H&C Acryla-Deck and Sika Self-Leveling Sealant: Pool Deck Repair

I recently did some major repair work on my pool deck and wanted to share the results.

Inputs

• Fiberglass pool, roughly 12'x24'
• Pool deck was badly cracked and separated from the pool
• Existing mastic and/or caulking was completely separated
• 17 gallons of Acryla-Deck, deep base
• 3 tubes of Sika Self-Leveling Sealant, large tube, 29 oz
• 1/2" and 3/8" nap rollers
• 3" purdy XL sash brush
• Electric Power Washer
• Leaf Blower
• Razor blades, a lot of them
• 3M Scotch Brite Scouring Pad
• Total cost in materials, approximately $900.
• Note:  The Acryla-Deck was on sale

The Main Ingredients

The Results

I've included below a few pictures of the results. After that, I'll go over the steps that I followed and I'll include any tips.  For each of the photos below, the before will appear first, followed by the finished result.

Full View

Cracks and Mastic Repair

More cracks repair

Against the pool deck

I wasn't able to accurately find the "after" picture which matched this before picture.  The one shown below as a close as I could find.  The crack at the "after" location was almost a 1/2", which resulted in a lot of Sika at that point.  You can see where a bit of the Sika flowed onto the pool deck.  In the photo, it looks like a major issue, but it is hardly noticeable, without looking closely.

Steps

Step 1:  Removed as much of the existing silicone and mastic as possible using a razor blade utility knife.  I was careful not to touch the fiberglass pool surface with the blade, but got as close as possible.  On the other side, I cut right up to the concrete.  A razor blade wouldn't last more than a couple feet, cutting against the concrete, I changed these out very often.

Step 2:  Used a 3M scrubbing pad and water to scrub the remaining silicone off of the fiberglass pool side.

Step 3:  Used a small shop vac to vacuum the cracks around the pool as well as those which were across the pool deck.

Step 4:  Applied self-leveling sealant to all cracks.  The crack in my pool deck were so large, that I had to apply the sealant across 3 or 4 days.  Working with self-leveling sealant was possibly the most challenging and laborious part of the project.  The sealant is not much thicker than water.  I cut a small opening in the tip, and carried a towel the whole time.  To stop applying sealant and move from one stop to another, you have to release the caulking gun AND clog the tip with a towel.  I used foam backer for some areas, and for others I injected some silicone sealant, to serve as a backer.

Note:  I'm not sure that use of silicone as a backer is officially supported.  If you choose this option, be sure that the silicone is only injected deep into the crack, serving only as a backer.  If the silicone were to be applied higher in the crack, it may prevent the self-leveling sealant from bonding to the concrete properly.

Self-leveling sealant does not touch up well.  When you apply additional sealant, you have to apply it across the whole area that you want to seal.  It will not level with itself very well.  Again, this was very challenging.  I recommend starting with a few cracks that are not near your pool, to be sure you can get the hang of it.

Step 5:  Used a 2030 psi electric pressure washer to clean the pool deck.  It may have been best to pressure wash the deck before sealing it, but my deck wasn't too dirty.  I did not use any cleaner or soap.

Step 6:  Started working with the Acryla Deck.  This stuff was really hard to find.  I had to go to 5 Sherwin Williams stores to get enough for my project.  First step, cut in around the pool deck.  Next, used a 1/2" nap roller to apply the first coat.  The first coat took A LOT of paint.  I used a bucket/roller.  I would dip the roller and not rake it, and then scrub it in.  Each dip seemed to cover about 3 sq ft.  The instructions tell you to roll the first coat in one direction and then roll the second coat perpendicular to the first.  Instead, I rolled mine in the two directions for every coat.

Step 7:  It rained.  And it rained...  and the worms came out.  And then things dried out, and the worms dried out, and I ended up with A LOT of stuck, dried worms on the deck.

Step 8:  Used a 2030 psi electric pressure washer to clean off the worms.  For a while, I tried the pressure washer combined with a scrub brush, but I found out that this harmed the first coat, and I ended up with marks.  After realizing this, I just used the pressure washer and a lot of water.

Step 9:  Applied the second and third coats, cut in 1 more time.

Step 10:  Somehow, I ended up with a color variation and discovered that the color of the cut in did not match what I had rolled.  Over this project, I had to search out and purchase 17 gallons of Acryla-Deck from several different locations at several different times.  Ideally, you should accurately estimate the paint needed and buy it all at once and box it together.  In my case, the project took almost 3x the amount of paint that I expected, and no one store ever had 17 gallons in stock.  Anyways, the last step was to cut in one last time.

The Results

In summary, I'm very happy with the result.  I definitely did not consider the full range of products available for this.  Instead, I just selected products that I thought would be sufficient and would be readily available.  So far, it looks great.  Also, the cool feel Acryla-Deck is effective.  I have measured a 20 degree difference in surface temperature for the Acryla-Deck painted surface vs. unpainted concrete surfaces which are nearby.

If I were to do this over again, I would further research my choice of concrete sealant.  The self-leveling sealant produced a great looking finish, in most cases, but it was very challenging to work with and it didn't touch up easily.