, durable, and low maintenance. Stamped concrete has a wide range of patterns and colors, which allows for you to truly customize your surface to your own liking.

Find a Contractor: Stamped concrete pool deck near me

When properly sealed, stamped concrete will resist harsh pool chemicals, constant water exposure, and fading. If you're worried about your pool deck getting slippery when wet, you can improve the slip resistance by mixing a non-skid grit additive into the sealer. Plus you can even choose a finish that doesn’t absorb heat, making it very comfortable on bare feet.

PATTERN & COLOR OPTIONS FOR YOUR POOL DECK

Stamped concrete comes in a wide variety of patterns and colors. Here are a few popular options to consider for your pool deck.

The best stamped concrete patterns for around pools:

Wood stamping gives the appearance of wood on your pool deck. Using this technique instead wood eliminates the need to replace any materials that are damaged by the moisture and chemicals of the pool.

Seamless stamps give your surface the look of a solid piece of stone. Installing a textured concrete pool deck creates a natural stone appearance that can be accented with sawcut lines.

Flagstone patterns can be used to give your pool deck the look of real stone. Combine color hardeners, acid stains, and pigmented release agents to precisely replicate the color palette of the stone.

Here are two quick tips:

• Avoid using stamp patterns with deep grout lines or rough surface textures, which can be uncomfortable to walk on in bare feet and also allow water to collect.
• Set off your pool deck and add decorative interest by installing pool coping, in a contrasting color and pattern. Options include stamped coping, broom-finished concrete, limestone, concrete tile, and hand-scored concrete.

See more stamped pattern options for your pool deck.

Color choices and methods:

• Gray concrete pool decks can give the look of rich slate or weathered stone. Adding a touch of blue will echo the color of water and mimic the look of river rock.
• Brown is also a popular choice for pool decks, as it blends in well with landscaping and complements many styles of homes. Browns range from light tans to deep walnuts.
• If your concrete pool deck is exposed to the hot sun all day, you can keep the surface cooler by coloring the concrete with lighter shades, such as sand, coral, or pearly white tones.
• A newer trend for pool deck colors is white, which offers reduced heat. As seen in this project the white concrete reduced heat by as much as 20 degrees, all while giving the homeowner a great modern look for their pool deck and patio.
• Release agents act as bond breakers that prevent stamps from sticking to the concrete, and also add color to the surface resulting in an antiquing effect.
• Color hardeners and acid stains can also be used to bring your pool deck to life.
• Colors may be applied with a sprayer or roller, by hand using brushes, sponges and more, or even dry broadcast onto the surface.

Browse more stamped concrete color choices.

STAMPED CONCRETE VS. OTHER POOL DECK MATERIALS

We believe stamped concrete is the most versatile, cost-effective and design-friendly material to use for your pool deck, but it is not the only option.

Pavers

Another beautiful material for pool decks is concrete pavers. They allow for different designs and are installed in individual pieces, on dry ground without any grout between them. Water can get between the pavers and cause settling, or weeds may grow up through the pavers. The advantage to pavers is that if they are damaged, you only need to repair the damaged area, rather than the entire surface.

Travertine

Travertine tiles are another favorite for many outdoor spaces. They offer a high-end look and good durability. Like pavers, if they suffer any damage you will only need to replace the affected area. While tiles are a beautiful material, they are often slippery when they get wet, and do not offer any heat reduction in bare-foot areas.

HOW MUCH DOES A STAMPED CONCRETE POOL DECK COST?

Stamped concrete pool decks cost $8 - $12 per sq. ft. for a basic design. Given that the average pool deck size in the US is 900 sq. ft., this would put your total cost at $7,200 - $10,800. The cost will increase as the design becomes more detailed, or with a larger concrete surface.

See these full pricing guides:

• Concrete Pool Deck Costs
• Stamped Concrete Costs

While many people consider taking on concrete projects on their own, we recommend hiring a contractor to install your stamped concrete pool patio. Their technical skills and knowledge ensure that your surface will be finished on time, on budget and with minimal errors.

WHAT MAINTENANCE IS REQUIRED?

Sealing a stamped concrete pool deck

In order to keep your stamped pool deck looking its best, it will need to be sealed. When applied correctly, a good sealer will protect your pool deck from chemicals, spills, wear and tear and general weathering. Depending on the type of sealer and your climate, your pool deck may need to be resealed every few years.

Learn more about sealers for stamped concrete.

How to clean your stamped concrete pool deck

Concrete is an easy-to-maintain surface and requires just a few steps for cleaning. On a regular basis your slab should be swept and washed with a mild detergent.

To clean your pool deck follow these steps:

1. Rinse well with a garden hose or high pressure washer.
2. Scrub with a push broom and a small amount of liquid dish soap.
3. Rinse again, making sure to remove all soap residue.
4. Dry for at least 24 hours or use a leaf blower before sealing.

How to repair a stamped concrete pool deck

Depending on the extent of the damage, the range of fixing a stamped concrete pool deck can go from a complete replacement to resurfacing with an overlay.

If your pool deck is in good shape with minor coloring issues, spalling, or cracking then it might be a good candidate for resurfacing. Pool deck resurfacing gives your concrete added strength and let’s you refresh the design with new patterns, and colors.

IDEAS FOR YOUR STAMPED CONCRETE POOL DECK

White-on-White

A titanium-white color scheme gives this stamped pool deck a distinctive look and “coolness factor,” making it comfortable to walk on even under the hot summer sun. In fact, the pool deck stays 20 degrees cooler than the adjacent limestone coping. The deck was poured with a white portland cement mix containing titanium dioxide. After it was stamped, the joints were filled with a white grout to create the white-on-white effect.

Concrete Pool Comes Alive After Dark

This beautiful concrete pool deck was stamped with a Roman slate seamless texture skin and colored with a combination of light and dark gray dry-shake color hardeners. It was also optimized for nighttime enjoyment by incorporating multicolored LED lighting and sheer-descent waterfalls that put on a show after the sun goes down.

Hand-Cut Border

When a swimming pool has a unique curvilinear shape, like this one, a great way to accent the curves is to install a curve-hugging border to match. The concrete for the pool deck was integrally colored light beige, and then two colors of release agent (medium and dark brown) were applied to differentiate the border from the rest of the pool deck. The pattern used throughout is a sandstone slate seamless texture skin.

Leafy Accents

A seamless slate pattern accented with a random leaf pattern gives this pool deck a walk-in-the woods allure. The autumnal color scheme was achieved by using integral terra cotta pigments, a terra cotta color hardener, and a charcoal release agent.

A Touch of Elegance

A 6x6-foot diamond pattern stamped with a seamless stone texture skin gives this pool deck the look of hand-laid stone tile, accented by a broom-finished pool coping. The color is light wheat with shale gray accents.