[timbo59]

I guess this is the place to put my post, as I can't think of where else it could go!

The pool deck in the house we recently purchased needs a little repair work in places. The major problem is a spot towards one corner, where an area of acouple of square feet has cracked and come loose. Note the attached picture.

Does anyone have any idea how I can patch it up and render a finish similar to the surrounding deck? The picture doesn't show it very well, but the deck has a stucco look to the finish, like it got splattered, then smoothed over. I don't know what kind of material to use, but my best guess is that i have to apply a patch to adequately fill the hole to its depth of about 3/8" inches, then go over it later to get the stucco finish?

Once it's all fixed up and patched I intend giving the deck a good clean with Chlorine and a pressure washer, then paint over it.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Bud Cline]

What you have there is called (among other names) Kool Deck. You are correct it is splashed on (dashed on) with a special brush then at the right time trowelled to create flat spots. The product is available at masonry supply companies and is easy to work with. It is really just marble dust/sand and portland cement and comes in several colors.

I would chisel off what remains, (it's all separating anyway) acid etch the base concrete, use a concrete primer then re-dash the slab and trowel it. You won't match what you have perfectly but you can get close.

If you try to fill the missing area then patch over it it will look like a patch job.

 

[timbo59]

Hi again Bud.

You lost me. Are you telling me to remove the entire pool deck and start completely from scratch, or the area round the hole? That's one heck of a repair job if you're suggesting the former!

 

[Bud Cline]

No, just the area around the hole for now. The thing is...if that one spot is spoiled there are likely more areas spoiling. You can use a broom stick and tap-around on different areas looking for a hollow sound when you tap. Hollow equates to separation of the coating from the substrate.

One thing just occurred to me. When you buy that pool deck product you have to buy it in "units". I don't remember what a single unit consists of but you will have more than enough to repair other areas if the notion moves you.

What part of the country are you in?

 

[timbo59]

Hey Bud,
Florida - that's why the pool deck is so black, between the heavy summer rains, heat, and high moisture!

Yeah, I already picked up the point about the hollow sound - that's why the hole is so large. To start with it was only about 6 inches across, but I kept chipping away at all the hollow sounding areas as they had obviously separated from the subsurface. I've tapped around the rest of the pool deck, and surprisingly the rest of it is pretty sound.