If you are looking for the perfect foot feel for that gorgeous new pool you actually have a lot of options. From travertine to wood to natural or artificial grass, there are a great number of choices with an equal variety of cost. Let’s have a look.
Wood = Tropical Hardwoods. Extremely dense and highly durable, these materials are rich in colour, resistant to insects and decay, and can last up to 25 years. They are also expensive, heavy and hard to work – so hard in fact that you cannot hammer a nail without drilling a hole first. Avoid dark woods if your pool deck will see a lot of afternoon sun because they will heat up like a frying pan. Also be prepared for many of these woods to fade to a light grey as the sun bleaches out the colour.
1 Red Balau
2 Golden Ironwood
3 Ipe (eepay)
4 Cambara
5 Cumaru
Despite the many attempts to mimic the look of authentic wood decking one thing is clear, you can’t fool the eye. And, if you’re going to claim that your product improves on Mother Nature, you better be sure it can handle whatever Mother Nature throws at it! As you can see from the picture above, that ipe deck lining the beach has been in place for years. It withstands the daily pressures of sun, rain, daily traffic, wind, sand, and every conceivable element you can think of. As you can see, it’s been holding up nicely.
Composite Decking. Made by combining a blend of plastic and waste wood fibers, these boards won’t splinter and don’t need to be stained or painted. Yet composites are more expensive and heavier than most woods and must be scrubbed regularly to prevent mildew.
1 Brasilia from Trex – recycled polyethylene and waste wood. 25 year warrantee.
2 Exotics from Monarch – Virgin plastic and recycled wood flooring. 20 year warrantee.
Travertine – Quickly becoming the most popular of poolside options, travertine comes on many colors, shapes, and prices. It can be laid on concrete or, for a more frugal solution on a bed of compacted sand.
We installed this lovely light Mexican Travertine in a recently completed Crystal Harbour home. First cost (uninstalled) is typically about CI $5.00 a sq/ft – a similar cost to indoor flooring.
This Silver Travertine was the choice of another Phoenix client. It is more expensive (double) but stunning and will last a lifetime.
This Phoenix client opted to tile the border of his pool with the Silver Travertine and bridge the space between the covered lanai with artificial grass – a dramatic presentation.
This natural grass and Travertine solution looks great for with this perimeter overflow pool.
