Is My Decking Really Kool Decking?

[geekgranny]

I'm going to post a picture tomorrow. There is a current topic about delamination of Kool Decking. Another person commented on theirs being a certain thickness and delamination. A friend of mine has some delimitation on hers that she thinks is from her DH pressure washing with too much pressure over the years. (her pool was installed in 89)

My pool and decking was installed in 81. There are no issues with it except for a few cracks at the deep end where there is the 12' drop off and the deck heaving in several areas up or down around the brick coping. I was looking closely at it the other day, inspecting some areas from shifting soil, one crack being wide enough I can see down over and inch, and all around the edges from surface to where it lays on the soil, I don't see anything that would indicate to me that this is something applied to the concrete pad or any type of coating, rather it is the same material all the way from top layer to the very bottom. All the same color. The impressions look just like Kool decking.

Could this be stamped concrete to simulate Kool decking? I haven't ever pressure washed it because of what happened to my friend's decking. It surely could use a good pressure wash as I don't want to use chemicals and I have a pressure washer.

Thanks, gg=alice

 

[DaveNJ]

As old as your deck is and has no flaked areas along the edges, then its probably not kooldeck. I pressure wash mine in the beginning of the season. I use a rotating nozzle, makes a cone pattern. I use it at a 45deg. angle and don't get any closer than 18".

 

[geekgranny]

As old as your deck is and has no flaked areas along the edges, then its probably not kooldeck. I pressure wash mine in the beginning of the season. I use a rotating nozzle, makes a cone pattern. I use it at a 45deg. angle and don't get any closer than 18".

Whew.... I'm glad it isn't. But it has the same cooling affect as real Kool Decks I've been on. Our sun is intense so even Kool Decking can get pretty hot but not nearly as hot as other surfaces.

So why go with Kool Deck when you can get stamped concrete that last a "lifetime"? BTW... mine is colored a light tan color all the way through. Except for the soil shifting issues it has withstood all kinds of abuse. I can't find even one spot where it has a blemish or staining except for the patch where a pipe under decking had to be repaired. Decking is very different than an older poured/brushed pathway that adjoins it on one side of pool between the pool decking and house. The pathway is concrete grey.

I've had that pressure washer for about 10 years. I originally got it for the pool deck but was afraid to use it. My big deck is Trex and you are not supposed to pressure wash that. So..... I haven't even used it; I've loaned it out a few times though.

Added pressure wash pool deck to bottom of very long "to do" list.

gg=alice