How To Know How Much Decking You Need Around Your Pool

Pool Deck Needs To Be Resurfaced

When the time comes where you find yourself in a position to have a new pool installed into the backyard of your home, there are some considerations that need to be accounted for before you call the design finished. One of the biggest things that you need to take into consideration is the total amount of decking you need around the pool itself. The amount of decking you have can enhance how you use the pool, where you store your equipment and how many features you can add on to your pool down the road. Don’t know how much decking you need? Well down below, you will find our guide to how much decking your in-ground pool needs!

We know that building the pool is one of the most expensive things any homeowner can add on to their home, so sometimes the bare minimum of decking may be the only choice. In these cases, the decking surrounding the pool isn’t meant to be walked on our for furniture but a structural piece of the pool itself. For these cases, at least 18″ or 1 1/2 feet are required around the pool to give the inground pool structure to support itself. But don’t worry, concrete can always be added on to and if down the road you have more money saved up, you can expand the decking for a much more affordable price.

One of the biggest things you need to take into consideration when having your deck planned out is how you are going to use it. Believe it or not, most homeowners use the pool deck more than the actual pool, so depending on the type of family or person you are, your deck may need to be larger or smaller. Some common considerations you should make on your deck is if you plan on entertaining guests, if you plan on using pool furniture to soak up some sun or if you just wish to stand around the pool. Another major consideration is if you have children, if children are present, you may want a larger pool deck to reduce the chance of them slipping and falling into the pool. If all else fails, remember one thing, larger is always better!

When you are building the pool and pool deck, future add ons may slip your mind due to the massive amount of money the pool installation already costs. But, one of the most important things to remember is that add ons will always require more pool decking. From slides, rock features and even spas will need more space when they are eventually added on. If you have larger trees in your yard or neighboring yards, you may also be eying a deck cover which will also take a portion of your decking so make sure to plan ahead when you are building your deck!

One of the best ways to enhance your pool and backyard is with landscaping but it isn’t as simple as planting a few plants and waiting. When you are designing your pool deck, you need to make sure you don’t underestimate how big of an area you need to make your plans a reality. Remember, plants will always grow and so will their roots, so if you don’t leave large enough of an area for these features to grow, it may cause substantial damage to your pool decking not to mention all of the costly repairs!

We know that most of the time, a diving board is the perfect add on for a family that loves to swim or just to spice up the entertainment the pool provides. But when you wish to install your diving board, there is a requirement of underlying decking that must be maintained to keep your pool in code. The minimal amount of pool decking required to install a diving board is 8 feet. This will ensure that the diving board is stable and has enough room and that at least 4 feet of the board goes is over the pool.

We know that planning out the deck and pool at the same time can be extremely stressful but thankfully, millions of other people have already gone through this process! In our experience, one of the most beneficial ways you can have pool decking installed is at least 4 feet of decking on the sides and 8 feet of decking at the ends of the pool. This will leave you with ample room for add ons, areas to store your pool equipment and plenty of room to walk around your pool safely. 

Now that you know a few of the common considerations that go into the design of pool decking, we hope that you plan the pool of your dreams! We wish you the best of luck and remember to stay cool out there!