Pool deck cleaning, and how we wash around a pool without the mess

A pool deck sees more bare feet, more splashed water and more algae growth than almost any other surface on a property, which is exactly what makes it one of the more satisfying areas for us to bring back to its original colour. It also means the wash has to be handled with more care than usual, since the pool itself sits right there for the entire job and has to stay out of it. This guide covers what makes a pool deck different from a driveway or a patio, and what we do to keep the pool itself out of the mess while we work.

Polymeric sanding is for interlock and paver joints on surfaces like driveways, patios and walkways, where sand packed between the stones is what holds the whole surface together. Wood decks and pool decks get pressure washing only, since sanding simply is not part of how those surfaces are built or how they are meant to be maintained over time. If you have heard the two services mentioned together elsewhere, this is the distinction that actually matters, and it is worth knowing before you book anything so you are not expecting a step that does not apply to your deck.

Algae and general grime building up on a pool deck do more than just look bad and dull the colour of the concrete or stone underneath. They make the surface noticeably more slippery underfoot, and that matters more here than almost anywhere else on a property, since it is the exact surface people are walking across barefoot and already wet from the pool. A deck that looked fine at the start of last season can go from mildly dull to genuinely slippery over a single summer without anyone quite noticing the change day to day.

Pressure and technique are matched to whatever the deck is actually made of, a softer wash for wood, more pressure for concrete and stone, with nothing cleaned at a level of force it was never built to handle. The goal on every pool deck is the same colour back on the surface and the slip risk gone, without damaging the material in the process of getting there. Surfaces right at the coping edge of the pool get the same careful matching, since that is often the most worn and most walked on section of the whole deck.

We keep cleaning solution off your plants and grass throughout the job, rinsing anything with plain water right away if overspray lands somewhere it should not. We take that same care right at the pool's edge, rinsing thoroughly as we go rather than letting anything run or drift toward the water while we work.

We knock or text when we arrive, then walk the whole area first before any equipment comes out. Anything light still sitting on the deck, like furniture, planters or pool toys, we move clear ourselves and put back exactly where it was before we leave. Our guide on how to prepare for pressure washing day covers what helps most on your end before we show up.

It is a genuinely messy process while it is underway, and anything close to where we are working is going to get sprayed at some point. A pool close by will likely need a clean afterwards unless the cover is on tight during the job, so that is worth planning around and factoring into your day before we start rather than being a surprise afterward.

Before we leave we walk the whole job again from one end to the other, and we text or call you if you are not home to confirm everything is finished the way it should be. If anything is not right when we look at it together, we sort it out before we go rather than leaving it for a second visit.

Rust marks left behind by metal furniture, tannin stains from nearby trees, and a handful of other stain types will not fully lift no matter how carefully the deck is washed. Send us a photo of what you are seeing before the job and we will tell you straight what we think can come out, the exact same honest approach we take on a driveway or a patio.

A lot of pool deck requests come in right before or right after the pool opens for the season, when growth from a closed up winter is at its worst or when a summer of use has left the surface looking dull. Either point in the season works, and we schedule around a dry window the same way we do for any pressure washing job, moving to the next clear day if heavy rain, high wind or freezing conditions are in the forecast.

Every quote is free, and we measure the area in square metres and price it off that rather than a flat rate. Send a photo of the deck along with the address and we will get you a real number, with the price fixed for the scope before we ever start the job.