I don't have it, but here in the Houston area they use it a lot. It is pretty cheap (just a bit more than plain concrete) and it is very durable and non slip. We didn't care for it because - no matter what you hear, there are always rough spots, a sharp edge or two. It does get hot, in direct sun, too. We have spray deck, painted a light beige. Non slip, never hot, and in a couple years you can power wash and repaint it and it will look brand new.

When architects, artists, and designers make the plans, beautiful things happen; not always practical things. You will love the way this stuff looks, and your friends will be envious. Just wear shoes when you swim.

This will not be the surface of the pool, but rather the deck. Would brushed concrete be a better choice?

Don't do it. We have it on a patio next to our pool and it hurts to walk on it in bare feet. I'll be covering it or jack hammering it this summer. Good luck.

X,
I think mike was telling you it looks great but
rough to walk on barefoot.

There are always broken pebbles that are sharp, it looks best in darker colors, which are all hot.

We have an exposed aggregate deck - both me (knuckle dragging neanderthal who isn't particularly sensitive) nor my wife (sensitive type who bruises if the wind blows too strongly) find it perfectly comfortable to walk on in bare feet.

I can't speak for how hot it gets yet though...

UKMatt

It all depends on the sift size of the segregate, UK Matt has what we call 3/8" sifted and tumbled Rainbow peagravel. I've placed it into service over 1000 times and have seen it on an easy 2500 or more pools. Don't use a larger aggregate, this is what hurts your feet. As for the heat, it isn't that bad in SE Texas, this may be different in areas like the desert around Arizona, California, Nevada, etc...
In addition to being affordable (my resell is 50 cents additional per sq/ft over broom finished) I can assure you that all my children have been walking on it since they were toddlers, it's also very pretty.

See ya,
Kelly

I'm glad to finally see a few positive posts for the aggregate decking. We are having our deck poured in a few weeks-we are in the northeast and I was starting to second guess the choice. I will definitely ask about the smaller pea gravel (thanks Kelly). Also is there anything that can be done when pouring to make it smoother? Thanks!

Kelly - you have an eye for detail! I didn't even realize there were different sizes available...

That is good news about the heat, although here in Houston it looks like heat is the least of our worries for the next few days :-(...

UKMatt

Another advantage to EA is that it hides cracks pretty well and if you are in the northeast everything (except pavers) will crack eventually.

I'm in the Northeast, have had EA for 2 years (since pool was new). It is the small size aggregate. We love it. Our mason suggested it, after laying up our raised Hot Tub. Looks much more natural with the stone on the Hot Tub than brushed concrete would have. Walking and temp are fine for my family.

Kelly,

I'm looking at EA as an option for my decking, but instead of finding 3/8's sifted and tumbled EA, I see 3/8's polished EA. I take it that it's the same thing?

Here is a link that might be useful: Polished Beach Pebbles

quote" I take it that it's the same thing? "quote
Yes it is.
This is great decking when using the smaller aggregate.

See ya,
Kelly

Can anyone post some recent aggregate pics? I'm getting ready to lay out the concrete deck.

I think Smbnobles, Stonesmama, and Tresw may have aggregate. You can do a search for their projects. According to our job manager, we should have our 3/8" rainbow installed next week. Our PB offered two choices of this particular decking. Brown (larger aggregate prone to more hurt feet) and the smaller 3/8" rainbow. IÂm getting minimal for now, only about 370 sq ft. PB wants $8.50 sq ft. for additional decking while IÂve been quoted $3.50-3.75 sq ft by other contractors.

How about 3/8 River Rock is this the same as Pea Gravel? I'm getting poured next week!

3/8 round gravel is generally considered pea gravel.

Just had the aggregate deck poured and my wife thinks it's too hard on the feet. I like it because it's definitely non slip and the color is great. How can I knock some of the roughness down? Is there any kind of light sanding that could work? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I'll post some pics after the water goes in!

hate to say I told ya so - maybe I have wussie feet, but I think it's hard on the feet too...I think it is like Pebble Tech, you just have to feel it for yourself, some like it, some hate it.

Not sure there is much to do (sanding, etc) without really messing up the look of it.

Can I carry pools pebble finish up a beach entry to the dry deck? I was thinking of switching from a colored plaster base to a colored concrete base, maybe with a screed/score at grade. Any advise or experience would be appreciated

ladyanglertx wrote: "I think Smbnobles, Stonesmama, and Tresw may have aggregate. You can do a search for their projects."

We do indeed, below is a link to our build thread with a bunch of photos of it. We've been swimming for just over a year now and we love the exposed aggregate! As Kelly said, the aggregate size makes a difference in how it feels. Ours is small pea gravel. Also there are two types of this finish, the "seeded" type and the "integral" type (may go by different names). With the seeded type they pour regular concrete and then seed the gravel onto it and imbed it. My mom-in-law has that type and pebbles are constantly popping loose on hers. Ours is the integral type, the pebbles are mixed in at the batching plant and are therefore throughout the concrete. After they pour it, they let is set up a bit and then broom it to expose the pebbles.

While our pool decking is only a little over a year old, our adjacent patio and sidewalk are around 10 years old and still look fantastic! I've had to power-wash them once, but other than that the finish has been maintenance-free.

We looked at every deck finish when we did ours and cost wasn't nearly as big a concern to us as appearance. We actually liked the look of the exposed aggregate the best for our particular application. I don't think it would be as fitting for a Grecian or formal style pool, but for a more natural lagoon look it's perfect.

Here is a link that might be useful: The pool life

Ok, anything to make the wife happy! I took out some drywall screening-yep thats the only thing I had-and sanded a couple sections and swept them off. Beleive it or not it actually knocked the edge off of it. It did tear up the screening pretty quick so I'm going to to home depot and see if there is some emery cloth or something that will last longer. I think it is going to work out fine. I'll post some pics when it's finished.

We had this type of deck in Houston for 8 years. We had no problems and it was not uncomfortable walking on it in bare feet. It cleaned nicely with a pressure washer. The only drawback was dragging furniture around on it and it is a pistol to drill through it. I had to install a railing and had to drill a big hole. The little river rock pebbles were quite unyielding. I would do it again if it fit the rest of the pool's decor.

jparkfire, if you have to drill in it again try using a hammer drill. I had to drill 8 holes in ours to install the expansion anchors for the slide. After grinding away on one hole for 10 minutes and getting about 1/2" deep, I went and bought a hammer drill. Took about 2 or 3 minutes each to drill the rest of them!

You're right about moving furniture, I have to replace the plastic sliders on the patio chair legs every couple of years. When those things wear down the furniture is almost impossible to slide!

Lion, another thing you could try is an epoxy coating (if the surface is really objectionable). It'll smooth out the roughness, but may also make it a bit more slippery. It'll also change the look of it (some people love the look as it tends to bring more of the gravel color out and it has a wet look). Something to consider if you don't want to spend the summer out there sanding, LOL!