What Is Pool Deck Leveling?
A pool deck sits on fill placed around the pool shell during construction, and that fill is rarely as well consolidated as undisturbed ground. Add the constant presence of water and Alabama's expansive clay, and pool deck sections settle sooner than most other slabs on a property. Settlement around a pool creates two distinct problems. The first is the vertical lip at each joint, which is a genuine trip hazard on a wet surface where people walk barefoot. The second is the slope. A deck is poured to drain away from the water, and once a section tips toward the pool it carries deck runoff, along with whatever is on the deck, straight into it. APS raises settled pool deck sections with polyurethane foam injection. The work is done through small ports drilled in the deck itself, so the pool does not need to be drained and the coping and tile do not need to be removed. The foam is hydrophobic and closed cell, which is the reason it is the right material next to a pool: it does not absorb water and it is not washed out by the moisture already in that soil. Sections are lifted independently and elevations are monitored throughout, so the finished deck is flush at the joints and falls away from the water again.
“Next to a pool, the material choice matters more than anywhere else on a property. Foam is closed cell and hydrophobic, so the water that is always in that soil does not undo the repair.”
How APS Approaches Pool Deck Leveling
- 1
Leak assessment
We first look for signs that a shell or plumbing leak is causing the settlement, because lifting will not hold until that is resolved.
- 2
Elevation and slope survey
We measure each deck section and the current fall relative to the water.
- 3
Port and inject
Ports are drilled in the deck and closed cell polyurethane foam is injected beneath the settled sections.
- 4
Flush and re-slope
Sections are raised flush at the joints with the fall restored away from the pool, then ports are patched.
When this approach is not appropriate: Deck sections that have cracked through and shifted, or settlement caused by a leak in the pool shell or plumbing, are not lifting candidates until the underlying cause is resolved. A suspected leak is diagnosed before any lifting is quoted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to drain the pool?
No. The work is performed through small ports drilled in the deck sections themselves, so the pool stays full and the coping and tile stay in place.
Could my pool deck be settling because of a leak?
It can be, and that is the first thing to rule out. A plumbing or shell leak washes fines out of the surrounding soil and creates the void the deck then drops into. Lifting the deck without fixing the leak would only postpone the settlement, so we assess for it before quoting.
How soon can the pool be used again?
The foam reaches working strength in minutes, so the deck is normally walkable the same day the crew finishes.
How is this different from pool deck repair?
Leveling raises sections that have dropped and restores the slope away from the water. Repair addresses damage to the concrete surface itself, such as cracking or spalling. APS offers both and the estimate will state which your deck needs.