On hot summer days you may find it hard to stay outside. Not just because of the rising temperatures but also because everything you touch burns you skin. Hot concrete patios, driveways, and sidewalks are sometimes impossible to walk on unless you’re wearing the appropriate footwear. But what about when you’re barefooted and swimming? Oddly enough, though you’d think pool decks would be extremely safe, they can actually become quite dangerous. They get slick and slippery. They crack with extreme weather changes. And they can become extremely hot to the touch. Therefore, as a solution to these particular pool problems, cool decks were invented to take the heat off the street.
What Is a Cool Deck?
It’s a topping applied over a stronger concrete base. This special material can be applied to a concrete structure while it’s curing in order to significantly lower the exterior surface temperature. It comes in any color or pattern to match your taste, and it can be textured for traction to guard against slipping. Plus, it’s extremely durable (almost twice as strong as the base structure), stain resistant, and waterproof (to avoid mold or mildew buildup). So overall, a cool deck requires little maintenance, endures traditional wear and tear, and extends the life of your concrete, making it a very economical choice.
How Do I Know If It’s a Kool Deck?
Sometimes it’s hard to tell if you have a genuine Kool Deck (a trademarked product) or if your concrete is simply textured or stamped. But it’s important to know what you’re dealing with before beginning any maintenance or repairs since each material has a specific composition that requires its own specific procedures. First, take a garden hose and wet down the concrete. If the water absorbs right into the surface you most likely have a Kool Deck. But if the water runs off the surface you most likely have another type of product.
What About Deck Replacement?
If it’s fading, cracking, or peeling, there are several solutions. Since it’s expensive and time consuming, most of the time you won’t have to involve yourself with a complete deck replacement. Instead, you’re probably going to be more concerned with repairs. If there are larger areas of damage, such as cracks and fractures, you’ll need to fill these in as soon as possible. There are specialty caulking agents on the market for cool decks, but you may want to inquire with a professional contractor before purchasing. But if the damage is more wide spread, then you may want to think about re-surfacing with another application of the material.
How Do I Repair It?
If the damaged areas are small, the most popular answer is applying a liquid coating, much like a sealer, over the original surface. First, sweep and clean the product. You’ll probably want to rent a power washer to remove any unwanted debris or peeling paint chips. If the facade is smooth, you’ll also have to use an acid wash to rough up the surface for proper adhesion of the coating (the same process should be followed if you’re thinking about painting light-colored decking with a darker shade). Once it dries, you’re now ready to repair the area. You could of course do this yourself since Mortex Manufacturing Co., Inc. and other companies provide repair kits that cover 6 square feet (multiple kits can be purchased for larger areas). The repair kits are easy to use and come in a wide variety of colors to match your original shade (everything is included except a small trowel). But if you do not feel comfortable repairing the surface or if you have large areas to repair, you may want to contact a concrete contractor to apply it.
Understanding Deck Construction 
Should You Build a Deck or Hire a Pro? 
Rooftop Decks: Building a Deck with a View 
3 Benefits of Under-Deck Stain 
How to Find & Hire the Right Deck Carpenter or Contractor 
CAN i PUT THIS OVER THE PEBBLE AND GLUE THAT IS ON MY PATIO NOW?
I am interested in a quote for cool decking.
ideas for refinishing, change color, on a kool deck
We were satisfied with our Kool deck for several years. It began to wear, and finally,chip in several areas. We employed a reparable pool contractor to fix the Kool deck. They applied
another coat on top of the old material. Almost immediately it began to form clumps. Then
they returned and applied another coat. More clumps appeared. Very unsightly. We were
stuck paying $7,000.00 for a botched job. We had no choice other than to sand down the deck and paint it. It is not desireable since we have to paint it every so often. Doesn’t look good either.
Our Kooldeck was put down in October – that year we had a very very cold winter – the first summer we could hear the Kooldeck cracking under our feet – by the second summer – there were large patches of cracked and flaking kool deck. Our contractor blamed it on the extreme cold of the winter. He offered no suggestion. This season we will just pick up the flakes etc but we have to do something in the fall. Open to any and all suggestions. Does anyone have contact information for Kool Deck??
We had “kool deck” put on our brand new concrete pool deck when we had our very old concrete pool rebuilt. This was not a thing that is ordinarily within our budget, but it was rebuild the pool or fill it in at almost the same cost. Over the last ten years the cook decking has been crumbling, getting into the pool and looks unsightly. Perhaps it should not be sold in the north where temperatures fluctuate so much. When I asked about a repair, I was told that it would be $10,000. My question to the pool companies is, was it known 10 years ago that the product would fall apart so easily? We could have done pavers around our pool for less than what the concrete and kool decking cost, but I thought that I was doing the right thing as we had small children and I pavers become very hot (or at least they did 10 years ago). Now I am stuck with a disaster – the entire length of one side of the pool is completely crumbling.
we built our home in south florida in 2002. 15×30 pool and they put a cool deck surface on the 2000 sq ft of cement around it..it is 16 years later now..we are only now going to repaint it as it has faded…a few cracks..small ones..but this surface has held up under a hot florida sun for all these years..never had a problem with it at all..rip cool deck..thanks for your service.
Can I place Kool Deck over existing pebbles?
Can i put cool deck over pebbles.
Our screen enclosed lanai and 15 X 30 oval gunite pool are surrounded by the original cool deck from 1981. Kids, friends, pets, never slipped, wet or dry. While there are some small cracks, it has held up extremely well until now (June 2019) with only occasional pressure washing and afterward watering with a flower watering bucket with about 1/3 bleach to water, which bleaches it out like new in the sunlight over a day or two after pressure washing. We added on to our lanai and are now looking to do cool deck on the addition and to renew the original. We live in the Tampa Bay area on a canal to the bay, so hard freezes are an extremely rare to non-existent event here.
Cool Deck is great! The name says it all. It is definitely worth keeping it in top shape..
We had a contractor install cool decking around our pool. It started raining in the middle of the job but they continued working. What can we expect? They are some holes in the cool deck where the overhang dripped from the rain. Can that be repaired? Help!
Looks great and is beautiful looking. Should NOT be allowed to be sold in the north east part of the country. It will crack over time, meant for warmer climates.
I want to repaint my deck with a darker color. Is there a special paint for this?
Can cool decking be put on top of patio bricks?