Do Granite Pavers Get Hot? (How To Make Decks Cool?)

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Do Granite Pavers Get Hot?

Are you building a new pool or resurfacing an old concrete deck? You are keen to use granite pavers. Of course! Granite is a hard natural stone that is both beautiful and durable. It is impervious to water and is slip resistant. But do granite pavers get hot in the sun?

Granite pavers can get pretty hot in the sun. Granite is an igneous rock composed of quartz & alumina. Among natural stones, granite has the lowest “specific heat capacity”. For the same amount of sunlight it can get a lot hotter than travertine, which is a sedimentary rock rich in calcite.

How hot a pool deck gets, depends mainly on the decking material. All materials have a “specific heat capacity”. The specific heat capacity is a measure of the energy required to raise one gram of the material by one degree. 

The lower the specific heat capacity of a material, the hotter it gets under the sun. Water remains relatively cool in the pool, even under the midday summer sun, because it has a very high specific heat capacity.

When sunlight falls on the pool deck, a part is reflected. The remaining is absorbed and converted to heat. The texture and color of the material influence the amount of sunlight that a material absorbs. 

Granite tends to get hot because it has a fairly low specific heat capacity. But other factors such as texture, color, paver thickness and gap between pavers, can help in keeping it cool. 

How Do You Make Granite Pavers Not So Hot?

To prevent granite pavers and decks from getting too hot under the summer sun, you need to consider the following factors:

Texture

Generally speaking, smooth & polished granite will get hotter than rough or textured granite pavers. The sun is the hottest during the afternoon. Sun’s rays hit the deck vertically.

The entire surface of a smooth granite paver is exposed to the rays. Smooth surfaces  absorb a lot more of the light which gets converted to heat energy. 

Textured granite pavers & tiles absorb less of the light. The texture diffuses and reflects part of the rays as they fall at an angle.

Using granite pavers with sandblasted or flamed finish, stops them from getting too hot, makes them less slippery and even adds to their visual appeal.

Color

Granite is available in a wide range of colors including white, black, gray, blue and rust. For interior applications, darker colors such as black or blue may be preferred. To be honest, dark colored smooth granite countertops or living room floors look very elegant.

However, if you live in states where the summer is really hot, you are better off opting for light colored granite pavers for pool decks. Why? Because light colors reflect most of the sunlight while dark colors absorb most of the sunlight.

It stands to reason that a light colored granite pool deck would get less hot than a dark colored granite pool deck. 

Thickness

As a thumb rule, the thicker a paver or a tile, the less hot it will get in the sun. Even for the same material. The specific heat capacity of a material is intrinsic to it. However, the heat capacity is a multiple of the specific heat capacity and the mass of the material.

As a thicker paver has more mass, for the same amount of sunlight, the temperature rise will be less. On the flip side, a thicker paver will lose the heat gained slower.

Gap between Pavers

Concrete patios and pool decks are essentially “slab on grade”. It is just one solid piece. A paved pool deck, however, is made up of several pavers. The gap between the pavers helps the pavers lose some heat. This keeps them cooler.

Do Granite Pavers Get Hotter Than Concrete?

The specific heat capacity of some common paving material is given in the table below:

Data Source: Engineering Tool Box

Concrete & Water Specific Heat Capacity is mentioned so that you can put the paving materials in perspective.

Generally speaking, lower the Specific Heat Capacity, higher will be the rise in temperature, under the same sunlight conditions. 

As you can see the Specific Heat Capacity of Granite is around 5% higher than concrete. So, granite should be 5% cooler than concrete. In fact, granite pavers can be a lot cooler than concrete slabs depending on texture and color.

Remember, decks with pavers have gaps too!

How To Use Granite Pavers Around Your Pool

If you are only concerned about how hot granite pavers can get in the sun then you may decide not to use them around your pool area.

Granite has such a classic look, it would be a shame not to consider it for your pool. Remember that textured granite pavers are probably the hardest, water impervious and slip resistant natural stone pool decking you can find.

Following tips will help you enjoy your granite pool deck, even in summer.

Coping

Granite is, arguably, the best natural stone for pool coping, as it is not slippery. Sandblasted, flamed or bush hammered granite further increases slip resistance. Textured granite coping & deck has an enduring, timeless, weathered appeal.

Pool coping does not get as hot as the pool deck as it is constantly being splashed with water. You should seriously consider a granite pool coping, even if you do not want your entire pool deck to be covered in granite pavers.

Layout

This tip is kind of follow up on the earlier tip.

There is no rule in the design book that says that you must use the same decking material on every square foot of your pool deck. Use creativity. Mix and match various materials. 

Good design as they say is a blend of form & function. 

Shade

In many pool deck designs, part of the deck is under shade. The shade could be natural, such as from trees or the shadow of the main house. Or you could add shade to a part of the deck by

• Patio Umbrella
• Cantilever Umbrella
• Retractable Awning
• Pergola
• Gazebo

Check out Grand Patio Deluxe NAPOLI 11 FT Curvy Aluminum Offset Umbrella, Patio Cantilever Umbrella with Base from Amazon

Go ahead and use granite pavers or even granite tiles in these areas. Not only will it add a touch of luxury to your entertainment or chill-out zone, it will make it so much easier to clean up after the party! 

Footwear

You do not have to be barefoot on the pool deck. Actually wearing appropriate footwear adds to both safety and comfort. Wear water shoes, aqua socks or just water resistant non-slip sandals.

Speedo, the trusted name in performance swimwear, has an excellent and stylish range of water shoes. Check them out:

For the Ladies: Speedo Women’s Water Shoe Surfwalker Pro 3.0

For the Gents: Speedo Men’s Water Shoe Surfwalker Pro 3.0

Thank you very much for reading the post. I do hope you found it informative and helpful.