Whether the paving and coping of your pool surround consists of tiles, bricks or natural stone, taking the time to maintain your pool surround should become an integral part of your pool care routine as it serves to prolong the life of the materials which in turn serve to support the foundation of your pool.
3 Ways to Maintain a Pool Surround
Seal It.
It’s always advisable to seal natural stone surrounds following installation to protect them. Resealing should take place every 2–3 years to mitigate water ingress into the stone. Should your existing pool surrounds seem a little dull, especially if you have natural stone coping, consider giving it a new lease on life by applying a colour enhancer that includes a stain-protector and sealer.
Water Level Management.
Keeping your pool water level around 10cm below the pool’s coping will help to avoid constant submersion, saturation and drying of the pool surround which can cause it to be subject to wear and tear at an accelerated rate.
Remove Debris.
Regularly sweep away any leaves, dirt and other debris accompanied by a gentle hose down once a week or every other week to help prolong the life and look of your pool surround. If your pool is located underneath any sort of foliage that may cause stains on your pool surround, ensure to clean this up and remove the offending debris as soon as possible to avoid stains setting in, especially on natural stone surfaces.
If you have previously dropped the ball on maintaining your pool surround, a good initial clean will be to get back on track. To start, clean off as much surface dirt or other debris from the coping and grout as is possible, at which point you can ascertain where further cleaning action needs to be taken.
To smarten up particularly problematic spots, mix up a 20% bleach solution and apply using a spray bottle. Be sure to do a test patch first. Then get stuck in with a toothbrush or rag. For natural stone surrounds make sure to use only a pH neutral cleaner to gently coax the pool surround back to life.
When all is said and done with your restorative pool surround maintenance efforts, remember to make a note of any tiles or coping that are cracked, damaged or loose. The sooner these are repaired the better, as not only can cracked coping affect the integrity of your pool but sharp edges and loose tiles can become a safety hazard too. Also, check on the state of the grouting and sealant as some areas may also need to be attended to at the same time.
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