Maintaining Your Poolside & Paving for Summer

Get the Pool Area Summer-Ready

The paving around the pool takes as much punishment as the water does — full sun, chlorine splash-out, sunscreen, and everyone walking on it wet and barefoot. A bit of attention before the season keeps it safe and looking right.

1. Inspect the Surface

Walk the paving and look for:

• Cracks or chips
• Chalky residue when you run a hand over it
• Fading, particularly in full-sun areas
• Worn or smooth patches where slip resistance has gone

Pool edges and coping deteriorate fastest — constant wetting and drying plus the most foot traffic.

The slip-resistance one matters most. A worn patch at the top of the steps is where someone gets hurt.

2. Clean Off Grime, Mould and Algae

Sunscreen residue, mould and algae dull the surface and create slippery spots — undoing the whole point of a non-slip coating.

Colormaker’s maintenance advice is straightforward: clean spills as they happen, and wash the surface with a fine jet garden hose or soft bristle broom using a mild detergent solution, then rinse with fresh water.

Avoid harsh chemicals and abrasive pads — both will take the finish off a sound coating. A wash-down every few weeks through summer is enough.

3. Repair Damage Before It Spreads

Cracks let water into the substrate, and water movement widens them. Patch & Anchor Polymer Cement handles most paving repairs, and Structural Epoxy Filler suits finer defects.

Anything over 2mm needs proper repair — filled proud, dried, then sanded flush before recoating.

4. Recoat When It’s Due

If the paving is looking tired or the grip has gone, Luxapool® Poolside & Paving is a far quicker job than the pool itself.

Key numbers before you plan it:

• Coverage: around 2m² per litre per coat — a 15L tin does about 30m²
• P5 slip resistance requires build coats applied with a 10mm nap roller
• Foot traffic: 12 to 24 hours
• Outdoor furniture: 14 days under good drying conditions

That 14-day figure catches people out — the surface feels ready long before it is, and furniture feet mark a coating that hasn’t fully cured.

Bare or porous areas need Acrylmeric Superseal Primer first. Recoating a sound existing water-based coating doesn’t.

5. Watch the Weather Window

Colormaker are strict here. Get a 7-day forecast and don’t apply if:

• Ambient temperature is below 15°C or above 35°C
• Surface temperature is below 12°C
• Sub-12°C minimums are forecast within 7 days
• Rain is forecast within 7 days

Which means spring and autumn, not the middle of summer.

6. Keep the Pool Balanced Too

Splash-out from an unbalanced pool degrades surrounding paving. Keeping pH at 7.2–7.8, chlorine at 1–3 ppm and total alkalinity at 80–120 ppm protects both surfaces.

More on that in Summer Pool Maintenance: How to Keep Your Paint Looking Fresh.

7. Think About the Whole Area

Lighter colours — Surfmist, Classic Cream, Artic White — reflect heat and make a real difference underfoot on a hot day. Check drainage while you’re at it: standing water is both a slip hazard and a route to algae.

If you’re also considering Unicryl® HD Clear Glaze for a richer finish, be aware it reduces slip resistance, and Colormaker don’t recommend a second coat on trafficable areas.