In Orlando, there are a lot of above-ground swimming pools with decks. It’s just natural to have someplace to hang out near the water’s edge.
With such a hot climate, Central Florida is the second-largest pool market in the US. And along with swimming pools come decks.
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN HAVING A DECK WITH AN ABOVE-GROUND POOL IN ORLANDO
If you are either looking at an existing above-ground pool with a deck OR planning on building a deck with your pool, consider the following.
1 What height do you want the deck to be
Since above-ground pools are mostly above the ground (Duh), you want to decide what height that you want the deck to be.
Decks built high next to the pool
In nature, water is almost always at our feet. This is why most will have the deck built high against their above-ground pool. Being able to see the water unobstructed while sitting on your pool deck or grilling, etc. feels nice and natural.
Being able to watch swimmer’s activity along with keeping a good eye on small children is another top reason to build the deck up high.
The biggest negative to building a deck high against an AG pool is a loss of privacy. Activity on high decks can easily be seen by neighbors adjacent to the yard.
Note: When building a deck high against an above-ground pool, keep in mind that the pool’s liner will have to be changed in the future. Liner changeouts require the top of the pool to come apart, so make sure the deck doesn’t get in the way of that.
I recommend the deck built at the level right below the pool’s top rails. With this height, the deck boards end under the top rails (so they don’t have to line up perfectly) and you can take the top of the pool apart easier for liner changes.
Decks built at ground level
Many decks in Orlando are built at ground level next to an above-ground pool. The advantages here are better privacy, more options on what it is made of, and safety.
Ground-level decks can be built from wood, composite, pavers, or poured concrete, while higher decks can only be made with wood or wood composite.
2 How big do you want the deck?
In general, most want a deck to be as big as they can fit and afford. With above-ground pools though, some are thinking that the deck will be temporary (along with the pool), so they want something smaller.
Questions to answer to help determine how big of a deck you want.
A How many people will be on the deck at one time?
Two people need a smaller deck than four do. Decide how many kids, adults, and animals will be occupying the deck at one time.
B What will be permanently going on the deck?
If you are thinking of two lounge chairs, a small table, a couple of regular chairs, a grill, and a pool toy storage box, know that you are going to need a certain-sized deck to hold all of that.
C What will you be using the deck for?
Some just want a deck only big enough to climb up to and access the pool with. Some will want to have parties on their pool deck. Others may want a deck to lay out in the sun with only.
Determining what the deck will be used for will help you decide how big it has to be.
3 What is your deck budget?
Having a pool deck is nice. It’s also expensive to build.
In many cases in Orlando, people are deciding to get an above-ground pool instead of an inground because they have a smaller pool budget.
The cost of an above-ground swimming pool package and its installation is one thing, but when you add the cost of a nice deck along with it, you can get to a big number in a hurry.
To be financially responsible, it’s best to have a cost limit for your pool deck beforehand. You may have 5k into your pool and install, and then discover that the deck you want is two or three times what the pool cost.
Knowing how much you have to spend on the deck beforehand will help you not get depressed or spend more than you wanted to for the overall pool project.
4 What is the deck made of?
Most above-ground pool decks here in Orlando are made of pressure-treated wood. This is mainly due to cost and the fact that most AG pool decks in Orange County, Florida are built high against the pool.
Using a wood composite material is a nicer but more expensive option for high AG decks. And when I say “more expensive”, I mean a lot more expensive than PT wood.
For lower decks, most go with pavers as they look better and last a long time. Poured concrete decks are very nice too. And I’ve also seen a lot of ground-level decks built with composite or pressure-treated wood as well.
In Orlando, there aren’t many contractors that will build wood decks, but they are out there. Most can find a deck guy in the Orlando, Spacecoast, or Lakeland Graigslist. Some also will do a local Google search to find a deck guy.
While the Orlando area has its fair share of concrete companies to pour decks, it has an. Unusually high number of paver installers. This is mainly because of the large Brazilian population in Orlando.
So, Finding a paver installation company will be the easiest to find in O-Town.
5 The safety of the deck
While some just build a platform deck high next to their AG pool, others will consider the safety of it by building a railing around it.
Railing or fencing with a deck is nice and can make the overall project look a lot better, but it will cost you. Also, building a railing that will prevent small children from going through will cost more as it requires more materials to build.
And with safety in mind, most will attach a gate to the steps of their high deck for above-ground pools. This will be lockable and prevent kids and animals from entering the deck.
6 The look of your (high) deck
Decks built high against above-ground pools can look ugly to some. Consider this when having one built. Some will choose to add lattice work to the outside of the deck.
And having more attractive railing added to the deck can make it look much better.
Consider adding landscaping around the deck too so it looks better in the yard.
7 Deck maintenance
The direct Orlando sun is really hard on everything. Wood decks are no exception to this. Keeping your wood deck clean, dry, and possibly regularly stained will help it last a much longer time.
USE Quality deck screws – When building a wood deck, few are thinking that the boards may have to come off one day (for one reason or another).
Sometimes with an above-ground pool deck, some of the boards may have to come off. And if they do, you better have used good deck screws when it was built. Sub-standard deck screws will rust or get brittle and break off when trying to unscrew.
Decks attached with quality screws will come apart easily, so spend the extra few bucks for good screws. I recommend spending even more for stainless steel decking screws.