I have salt and it looks nice but it's very slippery. I have to say, if I had to do it again I would probably go with Kooldeck even though I didn't think it looked that great.

I would definitely NOT do aggregate again. The rocks are sharp and I worry constantly about a child falling and slicing their knee on the concrete. I also was unhappy with how the aggregate turned out - the exposure is too uneven. But that was an issue with our particular project. On the plus side, it does have a lot of traction.

Can't use aggregate or salt finish here in Southern Nevada, they both get way too hot for bare feet. We are redoing a pool deck and my DH is my contractor, so I have had him bring home stone samples and put them in the sun. It hasn't been hot enough to make a decision yet, but will be 90 this coming week. I want to do stone as I dont like the look of kooldeck, have had it for 14 years and want a change. Hoping to do travertine pavers if I can find it locally and not break the bank. Maybe you can go see a few pools in your area and give them the bare feet test. Barb

My friend has aggregate and it is HOT and rough. We have acrylic decking and it is sooo much cooler. I can walk around the pool and not burn my feet. I'm not saying it doesn't get hot, everything here in AZ gets hot in the summer ; ), but it is bearable.

Thanks everyone for your feedback! I think we are leaning towards the salt deck now. I was hesitant about doing aggregate because of how it would feel on the feet.

Does anyone know about scoring the concrete to look like a tile pattern? Is there additional costs involved to have it scored?

Likes and dislikes, that's what makes our world what it is.
IMO, a rainbow mini peagravel exposed seeded aggregate deck is the best of all, even in SE Texas. Brutally affordable, shows very well, and easy on the feet is how mine turn out.
Most complaints levied against an aggregate finish are because the applicator used to large of a rock.
What I like the most is that you can come back after years of service and give it an acid wash to make it look like it was new again.
Coolkat,
You can get stained and scored concrete for about the same price as a knockdown acrylic (Sundek) finish.
It's a good look, but to look the best you need to have a very smooth concrete finish. When you do this it becomes slickish with wet feet. IMO, it's better for an inside the home application where the buyer doesn't want carpet, tile, or hardwood floors.

just my .02

See ya,
Kelly

tess tx said, "I have salt and it looks nice but it's very slippery. I have to say, if I had to do it again I would probably go with Kooldeck even though I didn't think it looked that great."

You can broom finish over the salt finish and it won't be at all slick. You can also score or saw a salt finish deck to add texture/interest.

How about a sandblast finish? We have colored concrete, with 3' diagnol scores and a sandblast finish. It has a nice look and is not slippery. We are happy with the look. I orignally wanted to go with a stamped concrete finish to help hide the inevitable cracks that are always sure to appear. My wife however wanted to go with a more "formal" finish and I think that this fit the bill and saved money. We are near the beach in Southern California and do not deal with extreme temperatures, so I am not entirely sure about how it compares to other for retaining heat. Here is a pic of our concrete:

Regards,

Mike

Kelly - I agree on the aggregate and how it shows well. I just wish I could be confident in the aggregate application but I worry that it might be done with the bigger pebbles :(

Mike - I really like the look of your deck. Was the color mixed with the concrete or did they do it after the poured the deck? I will ask about the sandblast finish - our pool company only mentioned broom or salt finish for concrete.

Our construction supervisor is coming out tomorrow to go over the details. I will also ask about the broom finish over the salt finish.

We also have an exisiting concrete broom finish patio that the pool deck will meet so i'm trying to go with something that will blend well with both the current patio and the new pool deck.

Thanks for all the great ideas and keep em coming ;)

kurtv...any ideas for a deck that is already done and did not have a broom finish? It's been stained and sealed twice with a "non-slip" finish...which does great, as long as it never gets wet!!

T

tess,
Not really (that finish is just what we had done). Sorry.

My brand new concrete deck looks bad---was acid washed, very uneven and rough edges on joints where it was worked too dry --- I am asking Landscaper to sandblast it --- if he refuses, is it that hard to do one's self? I have used sandblast equipment for metal work in the past--- is concrete that much different? is concrete sandblast equipment any different then the basic compressed air sandblast equipment--- thanks!

coolkat97 wondering what decking you decided on. We are also trying to decide between aggregate or some other type of concrete finish. Will you please post a picture of your pool and deck, thanks.

We decided on the salt finish deck and are very happy with it. It goes well with our style of pool and is not hot under our feet even in the Texas sun. Here are some pics of the finished pool and decking. I need to take some new ones now that our grass and landscaping is growing in :)

Good luck with your decisions and let me know if you have any questions. I'm happy to help!

coolkcat97 Very nice pool and deck. Does your salt finish concrete have color added to it? and how is it for not being to slippery? Thanks for your quick response with the pictures and info, we will need to make our decision soon so anything I can learn here really helps.

Thanks

Our salt finish is just the plain salt finish no color added. We were looking at colors but didn't see any we really loved. We may add color later but here in Texas you have to be careful the color won't make it too hot.

As for as the slippery factor, it is not slippery at all. Our 7 year old twins have tested it daily and so far so good!

Hi, coolkat97 and/or anyone else who has input,

I've been researching what type of concrete to use on our new patio. Though I like the look of stamped concrete, I'm interested in finding something more cost effective for this large space.

I came across this forum and see that you live in Texas and chose the salt finish. We also live in Texas and the hot concrete is certainly a concern. We have a 2 small children and I am also concerned about them slipping. You say your concrete is not slippery at all, is that true even when it's wet? How would it be to play basketball on? Or for rollerblades?

You mentioned adding color later. Have y'all added color as of this date or has it remained the usual concrete gray? Also, do you recall what size salt you used?

Your patio and pool areas are beautiful. Considering the weather lately, it's only a matter of weeks, and perhaps even days until you'll be enjoying them for another long, hot summer.

Thanks for your help and insight!