The Best Flooring Options For Your Pool Surround

The weather is hotting up. and at this time of year, a swimming pool seems like a lovely idea. Imagine taking a morning dip before work, cooling off on a sunny Saturday, hosting pool parties… However,installing a pool in your garden is a big investment.

But… for those glorious, long hot summer days, surely it’s worth it!

There are so many decisions to make when constructing a pool. From where to locate it, to the size and design. Or what about questions like indoor or outdoor? Above-ground or inground? One of the most important decisions is what type of flooring to use for its surround.

What’s the best flooring for your pool surround?

Imagine yourself next to your brand-new pool. You’re lazing by the deck, drink in hand. What’s underneath you? What does it feel like underfoot? Does it show off your pool? There are so many options for your pool surround flooring, all with pros and cons. Let’s explore them.

Concrete

Concrete is affordable and durable, and it can be used to look like tiles or more stylish and expensive materials. But the biggest drawback of concrete as your pool surround is that it’s slippery. And, over time it can crack. When you’re investing in a pool, you want to ensure it looks great for as long as possible and is safe.

Wood

Timber is versatile. And there are lots of options in terms of varieties and designs with a wooden deck. It’s an environmentally friendly option, too. But, the trouble with wood as a pool surround is that it’s high maintenance and prone to water damage. To avoid rot, you’ll need to regularly clean, sand and reseal it. There’s also the potential for splinters in bare feet. Ouch.

Paving

Paving comes in a wide variety of textures, shapes, colours and sizes. And it’s easy and cheap to repair one broken slab if you keep some spares. However, smooth varieties may be slippery. And rough varieties may be non-slip, but too much friction may scrape soft, wet feet. A happy medium would be nice.

Brick

Bricks are durable and last for a long time. And although the traditional colours are brown or terracotta, you can get more varieties these days. But brick is porous and so moss and algae can grow. This can add to the slip factor.

Tile

A tile pool deck can give a truly elegant, beautiful finish. Tiles are fully customisable. And there are different types of tiles that can provide non-slip functionality. All considered tiles are a great option, although they come at a price. It’s a high-end look with the cost to match. And they are prone to staining and need lots of maintenance.

Composite decking

We might be a bit biased with this one. But it’s easy to see why we think composite decking is the best option for your pool surround. You can achieve the natural look of a timber deck, without the splinters. Composite decking won’t warp, rot or split either. And it’s still environmentally friendly as it’s made from recycled plastic and wood flour. Composite decking is elegant, just like tile. Durable, like bricks. And it’s easy to repair one board, like paving. But it’s non-slip, barefoot safe and has low porosity. Win-win.

Why don’t you take a look at samples of our composite decking to visualise what it could look like around your pool? Order FREE samples here.