Building Pool Deck [Archive]

matt4x4

03-29-2006, 10:33 AM

Hello,
I will be building a 16x16 pool deck real soon too.
Here are some things you have to consider when building a deck beside an AG pool.
First off - do you have frost??
If you don't EVER have frost, you can go over the top rail and put a fascia board along the front edge of the deck - this gives a really nice look, hides the rail behind it and you can climb right up on the deck without any worry of denting a top rail.
However, if you experience frost, then neither of your thoughts are a good idea, mainly for the following reasons:
(here I'm talking about a deck built on deck block)
Frost is unpredictable and the expansion encountered is relative to the moisture content in the soil - meaning you can have a spot that heaves 5" right beside a sopt that heaves 1" because there is a depression collecting water beside a hump that drains it.
So, your pool structure could heave more than the deck, so if the deck overhangs the pool, the structure will crush into the underside of the deck.
If your deck heaves more than the pool structure and you went under the lip, then the deck could tear your pool structure upwards.
The best way to do it in a frost area is to go beside the top rail leaving a 1/2 to 3/4" gap between the two structures.
There are also other factors, if you use footings that go below the frost line, the deck will not move, but the pool still will, you could go below the rail (never above) this way, but if frost heaving cause the ground to shift/settle, your pool may come down lower than it was last year and start to sit on your deck.
Go here for some nice pool plans, I'm going with the 16x16 side pool deck using composite as my floor likely picture framed around the perimeter since you can arc composite esily enough and finish it off with Aluminum Railing.
http://www.deckplans.com/Plans/PlanType.asp

MaxxFusion

03-29-2006, 10:53 AM

I looked at deckplans.com and going to go off of their plans some what but I am not a big fan of the deck blocks. I at going into the ground.

I guess when I say go over or under I mean the deck floor sitting above the pool or below a bit. I wasnt planning to really go underneath the actual lip of the pool. I am planning on leaving a small gap between the deck and pool so I can get my winter cover on next year.

matt4x4

03-29-2006, 03:40 PM

Ok, thanks for explaining!
I would go even with the top, aesthetically, I think it would be the best. WRT the winter cover, going under may make cover installation just a slight bit easier, but I don't think it would make a big enough difference to forego aesthetics..
I'm going with the deck block since my pool is over 100 feet from the house, if the deck were to be at the house I would use footings and tie it to the house, but it will be free standing.

mrduffin

03-29-2006, 04:25 PM

I did a deck for a 24' round AG pool several years ago and I ran the deck boards underneath the 4" top rail.

It looked finished because the top rail hid any problems with the radius cuts on the end of the deck boards. If you leave the deck boards long and butt them up to the rail, you can transfer the radius to the boards and after the radius is cut, you can slide the board under the top rail to get your length.

Worked good for my application.

IMherDad

03-29-2006, 09:52 PM

mrduffin

03-29-2006, 10:03 PM

I would love to see pictures of your decking if possible.

That was 22 years ago but I might be able to find a pic if the ms will help me out. I'll see what we can do.

I now have a 20 year old IG that needs and coping/concrete rehab. I have a post in the forum about that also.

huskerfan

03-30-2006, 03:12 AM

We built a 14x32' Timber Tech composite deck between our house and oval pool last summer. I absolutely love the TT finish. We went even with the pool rail- leaving about an inch gap between the deck and pool rail. With the slope to our backyard- it worked out so that we can go out our back garage door, be on the deck and go straight to the top of the pool. It's as close to an IG as we'll get. The most awesome part is our walk in steps by DunnRite. Only thing I'd do differently again is the spacing between our boards. We used some kind of finishing nail for spacers instead of a 16 pinny (sp??) nail. The guys thought it would "look" better than having the larger gaps, but for keeping it clean, the larger slots/openings would allow the debris to fall down between a lot easier. Here's a couple photos. The last photo was on the first day of spring this year, lol, pool and deck look enticing, huh!

matt4x4

03-30-2006, 08:41 AM

Hi Donya!
How are things??
So, your pool and deck have survived the first winter! Bet you can't wait to use it!
If I remember correctly, you used deck blocks to build your deck, not footings, did you by chance ever have a look over the winter to see if anything was heaving - like the deck sitting higher than it should etc.... if so, can you let us know what moved etc. Now that spring is here, everything is pobably back in it's proper place.

Thanks!

huskerfan

03-30-2006, 10:01 AM

Nice to hear from old friends from the forum again, and to see it buzzing and coming out of hibernation from the winter!

We actually poured cement footings with a bracket cemented in the top that we attached the (I believe) 4x4's to. By not setting the posts into the ground we hope to avoid the posts rotting out. If they should need replaced in the future it can be done easier too. I learned entirely too much about deck construction, and plumbing last summer, lol, just glad it's done!

I didn't notice any change at all in our deck this winter. It weathered very well with no heaving that I could tell. If you go with composite- it is recommended to use a plastic snow shovel, that is if you live in the cold country.

Also- I chose to go 12inches on center instead of the recommended 16inches by Timber Tech. The guys cussed me the whole time we built it, but it's as solid as a rock!

I highly recommend composite decking by a pool. The Timber tech does get a little hot in the sun- but the finish is nice to walk on. I used the twin finish boards with the vertigrain side up for extra traction with wet feet. They do have some that lock together - but the seep holes get clogged very easily with dirt/debris. We used those special screws that mushroom up a little- then you pound it down in and it covers the screw head. Makes a really nice finish. Like I said - use the 16pinny nail for gaps, though. We have a big deck - and I'm anal about keeping it clean - would have made my job much easier.

We left about an inch gap and notched around the uprights by the pool. It was plenty to put the winter cover down through. The worse part was getting on your knees to do it! It is enough gap that diving sticks... can fall down through- but I found a cool basket from Shopko that I keep all my fun toys, goggles... in and it helps solve that problem. We enjoy our pool 100 percent more with the deck and nice walk in steps.

pedsrn

03-30-2006, 11:01 AM

Last year, we built a deck above our 24' AG and I dearly love it. We used deck block and have had no problems, but we are farther south than you. We left a 2" gap above the top rail of the pool to allow for expansion and for the winter cover. However, this year, I actually just attached the cover directly to the deck using washers and screws instead of struggling to feed it through the crack (and having to get into small crawl spaces under the deck). It worked okay-I think with some minor adjustments (something larger under the cover) next year, it will work better. Here's some pics of ours...
good luck!
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8YctGrds2YXw&notag=1

matt4x4

03-30-2006, 12:15 PM

Nice work!
Up here I don't want to chance it with an overlap although that is my choice of how to do it for looks!
A fascia board inside the pool would be my personal preference on finishing the edge.

NWMNMom

03-30-2006, 12:56 PM

What a nice looking deck. We may install at some point down the road and probably will go with the composit rather than wood. Good point about the gaps for cleaning up.

Your yard looks as snowy and cold as ours! How is the pool holding up with the cold? Any issues?

huskerfan

03-30-2006, 03:35 PM

As far as I can tell the pool wintered just fine - honestly speaking, other than looking at the outside of the walls... I haven't looked under the cover all winter. I don't know how much ice it had etc... It amazes me that a little over a week ago we were covered in over 20 inches of snow- and today it's almost 70 degrees with no snow, but rain and the good 'ole tornado warnings have started. Everything's really greening up. Time to get back at my landscaping before all the grass/weeds pop up too much. Just swept the deck off and put some of my patio chairs out just before it downpoured so they got washed off good. Getting the fever here to get going!!

Nice deck pedsrn!

Matt, we finished off the outside of our deck with 12" fascia boards. They really look nice! Go with the 12" as it'll help cover up a lot of the structure below. We run our boards the lengthwise of the pool - thus didn't need the fascia between the deck and the pool as the boards have a nice finish on their edges. If you run the boards the other way, though - the fascia will finish it off nice. Although- since we went even with the pool, it would have been hard to attach the fascia boards. We got by without any railings as our daughter is 9 and we live out in the country. At one side where it is steep I have a nice bench we built out of the Timber Tech, it blocks off the edge. On the other side of the deck is my solar reel and a set of wide and shallow steps. I planted some Karl Forester grasses by the tall sides too to finish off the sides instead of using some type of lattice... It's all personal preference - I wanted a wide open view.

matt4x4

03-30-2006, 04:23 PM

Donya - you sound really excited to use the pool, a lot better than the outlook last year at this time!
At the rate things are moving here, it looks like I'm going to have to re write the AG pool construction Article that Ben so thoughtfully pinned up top since it died with the old forum - more work - oh well, I'll get to it!
I will also be using composite, TREX, I think it's likely the canadian equiv of timber tech since it also comes in the 2 sided panels - I will be doing the hidden screw system from underneath and will probably picture frame it in a darker color then go with a dark brown Aluminum railing on top.

huskerfan

03-30-2006, 05:04 PM

I was torn between Timber Tech and Trex, so I tracked down a couple different decks done in each. I ultimately went with TT because of the uniformity of the product: I went to two different lumber yards that stocked Trex, and the thickness of the boards varied from board to board. I also have a couple friends who have Trex decks and they have mildewed on them. One of the Trex decks was in the process of being built and it already had a lot of scratches on it. The vertigrain side of the TT hides scratches from sliding chairs... Trex is quite a bit cheaper, and has a better color assortment though. I've also seen a Trex deck that looked really nice, though, too. It all boils down to personal preference, though. You're the one who has to look at it every day and use it. Your aluminum railing sounds really nice! The composite deck railing is high priced- almost as much as building the deck. You'll be amazed how much more you'll enjoy using your pool!

That was an awesome article you wrote - it will be very helpful for many people if you'd repost it. Again, I'd like to thank you- you were there step by step, night by night when we were putting up our pool. This summer is going to be sooooooooo nice.

matt4x4

03-31-2006, 08:14 AM

Hi Donya,
I've researched the decking available here to quite an extent lately, and Trex is still our best choice, I've never seen anyone carry TT around here, so it may not be availanble in Canada. Their mold issues were abundant back in the early 2000's, to the point a class action lawsuit was filed, but this is not supposed to be an issue anymore since they changed the process.
I have a couple of other choices that look identical to trex, but their details in paperwork leave a lot to be desired - as well teh warranty period is half that of trex.
As for the aluminum railing, it is so much nicer than the composite, primarily because it is not as chunky looking, unfortunately, the price starts equal to composite and goes up from there. 1/3 my total cost will be the railing - ouch!
BUT - I'll never have to refinish anything, so all I have to do after building it is build a wet bar on it with a beer fridge, pull up a chair and relax!
Hey! - Maybe I'll rewrite my article then!!!

cvoytek

04-03-2006, 11:07 AM

I'm wondering whether to go under over or next to the pool myself. If you leave a gap (an inch between a level deck and pool rail) aren't you risking bending the rail? I assumed over the rail by an inch or so (using concrete dug in support - sonet tube) was the best way to go. There is no real right way to go on this or is there?

AG pool 24 ft 16/14 or so deck planned

matt4x4

04-03-2006, 02:21 PM

cvoytek,
I'm not sure what you mean by " aren't you risking bending the rail?"
I'm planning on building my deck next to the pool like Huskerfan's pictures show, leaving 1/2" - 1" gap between the two structures, the only way I can see bending the rail would be if people walk on it, however, in my case, teh pool structure is blow molded resin, it's extrmely strong, and the likely hood of anyone walking on it is slim to none.
My deck will be built on a floating foundation - I think it will heave/settle with frost about the same as the pool.
However, if you use sonotube and go over your rail, you are limiting how much frost expansion can occur, once you hit your maximum, the pool will push up into the underside of the deck and the wall will crush, if you go under the rail and the pool settles beyound where it is now, the pool rail will end up sitting on your deck and may separate from the remaining structure if the pool settles even more. Leaving a small gap between the two should allow for them to act as sepaprate entities without any interference to each other.

huskerfan

04-03-2006, 03:11 PM

I agree completely with Matt- actually he was influencial in how we built ours! I'm really glad we went the way we did. The only downside is that a diving stick will fall down in that crack- that's why I found a neat basket with a lid that flips up for all our pool toys, goggles... I hope we don't have to replace our liner for a long, long, time, though- no matter what position you put the edge of your deck up to your pool, it would make it a real pain to take the top seats off to do a replacement. Positioning your deck under the top rail on our pool would make this chore even harder yet, positioning your deck over top of the top rail makes that step down into the pool even farther down, along with the heaving issues Matt mentioned. The older one gets - even an inch can make a big difference. I wouldn't worry about your top rail bending- they're made nowdays to be able to handle being walked on, even though we don't.

cvoytek

04-08-2006, 11:25 AM

Thx for the advice. It turns out the one deck i remember seeing while growing up was done incorrectly with the deck overhanging the pool. I asked and they said don't do it that way because of the cover issues as well as the frost heave. Thanks Matt and Husker!

Islander2C

04-08-2006, 03:15 PM

We have just completed our pool deck. Only took hubby 2 years....but he did a high quality...last a lifetime....could have elephants on it...professional Job! We live in Canada and have lots of frost so we left a 3inch gap between pool and deck (Glad we did, because one part of the deck is almost touching the pool right now. It moved on our retaining wall side) and have floor a bit higher than pool.
We didn't want kids to step on top rail of pool, so we went higher with deck. Hope you can see by these pictures. Can't wait for warm weather!!! Feels like winter out there today!
Good luck with your pool deck....It will be well worth it!

traceyb

11-21-2006, 06:21 PM

http://img192.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1001745oz4.jpg

This is our deck so far... the lattice and spindles are now complete. It is 32 feet out from the house and 24 feet out the other way. Enjoy ... we will.

NWMNMom

04-18-2007, 10:20 PM

Here is the start of our 16x14 deck. We went even with the top rail, leaving a small gap to maintain covers, etc. As you can see, Dek Blocks were used for a "floating" system to deal with frost heaving issues. Still much to do but its basically together, details aplenty are left to do including railings to complete, post caps, trim, etc. Lattice and landscaping all need to be done. We used ChoiceDek brand composite in "grey" for the flooring, but did decide to use the treated wood for the rails. After waiting a year for them to dry out (next spring) we will paint with the "lifetime" paint to match our house trim in a hunter green. I believe I will go with grey for the lattice as well. The outside pool wall is a very light grey design as well.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/wmfids/pool/DCP_0398.jpg

The pool and deck are maybe 50' from the house and not even visible from the road due to the pine trees on the north side of the pool. The pool was built into an "alcove" in the yard for that purpose and because it was out of the way for the farm truck that goes in between to an area in the back of the house. Unfortunately, there was an electrical pole over there - can't do anything about where that is. Anyone got any ideas to hide or pretty it up? A matching octagon shaped lattice housing around the bottom? there are limits to what we can do being it belongs to the electric company. Any suggestions on that and perhaps good, frost hearty shrubs that do well around pools and look great too.