Pool deck experience with hot concrete pavers

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ChrisBJax

Bronze Supporter
Jun 4, 2020
29
Jacksonville, FL
We've signed a pool contract and our current plan is to continue the concrete pavers that we just installed last year around our pool and as the coping. Unfortunately, I really do not like our pavers. Although they look fantastic, they get terribly hot in the our full sun backyard. So hot that I worry about it scalding our one year old's feet. However, we just spent $5k on this paver patio last year and it would really be a shame to replace all of it. Even so, I'm seriously considering it. Maybe even just doing a travertine coping. Not sure how that would look, but I'd know that at least the coping is not hot and a sort of safe haven for bare feet. Then we could perhaps install the matching travertine at a later date.

I'm curious if anyone here has concrete pavers around their pool (or been to a pool with hot pavers) and what you do to live with the fact that they get hot. Do you continuously splash the pool deck with the hose while enjoying the pool? Do you have your kids wear shoes on the pavers? Do people avoid sitting on the coping? Is this something you just get used to? Has anyone been scalded by hot pavers? I've heard that flagstone can get hot. What do you do? Also, would a screen enclosure provide some sun protection and cooling effect?

Thanks for your help. I'm sitting here mourning my $5k and the additional $10k ($20k?) that this may cost us to fix, but after spending so much money on a new pool, it really would be nice to love the end product.
 
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Our pool deck is stamped concrete and pavers. Both get very hot. Our 2 year old wears Crocs around the pool, we wear flip flops and sometimes splash water from the pool to cool the deck near the water to cool it when our son wants to climb out to jump in... over & over, & over 😁
 
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I got some samples of concrete pavers (white concrete, not gray) and travertine and put them outside in full sun in the FL heat and stepped on them outside at 2pm with bare feet and I could not tell a difference. They were both warm, but not anywhere close to burning feet. What kind of paver do you have? Post a picture. I will have pavers installed this week and we did marble for the coping. I will send pictures when done.
 
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I was having this same concern as our pool (when completed) is completely in the sun with zero shade. I really did not like any of the choices of the Belgard pavers. Add to that the availabilty was difficult and could be 4-6 weeks. I wanted as close to white or beige as I could get. While it is an expensive and unplanned upgrade, we have chosen to go with shell beige travertine pavers and coping. Coping is being installed this week and pool deck soon after. Now the critical decision is what is the best sealer as I can well image some red wine being spilled at some point!
 
This is a concern of mine as well! We will have a screened enclosure because we have trees that overhang and will provide some shade over the pool. However, the majority of the deck will be in the direct sun. Not sure how much benefit being under a screen will help the pavers. We were hoping to go with a lighter color paver and save the $$ vs going with travertine.
 
ChrisBJax said:
@bbqjosh I wish we had done that. We got Tremron Sierra pavers in the Mega Old Towne style.
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I checked the tremron site and it says it is a white blend concrete. So not sure why it is so hot. I have seen people break up their decking materials at the deck drain so it is possible to have some other material around the pool. I would grab some samples from a local paver shop and put them out back to see how they heat up. We are south facing so will get sun all day long. We will have a screen enclosure to help keep some of the UV rays blocked. We also are putting a few in ground umbrella sleeves so we can move umbrellas around the pool and deck for shade.
 

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craigP
It is the shell beige that is shown in the NPT hardscapes catalog as limestone. When we went to view it in full sun at the distributor last week, it looked even whiter/brighter. It is a second home so I am not there all the time. They are installing the coping some time this week. Due to lack of pre cut coping, they will be slicing up the 12 x 24 pieces. I should be able to post some pictures this weekend. If I had the ability to wait 10-14 days for delivery, I could have purchased the travertine out of south Florida for a very modest increase over concrete pavers. Do a google search and you will see that there are some VERY competitive prices out there.
 
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I'm curious if anyone has used an IR thermometer to get a rough estimate of the surface temp of their decking. I grew up with concrete decking around the pool and a treated pine deck, can't imagine much being hotter than that. We have the same Tremron Sierra pavers on our patio and I've not actually noticed it being overly hot, but don't get too much full sun on it currently. I just grabbed a spare paver and stuck it out in a full sun part of the yard to see how much it heats up, as we also plan to put the same pavers as decking around our yet-unstarted pool build. A friend has them around his and gets almost 100% sun and can't say it's ever bothered me or my daughter when we swim there, but it's also entirely possible my feet are calloused and hardened from years of walking on hot surfaces from wood to concrete to white sandy beaches, etc. So I have to imagine it's quite subjective, but would be a simple test to hit it with a thermometer and see if these different materials are really all that different or if it's just perspective of the people reporting too hot or not too hot.
 
My in-laws live in the Central California valley...... gets REAL hot underfoot there🔥 They bought a load of surplus square carpet samples to make a temporary path while the summer was at its hottest. Doesn't look great but it's temporary and removable and MUCH more comfortable to walk on than the scalding hot cement.
 
I used an IR thermometer today. Late afternoon. around 4:39. Temp was 93 degrees, no clouds, about a 15 mph breeze. The stamped concrete was +/- 125 degrees, the pavers were a little cooler at 121 degrees.
 
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usfbull said:
I wonder what Travertine temp would be?
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We are 95+ degrees these days and we are still able to comfortably walk barefoot on our travertine.

Edit - I went back to our build last year when we were picking out materials:

Air Temp - 100 degrees
Travertine (Ivory) - 111 degrees
Bare Concrete - 141 degrees

I also just measured our travertine right now and it was 100 degrees and very comfortable to walk on. The concrete setpping stones were tolerable, but about 20 degrees hotter.
 
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I removed the kool deck from the decking around our pool last year as part of the remodel and exposed the concrete underneath. When it's 104-110 F outside like it is now, the concrete gets extremely hot and can definitely burn feet. I've been to places locally with travertine coping/decking and it wasn't much if any better. We also have flagstone on top of the water feature that the kids jump off, and it's not any cooler either. The old kool deck was significantly cooler, but was in terrible shape, flaking off, and badly discolored. I may eventually re-coat the concrete with kool deck when we have the money, but for now we use a combination of sandals/shoes to get to/from the pool, umbrellas and other sources of shade, and splashing water on the deck in the high traffic areas that aren't shaded.
 
With an a IR thermometer, surfaces (for my feet) get too hot stand on somewhere between 115 and 135. 115 was hot but still tolerable. 135 was not. That was concrete and bluestone on a hot sunny day in Maryland. Our concrete does get hotter than that, but that was around noon, not late afternoon. Even our concrete gets too hot to walk on. We just get it wet or where flip flops, or sit on a towel if you want a dry coping space to sit on. But I also don't have little ones. That would much more of a hassle. Though you could also find out how quick of a study he/she is. If they just stand there, don't quit your day job. :)
 
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