So you’ve decided that it’s time to have your deck repainted, where do you start?  A good place to start is to develop a list of questions to ask when you’re interviewing a prospective contractor.

Some questions that a knowledgeable contractor will ask are:

1.  What is the age of the surface and when is the last time (if ever) that it has been painted?

This question is generally asked to establish whether the pool is an older kool deck surface that has never had a sealant applied or if it’s a newer acrylic texture.  This is important because a kool deck that has never been sealed will need a lot more product applied to seal the surface.  The newer texture will need to be examined to determine what type of coating it has been sealed with.  In addition it may be necessary to add a skid resistant admixture to ensure that the deck remains non-slip with the addition of layers of sealant that tend to fill the traction adding voids in the surface.

2.  Do you have an idea of the square footage that needs to be repainted?

Here at the Decorative Concrete Experts, we do a lot of pool deck repaints.  This question is used to get an idea of the scope of the job so that we can give an approximate cost figure over the phone.  This allows us to see if the job is within the customer’s budget over the phone.  This figure doesn’t need to be exact, it’s just to get a good idea.  The easiest way to figure square footage is to sketch out the area on a piece of paper and divide the areas into rectangles that you can multiply length x width.  You can subtract out obstacles such as the pool and planter beds.

3.  Are the cracks mostly smaller hairlines, or do you have some noticeable height difference where slabs have shifted?

When there is a height difference, it may be necessary to mill down the high side and texture it to match to remove a trip hazard on the surface.  This is especially important on commercial pools where liability is a larger issue.  We inject a sealant into the cracks that seals out water, prevents insects from entering, and keeps weeds from growing.  The sealant is carefully placed so that the crack blends into the deck and is actually less noticeable than before.  Beware of “contractors” that apply a crack filler with a putty knife that actually makes the crack stand out and look more obvious.

4.  Is the surface in sound condition or are there areas that have flaking paint and/or texture?

Occasionally we come across decks that have had the wrong sealant applied at some point.  Generally when this occurs, it’s necessary to see the job in person to determine the most cost effective way to remedy the problem.  Also, many customers call us because the textured surface is delaminating.  This problem can be limited to small areas that we can patch and blend into the rest of the deck.  Sometimes it is an extensive issue that can only be fixed by removing and replacing the entire surface.

When it is time to have your pool deck repainted, trust the Decorative Concrete Experts to do the job right the first time for a fair price.  Call us today at 407-342-8552.  Visit our Orlando pool deck paint page here.

The off season is the best time to get your pool deck into shape.  I offer an affordable package to update your pool area that covers most of the common problems that we see with older surfaces.

Your deck will be a great candidate for an inexpensive update as long as there are no hollow spots or multiple areas where the surface is flaking up.  Identifying hollow spots can be easily done with a hammer by simply dragging the smooth face along the deck and listening for sound variations.  If hollow areas are present, they will always get worse over time and I don’t recommend spending the money to clean and repaint a surface with these issues.  You can contact me to discuss courses of action if your experiencing hollow spots and/or flaking.  Click here for our spray texture page regarding pool deck resurfacing.

Pool deck repaints are very routine for us and customers can almost always be given an accurate estimate over the phone.  For this type of work we generally only do in person price quotations for very large residential pools and commercial projects.  To get the most accurate estimate you will need to provide the size of the area in square feet, details about the condition of the surface, and job site conditions such as steps, screen enclosures, and prevalence of cracks in the deck.  With this information I can give a very accurate estimate on the cost of the job.  Click here for more information on painting your pool deck.  The Orlando Sentinel also has an informative article on painting your pool deck.

If you decide that the estimate for the proposed work sounds fair, I will schedule a date for the job to get completed.  On that date I will personally meet with you to walk over the deck and take note of any imperfections and issues that need to be addressed.  I will also confirm measurements on the deck and write up a detailed contract before any work takes place.  The crew starts by thoroughly cleaning the surface with a commercial duty pressure washer to ensure that any contaminants that may affect how the new coating adheres are removed.  Next, any areas that are chipped or damaged can be repaired and blended into the deck.  Cracks are filled with a high quality sealant that prevents insect damage and erosion from water.  The sealant also helps blend the cracks into the deck so that they are not as noticeable.  Depending on weather and job site conditions, the pool deck paint may be either sprayed or rolled onto the surface.  Multiple coats are applied to ensure durability and even coverage.  The normal length of time to complete this process on an average residential pool deck is one day.  Our schedule tends to fill up quickly as the weather warms, so call me today at 407-342-8552 to schedule your pool deck project.