Pavers vs. Wood Around Pools

Pavers: Pros

• One of the most significant benefits to using pavers around a pool is that their material is conducive to being wet. Regardless of the style of paver you choose, it will remain gritty and durable when wet. As such, pavers are a safe option because they limit the chances of a swimmer slipping on a wet pool deck. Another benefit to pavers is that they are available in many different shapes, sizes and colors, allowing you to achieve the look you desire.

Pavers: Cons

• The process of building a surround for your pool can be time consuming, but using pavers will likely take a long time. Because pavers are often less than a foot square, you will need hundreds of them to surround a large pool. The process of installing them requires gravel, stone dust and a tamping machine, which can be messy, resulting in stone dust in your pool.

Wood: Pros

• Wood is useful to use around your pool because you can alter it so match the surrounding area. If you have wood on your home or a wooden deck, choose wood for the pool that will match with the yard's existing wood. You can stain the wood for a natural look or paint it to suit the surrounding area. If you allow small gaps between each piece of wood, wood drains well when wet.

Wood: Cons

• A drawback to wood is that it gets slippery when wet. When you have lots of people swimming in the pool, especially those who are young, it's likely that the area around the pool will be wet a considerable amount of the time. This is especially risky with young swimmers, as they're often apt to run around the pool and can slip and injure themselves. Over time, wood can also become splintery, which can result in slivers for people who are barefoot.