Concrete pool decks in Peoria IL - a deck that grips under wet, bare feet
Cracked, slick or puddled concrete around your pool? We pour a new deck that grips under bare feet and drains away from the pool.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What goes into a new concrete pool deck in Peoria?
A concrete pool deck is the slab around your pool, and in Peoria we build it for grip under wet, bare feet, water that drains away from the pool and the house, and a surface that holds up to our winters. Most of the real work happens in the planning and the ground prep, and the deck isn't ready to use until the concrete has cured.
Most folks who call us are either putting in a new pool and need the concrete around it, or living with an old deck they've stopped trusting. The price mostly comes down to the deck's size and shape, whether old concrete has to come out first and which finish you pick, while the schedule turns on the season, what the city or village wants before we start and the time new concrete needs to cure. I'll give you the number for your own deck at the estimate, after I've walked the yard.
How do you know your pool deck needs replacing?
Slick after a splash
If the deck feels slippery once it's wet, the surface has usually worn smooth or was finished too slick to begin with. That's the problem that gets somebody hurt, so it's worth fixing before next swim season instead of after.
Cracked or tipped slabs
Cracks that wander across the deck, or slabs that have dropped or lifted at the edges, usually mean the ground underneath settled or the joints were in the wrong places. Raised edges catch toes, and water getting into those cracks opens them a little wider every winter.
Puddles or runoff into the pool
Water that sits on the deck or runs back toward the pool or the house means the slab doesn't fall the way it should. Standing water stays slick, and runoff carries dirt and grass clippings into the pool you're paying to keep clean.
How we build a concrete pool deck
Before anything gets dug, I sit down with you about finishes and sealers with grip in mind, because how the deck feels under wet bare feet matters more around a pool than anywhere else. Then we plan where the water goes so it runs away from the pool and the house, not back in. Our crew digs out and packs the subgrade, which is the ground the slab sits on, because a base that's only raked flat settles with the dirt and takes the concrete down with it. We pour early in the day instead of in midday heat, which can leave a weak, dusty top, then cut control joints, grooves that give the concrete a place to crack where we chose instead of across the middle of a panel. After that the deck cures, the stretch where concrete gains its strength before it takes traffic, and then it gets sealed. If the budget gets tight, people usually want to trim the base because nobody sees it on day one, and that's the cut I'll talk you out of, since a nice finish on a bad base won't stay nice for long.
A pool deck rarely stands alone. If your back door sits high or the yard drops toward the water, we can build concrete steps that meet the deck at the right height, and if a pool house is in the plans, we can pour its slab foundation as part of the same job.
Deck around a new pool
This suits you if the pool is still going in, because the deck and the pool shell can move differently, so we follow the pool designer's isolation and joint details instead of locking the two together. Working from those plans early also lets the drainage get laid out once, the right way.
Replacing a worn-out deck
This suits an older pool where the deck has cracked, sunk or gone slick, and the old concrete has to come out first. Tear-out is when we find out whether the base was ever packed, and we fix that before pouring so the new deck doesn't repeat the old one's problems.
Get a price on your pool deck, measured on site
Send us a few details and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. The estimate is free and done in person at your house, and there's no pressure to book once you've seen the number.
(309) 306-3513What a concrete pool deck in Peoria has to handle
The City of Peoria issues permits through its Development Center at City Hall, and its permit list names adding or moving a deck but doesn't name concrete pool decks, so whether your job needs one isn't settled until someone asks. If the pool itself is part of the work, the city's Building Safety page has a pool permit application. Before we schedule, we look into what the city, or your village if you're outside Peoria, wants for the job, handle the permit paperwork when it's ours to file, and tell you plainly if anything falls on your end.
The city's own design criteria rate concrete weathering here as severe, so durability goes into every deck plan we write, starting with a packed base and drainage that keeps water from sitting on the slab and freezing. Concrete guides also warn against working the top too hard on outdoor slabs in freeze-thaw country, so it's fair to ask any crew how they finish, us included. We plan decks the same way in East Peoria and Morton, where the winters are just as hard on concrete.
What happens after you call about a pool deck in Peoria?
Call or send us a message
Call (309) 306-3513 or use the form and tell us a little about the pool and the deck you're picturing. We'll set a time to come look at the yard.
I walk the yard and measure
I come out myself, measure, see where the water runs now and ask a lot of questions about how you use the pool. You get an estimate for your deck, and I'd rather spend extra time at your kitchen table going over what goes under the concrete than leave you guessing about the price.
We set the date
Once you're ready and the permit question is settled, we put the job on the calendar. We pick the date with the season in mind so the concrete gets its curing time.
Our crew builds it with me
I work alongside our crew from the dig-out and base through the pour, the joints and the cleanup. The deck then needs to cure before the furniture and the foot traffic go back on, and we'll tell you when it's ready.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best finish for a concrete pool deck so it isn't slippery?
A textured finish like a broom finish usually gives wet bare feet the most grip, because the light ridges dragged across the surface give your feet something to hold. Exposed aggregate, coated, overlay and decorative finishes each grip and heat up differently, and very dark finishes can get uncomfortable in full sun. The sealer changes how a finish feels too, so pick the two together.
How often does a concrete pool deck need to be resealed?
Somewhere between every 18 months and every five years, depending on the sealer. One sealer maker's guide puts film sealers at a recoat every 18 to 24 months and penetrating sealers at three to five years, though the penetrating kind brings out less color. So the choice is a richer look with more frequent recoats, or less color with fewer of them.
How long does new concrete need before freezing weather or deicers?
Long enough to cure and build up its strength, which is why the pour gets timed so that stretch comes before severe freezing. Hold off on deicing salts and chemicals even once the new surface looks and feels hard, because looking done and being ready for a freeze aren't the same thing.
Do I need a permit for a pool deck in Peoria?
Maybe, because Peoria's permit list doesn't name concrete pool decks, so the city's Development Center is where to get a firm answer. We check it before scheduling your job, as covered in the Peoria section above.
How much does a concrete pool deck cost in Peoria?
We can't give you a fair number until we've seen the yard, because pool decks vary more than most flatwork, the trade's name for flat slabs like driveways, patios and decks. Curves and cutouts around the pool mean more forming and more joints, tearing out an old deck adds labor and hauling, and a decorative finish costs more than a broom finish. Call (309) 306-3513 and I'll come measure.
What causes a concrete pool deck to crack?
Usually it's ground that settled under the slab or joints in the wrong places. Joints work best when they're planned around curves, drains, corners and the shape of the deck, because long, narrow or odd-shaped panels tend to crack on their own.
Peoria, IL
Start planning your new pool deck
Call (309) 306-3513 or use the form, and have the deck's rough size, the pool's age and the finish you like handy so we can get right to the useful part.