Help cleaning pool deck Please!

15 years ago

I need some help. My wife is getting so fed up with trying to keep our pool deck clean, she is about ready to sell the house. The problem is we can't find an easy way to maintain it and it is almost impossible to clean.

I believe our deck is Acrylic or Kool deck and we get constant algea on the drain tracks as they stay in the shade. When it rains, our roof pitch is so great that the water often overruns the gutters and falls on the deck keeping it stained black. Not sure what it is but has to have something to do with the shingles.

Our builder said not to use a pressure washer but we have long been using one and the only way you can get the black stuff up is with a zero nozzle which can't be good for it. With a zero nozzle, it takes all darn day to get it clean also.

Can someone recommend the best way to get our deck clean and how to keep it clean? Is there something you can put on it that will get up roof stains and kill algea?

Thanks for any help!

Featured Answer

gatorguy

15 years ago

So from your screen name, I'm going to guess you live here in humidity central.
I'm sure others will have some better ideas, but here are a few thoughts. First, if your gutters are overflowing and they aren't filled w/leaves, I would suggest having a deeper/wider more appropriate gutter put in to eliminate part of the problem, not just treat the symptom.
Next, Kooldeck here in Fl will always build up mildew and algae. I have always had to powerwash my deck 1-2 times per year to keep it looking relatively clean. We recently refinished the pool and deck and had a new acrylic concrete surface put it which the GC said would be easier to clean than the kooldeck, and it looks good, but it has only been in through the summer. Pavers would be another, though more expensive choice.
Lastly, I dont know what PSI your pressure washer is but the 0 nozzle seems excessive. Using some bleach from the pool store and diluting it and brushing it down or using w/the pressure washer should make it easier to clean.
If your interested in talking to my contracter, let me know.

Here is a link that might be useful: acrylic concrete photos

Comments (8)

gogators93
Original Author
15 years ago
You guessed it. Florida! After some research after posting, I am thinking that the black may also be algae. The gutters over the pool are the the wide ones already and built in with the cage so going wider would be a huge undertaking. I'm thinking it just stays wetter there more often.

I'll have to check at the pool store and see what is available. I also read where you can use liquid chlorine diluted in water. Is that what you were referring too when you mentioned bleach?

Thanks for the ideas!
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gatorguy
15 years ago
Yes. I get the jugs from pinch a penny.
ventura43
15 years ago
We had Kooldeck in our last home.....that's why I bit the bullet and put pavers in here!

I'm in North FL and keeping the acrylic clean was a consatnt battle. On top of that we had a lot of trees and the leaves would stain the deck. About once every three months we would clear everything off and put down a dilute bleach solution. We let that stand for a few hours in the hot sun and then came back and used a big push broom to scrub the surface. (I usually wore rubber boots when doing this.) Then a good rinsing with fresh water.

That would usually do the trick unless there were a lot of roof debris and leaves staining the deck. Sometimes we had to repeat the process.

Between the cleaning and the cracks that developed I was not happy with that type of finish in our climate. Maybe screening would have helped.

We love pavers!
gogators93
Original Author
15 years ago
I've thought of pavers but have no idea how much they would cost. That would look much nicer. Any disadvantages to pavers?
cruzangirl
15 years ago
Our pavers were $6.50 a sq. foot here in Florida. Most are made in Florida so the shipping is not such a big issue as it is for other parts of the country. I like the pavers because its such a nice, textured look.
phigitmelbourne_yahoo_com_au
12 years ago
I know that this is an old post, but we had much the same problem, excluding the humidity in Melbourne Australia. These guys are able to fix by using products that are available in Australia. I believe that for the initial preparation they use a NappySan product (not sure whether it is available in the US). It is normally used for laundry, but it takes out the dirt, mould and algi. They then pressure wash and then use a stain that they guarantee for years.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pool Deck Cleaning
Lisa K
5 years ago
I’ve had Kool deck in several homes and it is impossible to keep clean. I’m fanatical about it. I wish someone would come up with a way to coat it so dirt, mold etc would not adhere. In the meantime I hose it regularly and the ONLY thing I’ve found to clean those stubborn spots is with a magic eraser mop. Takes scuffs etc right off. Don’t press too hard! You’ll wear out the mophead in no time at all. It doesn’t take much pressure.....literally takes dirt, mildew, scuff marks off like magic.

if Anyone out there has a solution for preventative maintenance I would love to hear. And you’d probably make a fortune. For now I may paint mine the color of dirt so I don’t have to be frustrated every time someone with muddy feet walks on my patio!