Pool decks in timber are a good choice

There are many options for your pool surrounds, and timber pool decking can provide a warm, inviting look and a great space for entertaining. And it needn't be more expensive or difficult to maintain.

There are so many choices to consider when it comes to surrounding your pool - concrete, pavers, Pebble-Mix, tiles – but nothing is as inviting as the natural look and feel of timber. And, in some cases, it's one of the cheapest and best pool decking ideas available.

According to David Sims, managing director of Altstruct Outdoor Structures in Mont Albert, Victoria, timber decks can be built around any pool, but truly come into their own when the pool is adjacent to a slope. "It's harder and more expensive to adapt paving and concrete to uneven ground," he says, "whereas timber decking can go in dead level."

This makes timber decking a great option if you like to do a lot of entertaining poolside and don't want your guests toppling over. "Often paving or landscaping on a slope creates problems when people start arranging furniture on it, because everything's on a lean," David says.

Going with timber pool decking

If your pool is close to your house, timber pool decking can more easily support a portico or gazebo, linking your indoor and outdoor areas so you can while away those summer days and nights in comfort. 

Timber pool decks can easily have a safety fence built into them, but they can also be constructed around an existing fence. Just remember that the pool deck will make the ground level higher, so ensure that the fence still complies with Australian safety standards for height and 'climbability'.

Other than that, timber swimming pool decks are much like any other timber decking around the home. "We use durable timbers, but we do use treated pine underneath because of rot problems," David says. "For the surface of the pool deck we use hardwood, because it doesn't have the knot defect of pine."

Chemicals and timber pool decks

Pool chemicals and salt water on a timber deck aren't any more troublesome than on other surfaces, but there is a risk of timber becoming slippery due to bacterial and fungal build-up. This is more pronounced in south-facing decks that catch less sun. "Pool chemicals will often kill bacteria, but it's a good idea to blast the deck every now and then with a water pressure gun," he says.

Apart from the occasional blast, timber decks also need to be treated with stain or paint, just like any other wood exposed to the elements. "It's a bit like a house," David says. "If you don't paint it or look after it, it can look pretty ratty pretty quickly."

If you're considering swimming pool decking, you'll need to speak to a professional. Find one in your area: