Nothing looks more inviting on a summer’s day than a beautifully presented pool : no leaves, clear water, with a bright and clean decking area and coping stones. Conversely, nothing looks less appealing than a green hew in the water, an algae line and green staining patches on the pool-side .
Maintaining a pool in all its summer glory takes time : checking water pH and chlorine levels; removing floating tree debris; keeping the surrounding area free from greening, algae and lichen, as well as keeping it free from the inevitable stains caused through use.
Pool decking wear and tear
When it comes to cleaning a pool decking area / coping stones , it pays to schedule-in regular cleaning and maintenance – which is best carried out at the start of each season and/or as a preparation for winter, especially if the pool is not used.
Other factors that may affect how often your pool requires a “good clean” are:
- Location – nearby trees and plants will shed leaves, pollen and seeds – leading to inevitable greening and staining
- Animals and pets – bird and wild-life droppings can cause staining and need to be dealt with immediately.
- Volume and type of traffic – children and teenagers love to swim but bring with them the drinks, ice creams and foods which can stain porous stone surfaces if split.
Cleaning porous poolside surfaces
Whether your pool surround is concrete, sandstone, paviours, or wooden decking, the first task is to clean back any loose contamination. Sweeping or air-blowing the area will remove any loose dirt and wind-blown debris quickly and easily.
Stage two is to wash down the area with a pressure washer or steamer (always check the pressure setting for the surface you’re cleaning). To remove dirt and grime, a commercial pool cleaning solution can be used, or you can make a solution of warm water and appropriate surface cleaner. For harder to remove stains, closer attention with an appropriate stain removing agent may be required – or alternatively copious amounts of elbow grease!
Cleaning chore to cleaning breeze.
You can turn your pool cleaning chore into a cleaning breeze for next time round by finishing off the clean back with a coat of permanent bond quartz based paving and stone sealer.
Nano-coatings, such as FlexiguardTM Stone and Paving Sealer, establish a nanoscale, breathable 3D coating on absorbent surfaces such as concrete, sandstone, paviours, brick and untreated timber decking. Treated surfaces permanently repel water ingress, up to 95% of dirt and 98% of moss, lichen and fungus – for a functional lifespan of over ten years, making this an ideal pool side treatment. . Flexiguard™ is highly resistant to UV exposure and is chemically resistant to both acids and alkali’s – including chlorinated water.
Understandably, a common misconception of using any traditional protective coating by a pool would be the potential to increase the risk of slipping. In fact, the converse is true, by using FlexiguardTM the risk of slipping is minimised due to the unique nature of the miniscule silicon-dioxide (quartz) molecules which fuse on a nano-scale with the substrate. The resulting ultra-thin repellent finish prevents all types of water and oil-based contamination from sticking-to and becoming ingrained-in the surface. The main cause of slip on hard surfaces is the combination of walking across a wet contaminated surface – so as the Flexiguard™ coating prevents contaminates adhering to the surface, the chance of slip is significantly reduced. Flexiguard™ creates a low-energy repellent surface which reduces the chance of slip through contamination, but does not change the slip coefficient of the base material itself.
Not only does FlexiguardTM make cleaning easier due to its dirt repellent nature, but it’s also anti-stain – preventing food and drink spills from compromising pool aesthetics, whilst providing a little peace-of-mind .
Just one coat of FlexiguardTM gives an easy-clean performance and appearance retention for all four seasons – not just pool days !!
