Slick spots, cracks or puddles that drain toward the water? We build and resurface pool decks that grip underfoot and shed water away.
A concrete pool deck is the slab around your pool that meets the coping, the cap along the pool's edge. Advantage Portsmouth Concrete builds and resurfaces concrete pool decks in Portsmouth, VA so they grip underfoot and drain water away from the pool and your house.
Most people call me about something they can see, like a slick spot by the ladder, a crack that keeps opening or water that sits on the deck or runs back into the pool. The cause underneath is usually a base that settled, a slope set the wrong way or a failed joint at the pool edge, so I look at those before we talk about a new surface. We give the ground under a pool deck the same care we give it under a slab foundation.
The price moves with the size and shape of the deck, whether old concrete has to come out first and the finish you pick, and your estimate gives you the figure for your own deck. The schedule turns mostly on the weather and on curing, the wait that lets new concrete gain strength before anyone walks on it. If the deck meets the house at a few concrete steps, we can plan those with it.
Please tell us what's wrong with the deck and whether the pool is chlorine or salt. We'll set a time for me to come see it.
I come out myself, check the slope, the base and the joint at the pool edge, and ask how your family uses the pool area. Your estimate says what I'd do, whether that's a repair, a resurface or a new deck, and what it costs.
If you go ahead, I run the job with our own crew and take care of any permits and inspections it needs. When it's done, we walk the finished deck with you and go over how to look after it.
We dig out the soft ground and pack the subgrade, the dirt and stone the slab sits on, because a deck that settles will crack and tilt no matter how nice the top looks. One guide says a pool deck should slope away from the pool edge toward the yard, a drain or away from the house. Water that runs back in carries lawn chemicals and debris with it, so I'll show you where the water will go before we pour.
We pour in the cooler part of the day so the top doesn't turn weak and dusty. We also cut control joints on time, shallow grooves that give the slab a chosen place to crack before it picks one on its own. The joint at the coping is where pool decks fail most often, because the deck and the pool shell move separately as the air warms and cools, so we build that joint to let each one move.
What our pool deck work covers:
A repair makes sense when the trouble sits in one spot and the slab around it is still sound. One example is a pool edge joint whose caulk has cracked or pulled away. When the base underneath has let go, patching the top only buys time, and replacing the deck is the honest answer. If your deck only looks tired, I'll tell you plainly whether resurfacing makes more sense than tearing it out, so you don't pay for concrete you don't need.
A pool deck's cost is shaped as much by what you can't see as by the finish. A fenced backyard that's hard to reach, curves around the pool and the digging and packing the ground needs all add work. A stamped finish costs more than a plain textured one and needs sealing later. When a budget is tight, the base is the first thing people want to cut, and it's the one place I'd ask you not to, because a fancy top on a weak base cracks just the same.
I learned concrete on a city crew, where you explained your work to any resident who asked, and I've run Advantage Portsmouth Concrete the same way since 2013. We protect your pool and the plantings around it while we work, and I'd rather explain something twice than have you surprised later. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
If you know where the cracks, slick spots or puddles are, one call to us gets your pool deck started.
Tell us your pool type, chlorine or salt, and what's wrong with the deck. We reply within one business day, and I come out for a free on-site estimate with no pressure to book.
A broom finish, with fine lines dragged across the wet concrete, is the most common pool deck finish because it grips well, costs less and holds up. Stamped concrete can look like stone, brick or wood, but it needs sealing from time to time, and the wrong sealer turns dangerously slick when wet. If you want the stamped look, I'll help you pick a sealer that suits a pool.
One guide says to resurface when the trouble is on top, like staining, faded color or lost grip. It says to replace when the deck has settled, heaved or has wide cracks that keep moving. That guide figures a polymer overlay adds about 5 to 10 years of life, so a sound slab is usually worth resurfacing. I'll tell you which one your deck needs once I've looked at it.
The price for your deck is set at the estimate, because it turns on the deck's size and condition, but resurfacing a sound deck usually costs far less than tearing it out. One guide puts a polymer overlay at 20 to 30% of the cost of replacement, which is why resurfacing is worth pricing first when the slab can take it. Please call (757) 731-7248 and I'll give you a figure for your own deck.
You're choosing between a film sealer and a penetrating sealer. One sealer maker says a film sealer needs recoating every 18 to 24 months, and a penetrating sealer lasts three to five years but brings out less color. The same maker says salt pools splash salt onto the deck, so owners of those pools choose a sealer made to resist chloride. Other sources give different intervals, so follow the label on the product you use.
Possibly. Portsmouth requires a building permit to build, alter or repair a structure, and its list names decks, sheds and garages but doesn't name concrete pool decks, so I check with the city's permits office before work starts. Whoever pulls the permit schedules the inspections, and the city highly recommends the contractor pull it, so we do both ourselves. If you pull it instead, the city asks you for a notarized affidavit first. If your house is in a historic or downtown design district, please tell me early, because the city cites owners who change the outside without approval.
Under Virginia's contractor rules, a Class C contractor can take on construction, repair or improvement work when a single contract is over $1,000 and under $30,000. It's fair to ask any contractor which license they hold before you sign. We're licensed and insured, and I'm glad to go over that when I come out.
We're based in Portsmouth and build pool decks across the cities around it, from Norfolk to Chesapeake. Please pick your city below, or call if yours isn't listed.
