One of the biggest trends in outdoor design today is a decorative concrete pool deck—an inviting, multipurpose area surrounding the pool where people can entertain, sunbathe or just hang out when they aren’t doing the backstroke. That makes the pool deck even more essential as an element in swimming pool design. While a pool deck may essentially look and function like a patio, it has unique requirements for slip resistance, sun reflectivity and orientation.
Decorative concrete has opened the door to creating pool decks that complement the exterior of the home, meld with the outdoor environment, and replicate traditionally more expensive materials such as slate, stone or even wood. Pools are becoming more specialized with a stronger emphasis on aesthetics, transforming the pool and backyard area into a mini resort with lighting, sound systems, spas, waterfalls and fountains. Today’s space-challenged backyards have also led to a trend in smaller swimming pools, enhanced by leisure areas that extend the indoor living space.
