A wooden deck around a pool: the Caribbean guide
The pool surround is the deck that works hardest: water, sun, bare feet from morning to night. What makes it last comes down to a few design details, well before you pick the colour of the boards.
The short answer
A successful wooden pool deck rests on four points: Use Class 4 (UC4) wood, ventilation under the decking with at least 200 mm of ground clearance, stainless-steel screws suited to the coast, and a board profile chosen for grip. Our Accoya® boards cost €110 incl. tax per m² in Color Grey; installation is priced by quotation, after a free site visit.
Why a pool surround is not an ordinary deck
A living-room deck dries out between showers. A pool surround gets splashed every day, water runs off bodies and loungers, and the midday sun beats down with no shade. In Saint-François as in Les Trois-Îlets, people walk on it barefoot from eight in the morning until dark. The wood faces moisture, heat and UV all at once, twelve months a year.
That is why we talk about design before we talk about colour. The wood you pick matters, of course: Accoya® is an acetylated wood, fit for Use Class 4 (UC4). But how the surround is built matters just as much.
Ventilation and ground clearance: letting the wood dry
Decking that cannot dry from below traps water in its joists and under its boards. The manufacturer’s specifications call for at least 200 mm of ground clearance and a ventilated void under the boards, with joints that let air move. Around a pool, this is sometimes complicated by the coping, access hatches or the drainage slope. We sort it out at the site visit, plan in hand, not on installation day.
- Slope of the base towards the drain, so water doesn’t pool under the structure
- Joists sized for the span and the load (loungers, planters, a possible spa)
- Edge gap respected along walls and the coping
- Access kept to hatches and the pump room
Fixings: stainless steel suited to the coast
Spray-laden air and pool splashes attack cheap fixings. We fit stainless-steel screws suited to the coast, which don’t stain the wood or rust and leave halos on light boards. It is a small line on the quote and a big one for peace of mind: replacing screws under a finished deck costs far more than choosing them properly at the start.
Slip resistance: a matter of profile, finish and installation
No board is slip-proof by magic. Grip depends on the profile (smooth or grooved), the surface finish and installation details: board direction relative to foot traffic, slopes, joints. Wood coated in biofilm is slippery whatever it is, hence the value of regular cleaning. We discuss the profile at the site visit, according to use: a beach area where children run about, or a simple edge around the basin.
Salt water, chlorinated water, sun: what it changes for upkeep
Whether the pool runs on salt or chlorine, the rule is the same: an occasional rinse with clean water, a soft-brush clean with a product below pH 9 after the rainy season, and no pressure washer. Water-treatment products spilled on the boards should be rinsed off promptly. Upkeep is light, but not zero; our page on Accoya deck maintenance sets out the routine.
Buying the boards or having them installed
For a pool surround we recommend using an installer who knows these constraints, but both routes exist. Boards can be ordered online at €110 incl. tax per m², with 10% extra recommended for offcuts. To hand over the project, our installation team first makes a free site visit, then issues an itemised quote with warranties set out in writing. A few finished pool surrounds can be seen in our projects.
Related questions
Which wood suits a pool deck in Guadeloupe or Martinique?
A wood fit for Use Class 4 (UC4), dimensionally stable and termite-resistant. Accoya, an acetylated wood, meets these criteria with no added biocide. Our materials guide compares the options.
Is a wooden deck slippery around a pool?
It depends on the board profile, the finish and installation details. Wood coated in biofilm gets slippery, hence regular cleaning. We choose the profile with you at the site visit, according to how the area is used.
Can boards be laid directly on the pool slab?
Not flat, no. The decking must be ventilated from below, on joists or pedestals, with at least 200 mm of ground clearance as per the manufacturer’s specifications. It is a condition of its warranty, subject to installation and use conditions.
How much does installing a wooden pool deck cost?
Installation has no public price: it is quoted after a free site visit, because it depends on the base, the pool outline and access. Accoya Color Grey boards are €110 incl. tax per m², 8.5% VAT included.