Perhaps, you walked to your backyard swimming pool and stared at the plain pool deck for a few minutes. After some thinking, you might have decided it is time to revamp the pool deck's look. Notably, there are many different ways to enhance a pool deck's aesthetics, and stained concrete is one. As the name suggests, stained concrete refers to the application of special colour stains on concrete floors. The concrete is then allowed time to absorb the stain for a permanent look. This article provides tips to help you achieve a perfectly stained concrete pool deck.
Clean a Concrete Pool Deck
When you pour stain on a concrete pool deck, glues and sealants present on the surface negatively impact the finished look. It is the reason you are advised to clean a concrete surface thoroughly before staining. Power-washing using a quality concrete cleaner will rid the surface of dirt, grime, glue, sealants and other impurities likely to affect the staining process. Remember to let a concrete deck dry adequately before proceeding with staining. If you stain partially wet concrete, you might end up with a multi-toned look.
Scarify a Concrete Deck
Most concrete pool deck surfaces are rough to prevent slipping. When preparing to stain concrete, you might need to scarify the surface further. The reason is that scarified concrete surfaces absorb stains better than smooth surfaces. If you know how to use a scarifier, hire one. However, if you are new to the process, you are better off hiring a contractor to remove the smooth upper layer on a concrete pool deck. Most importantly, cover a pool with a tarp because scarifying concrete produces a lot of dust. If you leave a pool open, concrete dust will overwork pool filters and cause damage. Once you have achieved the desired level of roughness, eliminate the dust using suction to ensure that a concrete deck is ready for colour staining.
Seal Stained Concrete Deck
If you use a pool often, the chances are high that the concrete deck is wet most times. Therefore, stained concrete might lose its vibrancy after a short while if you leave the surface exposed to the elements. Protect the stained surface by applying an acrylic-based sealant. However, you must leave the stained surface to dry for at least 24 hours before applying a concrete sealant. Since an acrylic concrete sealer leaves a smooth surface on your deck, consider mixing an anti-slip additive to the sealant. It increases friction on stained concrete and enhances safety.
Reach out to a local concrete contractor to learn more about this process.