Concrete pool decks in Tuscaloosa AL - a surface that grips wet feet and sheds water

Textured finishes, like a broom finish or exposed aggregate, give wet bare feet something to grip, and lighter colors stay more comfortable in the sun. Very dark finishes can get uncomfortable to cross barefoot. People walk a pool deck wet, so I steer you toward grip first and looks second.

All concrete cracks, so our job is choosing where. We plan control joints, cut lines that give it a place to crack, around the drains, curves and corners, and avoid narrow odd-shaped panels that crack on their own. Under it, our crew digs out and packs the base, the part nobody sees and the last place I'd save money.

Across the US, installing a concrete pool deck usually costs about $10.10 to $12.40 per square foot. That's the national going rate, not our price, and a fancier finish or a tricky shape moves a deck off it. For your deck, I'll measure and put the figure in a written estimate.

Plan on one, because the City of Tuscaloosa requires permits for all new construction, remodels and alterations, and we pull the ones our part of the job needs. Lots next to Lake Tuscaloosa, in a lake watershed or in a historic district can need extra approvals, and for lakefront work the Office of the City Engineer at (205) 248-5380 is who to call.

When the cost of building, remodeling, repairing or improving a home tops $10,000, labor and materials counted together, the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board treats whoever does it as a residential home builder. On a bigger deck job, ask any contractor how that applies before you sign.

With an acrylic sealer, one coatings maker says most pool decks need resealing every two to three years, so budget for it from the start. The flexible sealant at the coping, the cap on the pool wall, wears too, and one coping maker says most of those caulks last five to ten years and should be checked yearly.