Kool Deck restoration options

Looking for input on Kool Deck restoration options. My pool here in Phoenix is 24 years old and has the standard Kool Deck surface. The deck is faded with some staining, a few hairline cracks, and one small area of delamination & spalling off the concrete, but otherwise seems mechanically sound. Goal is to get back to like-new appearance of the same type of deck - not an upgrade to pavers, stamped concrete, etc. Three options have emerged, I’d like input on the tradeoffs please.

All three include grinding off the delaminated area to bare concrete, applying a matching patch, then filling/injecting the hairline concrete cracks. But contractors propose three different methods to restore the rest of the deck area where the Kool Deck is in good shape. One is a “paint”, the other two use the modern acrylic alternative to Kool Deck – they refer to it as a “coating”, but it’s a combination of acrylic and cement applied as a textured surface similar to Kool Deck. Said to have higher strength and good adhesion to cured concrete. Options:

1 – Pressure wash and apply a coating. Mortex (Kool Deck manufacturer), Ramuc, and EZ Pooldeck all have acrylic coatings (“paint”) for this application. Advantage is cost; disadvantages include making the deck somewhat hotter (and possibly slicker when wet), and likely less durable. This option can be tested in a small area. The coating part could be DIY, but I don’t have the skills to do the patch.

2 – Pressure wash and acid etch the Kool Deck, then apply a new acrylic textured surface over the top of the sound Kool Deck and to patch the ground-off damaged area.

3 – Grind off ALL the Kool Deck to bare concrete, and apply the new acrylic textured deck as though this were new construction.

#3 has added cost to grind off the Kool Deck, but the contractor argues it doesn’t rely on continued good adhesion of the 24-year-old surface, the main risk of options 1 & 2. Seems like Options 2 & 3 would both provide longer life than #1. Any input from owners or contractors with experience with the three options? Especially whether the old Kool Deck adhesion is a real risk, and performance of the Option 1 acrylic “paint”. Thanks!

Dear gary_az,

I need some of your experience. My Kool deck is only about 10 years old. Over the past few years it has delaminated in a few areas and mildew's terribly. With that I have to pressure wash it every year and being careful to not be very aggressive as it will flake off ..... certainly in the problem areas but also anywhere else it is thin.
I have been considering removing the kool deck and replacing it with some other product. My family and I have been very satisfied with how well it keeps the concrete cool but the maintenance and the flaking are my problem ..... at 66 years old, I am ready for an improvement. If I follow through with this project, I will contract it out. Even though I live in a small SW Georgia town, I will find someone to get this done.
What was the result with your project mentioned on this forum? What did you end up doing and how did it work out? Any thing that you would change for the next time?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Jim Kempf
Leesburg, GA

I'm sorry, but I don't have a good answer for you. I did some further research, but ended up having the pool re-plaster and re-tile done without doing the deck, and planned to do the deck later with a different contractor. Then a career change and health problems took priority, and it's still not done.

After further research, I found a contractor with a good reputation who recommended #2 -- grind only the flaking area and apply the modern product which I started to hear referred to as "acrylic lace", and a coating on the sound Kook Deck. Probably with the risks and disadvantages mentioned in the original post, but 4 years later there's been no further peeling of the Kool Deck. The cost was low enough that the risk seemed minimal even if it had to be completely re-done. But as I said, I've not tested my latest theory yet, and the health problems may mean a new owner gets to make the decision :)

I was excited to see this thread but unfortunately there's no input.

Dang.

I have the same issue. Ugly and faded 30 year-old Kool Deck which I applied a layer of Supercrete (some kind of concrete recommended at the time) over the deck which actually lasted about 8 years before it began to fade off. Now 12 years later I'm back to square one and thinking about having the deck stained,

A contractor in the Boston area with a good reputation is recommending I go this route as a cheaper alternative to rebuilding the old deck. He wants to power spray the deck to remove the loose Supercrete and Kool Deck and stain over that. I'm concerned about the deck becoming slippery and general appearance.

Any level of comments or insight about this situation would be greatly appreciated,

Thank you!

"... any level of comments or insights..."

Whew! Thanks for lowering the bar. :)

I'm certainly no expert on concrete or decking except that I have lots of each (10 to 30 years old)...

I believe that contractors can add grit or sand to deck surfacing applications in order to improve traction. Boston would be just the place I'd expect contractors to know much about slippery concrete!

You may receive more knowledgeable answers but if not, in your bid process, explore these options with applicants. Some contractors have a one-solution bid for every project so you'd want to avoid them.