Pool Deck Finish Selector

Pool decks weight slip resistance and barefoot heat more than any other surface. With hot sun and slip resistance as the priority, the selector ranks the finishes like this:

Broom finish (medium) and Exposed aggregate finish within a few points of each other. Broom is the baseline price for poured concrete, while exposed aggregate costs more but hides stains. Our guide to the best concrete finish for pool decks walks through each option with photos.

Switch the priority to barefoot comfort and the order changes: the mild textures move up and the coarse ones drop.

Light broom finish keeps good wet grip with a texture that is comfortable underfoot. Exposed aggregate drops to 65/100 here unless you choose small or polished stones. See a broom finish pool deck for the look.

The International Swimming Pool and Spa Code requires slip-resistant decks around pools but does not rate individual concrete finishes. ANSI A326.3, a test method for hard-surface flooring such as tile, recommends a minimum wet friction value (DCOF) of 0.55 for level exterior wet areas, with caveats (summary of the 2022 revision). No published table rates concrete finishes against it, so texture and sealer choice decide real-world grip.

Broom finish (medium) and exposed aggregate score 5/5. Smooth troweled concrete scores 1/5 and is ruled out. Details on texture levels: broom finish concrete.

It can be. According to Concrete Decor, a slick stamped pool deck is usually caused by the sealer, not the stamp. Flat patterns are the worst; grit additives help but do not make the surface nonslip. Even a traditional-style pool deck ranks stamped below the textured finishes:

With a traditional look as the priority, Salt finish leads at 72/100 and stamped scores 59. If you want stamped, use an aggressive texture, a penetrating or low-solids sealer and a grit additive near water. Patterns and pricing: stamped concrete.

Texture changes how a deck feels; color decides how hot it gets. New gray concrete reflects 30–50% of sunlight. In Solomon Colors' integral color tests, white-pigmented concrete reflected 52–59% of sunlight, while dark tones like slate and bark reflected 15–22%, roughly half or less. Concrete Network reports that dark brick and tile decks get extremely hot.

Dark integral colors reflect about half as much sunlight as light ones, so they run noticeably hotter. Lighter tints are covered in colored concrete.

Cool deck toppings come in two kinds. According to the Mortex contractor brochure, Keystone Kool Deck is a cement topping splashed onto fresh concrete on the day of the pour, so it is a new-construction choice. Generic spray-applied cool deck coatings go over new or existing slabs. Mortex says Kool Deck significantly lowers the surface temperature of concrete; that is a manufacturer claim without a published figure, and most of the cooling comes from light color. The selector does not score coatings, so treat a cool deck as an add-on to a light-colored base finish. Our cool deck vs Kool Deck comparison covers installation, heat and grip.

Northern pool decks face winter as well as wet feet. With a freeze-thaw climate set, salt finish drops out and broom moves further ahead:

Broom finish (medium) scores 90/100. Salt finish is ranked last here because water in the pits freezes and spalls.

Poured concrete is the budget choice: about $6–12 per square foot installed for a plain finish, $8–16 for exposed aggregate and $8–28 for stamped. Travertine pavers are the most common stone alternative; see our travertine pool deck guide. Price a concrete deck with SlabCalc's concrete pool deck cost calculator, or compare pavers in the paver patio cost calculator. More layouts: concrete pool deck ideas.

Pool water, sunscreen and chlorine splash all reach the deck. Penetrating sealers keep more grip than film-forming ones, and grit in a film sealer wears off and must be renewed at each reseal.

For finishes on other surfaces, use the concrete finish selector. Scoring sources are on our methodology page.