6 Effective Ways To Make A Concrete Pool Deck Slip Resistant!

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How Do I Make My Concrete Pool Deck Slip Resistant?

Swimming in your backyard pool can be truly refreshing & enjoyable. It is an absolute pleasure watching your kids running around on the pool deck. Life is perfect! Well almost! But sooner or later one of them may slip and fall. Then you will be left wondering, “How do I make my concrete pool deck slip resistant?”

A concrete pool deck tends to be slippery because it is both smooth and wet. You can make your concrete pool deck slip resistant by using one of the following 6 ways:

Go for a Brushed Finish
Aggregate Finish is Effective
Classic Stamped Concrete
Apply Slip Resistant Paint
Spray a Texture Overlay
Use Rubber Coating

The slip resistance is an intrinsic property of the two surfaces in contact, defined scientifically as COF (coefficient of friction). The texture of the two surfaces is the main determinant of slip resistance.

The slip resistance between the wet soles of bare feet and a smooth pool deck drops because of a phenomenon called “hydroplaning”. This is the same phenomenon a skater uses to glide on the ice rink or a jet ski uses to move effortlessly on the ocean.

The thin film of water between the two surfaces reduces the COF (coefficient of friction).

BROWSE FOR DECK CARE SUPPLIES

How Do I Make Concrete Slip Resistant?

Concrete pool decks can be made by laying concrete pavers or by pouring a concrete slab on grade. The second option is commonly used for larger pool decks as it is both easy and economical.

Fresh concrete is a slurry of coarse aggregates such as gravel, fine particles such as sand and a paste of cement & water. Once the concrete has been placed, it is floated by troweling.

The objective is to move the coarser particles to the bottom to provide strength and the finer particles to the top to provide smoothness. Trowelling also helps release entrapped air and allows water to evaporate uniformly for the concrete to cure.

The cured concrete has a smooth layer of cement on the top. Quite often, the surface may also be subjected to hardening & polishing. This makes for a pool deck with a beautiful finish but poor slip resistance.

To make the concrete pool deck slip resistant, the texture must be changed from fine to coarse. There are many possible ways to do it.

1. Go for a Brushed Finish

This is possibly the easiest to accomplish. A stiff brush is pulled across the smooth, but still wet concrete slab. The concrete ends up with a scoured surface which provides grip to bare feet.

The trick is to not make the brush marks so deep that they hurt the feet and are difficult to clean too. Professionally done, a brushed concrete pool deck can have pleasant checker board or herringbone patterns.

2. Aggregate Finish is Effective

In an aggregate finish, smooth pebbles in various sizes and colors are incorporated in the top layer of the concrete slab. The pebbles protrude just a little bit above the concrete surface to provide traction.

Once again the trick is to have the protrusion high enough to provide traction but low enough so as not to hurt. The correct choice of aggregates can make all the difference and you will end up with a very attractive pool deck that is also slip resistant.

3. Classic Stamped Concrete

Stamped concrete is possibly, among the most classy and luxurious looks you can get out of plain concrete. It adds both texture and color to the pool deck. However, contrary to expectations, stamped concrete does not improve the slip resistance much.

The texture of stamped concrete is smooth, not gritty. As a result the stamped concrete pool deck does not increase traction. Actually stamped concrete must be sealed with a topical sealer to lock in the colors.

A topical sealer reduces traction. To make a stamped concrete pool deck slip resistant, you must use a good quality non-slip additive, either mixed into the sealer or broadcast over the still wet sealer coat.

There are several popular brands such as SureCrete’s SureGrip, H&C SharkGrip or Matcrete’s Rhino Grip.

The above options are great if you are planning to install a completely new pool deck. But what if you already have a concrete pool deck but just want to make it more slip resistant.

Can I Resurface the Concrete Around My Pool?

There are times when it makes sense to resurface the existing concrete around your pool. The primary motivation to add some pizzazz to the jaded deck. But it is also a great opportunity to make the concrete pool deck safer and more slip resistant.

4. Apply Slip Resistant Paint

Using slip resistant concrete deck paint is simple and you can do it yourself. If you are looking for just adding a fresh look to the concrete pool deck along with anti- skid properties an acrylic water based coating should be good enough.

It does not have a very long life so you may need to recoat every season. But the advantage is it is very easy to apply and does not cost a lot. You can get a new look every year!

Check out FIXALL Skid Grip Anti-Slip Acrylic Paint – Textured Coating

ANTI-SLIP PAINT: Skid Grip is a 100% acrylic textured paint that results in a high-grip finish on concrete.
INCREASES SAFETY: Ideal for high-traffic areas such as patio, pool deck, sports floors, etc.
GOOD ADHESION: It adheres to cement, wood, stone, asphalt, and more.
EASY APPLICATION: Just clean the deck and apply with brush or roller.

5. Spray a Texture Overlay

Though similar to paint it is not exactly a paint finish. The overlay or the coating can be applied using a spray or a roller. The product is water based and fairly viscous. After drying it results in an eye pleasing slip resistant coating on the pool deck.

The advantage of texture overlays is that, in addition to making the deck non slippery it also keeps your concrete deck relatively cool under the hot summer sun.

Check out Cool Decking Pool Deck Paint

NO SLIPPERY SURFACES: The application of COOL pool deck paint results in a safe, skid-resistant surface. It meets ADA safety requirements for non-slip surfaces – even when it’s wet!
COMFORTABLE FEET: COOL pool deck coating absorbs the heat and transfers it directly into the soil below. The coating seals your concrete deck and drops the temperature by up to 38%.
REPAIRS CONCRETE & STAYS CLEANER: COOL’s specialized coating bonds with concrete at a molecular level, filling in cracks and permanently sealing them.
EASY TO APPLY: Just spray the concrete with Triple Crown, then wash away the dirt and debris that Triple Crown lifts from the surface. Let dry completely and apply the COOL treatment. Mix the kit with water and apply COOL with a paint roller. Let dry for 30 minutes and apply a second coat of COOL.

6. Use Rubber Coating

You know quite well that rubber is slip resistant. No wonder, the soles of industrial safety shoes are made out of rubber. You can make your concrete pool deck slip resistant by applying a coat or two of liquid rubber coating.

Rubber is also an excellent insulator. So in addition to getting a skid resistant pool deck you also get a pool deck that keeps its cool in the summer.

Check out Liquid Rubber Cool Foot Deck Coating