Finally Finished My Pool Deck Makeover, but Is the Drainage Okay?

[syedsam]

Just wrapped up a full DIY makeover on my pool deck new pavers, new coping, and added a drainage strip along the back edge. Looks great, but now I'm second guessing whether the slope is enough. Water seems to pool a little on one side after rinsing. Anyone else deal with this after a remodel?

 

[Manikshaw]

Just wrapped up a full DIY makeover on my pool deck new pavers, new coping, and added a drainage strip along the back edge. Looks great, but now I'm second guessing whether the slope is enough. Water seems to pool a little on one side after rinsing. Anyone else deal with this after a remodel?

Yep! After my makeover last year, I had the same issue. Usually, a very slight puddle after rinsing isn’t a problem, but if it just sits there for hours, you might need to adjust the pitch. I fixed mine by lifting a few pavers and adding more sand under the low spots.

 

[Zephyr]

Just wrapped up a full DIY makeover on my pool deck new pavers, new coping, and added a drainage strip along the back edge. Looks great, but now I'm second guessing whether the slope is enough. Water seems to pool a little on one side after rinsing. Anyone else deal with this after a remodel?

As long as water drains within 30,60 minutes, it’s usually fine. If it's right next to the pool edge, make sure it’s not flowing toward the shell long term that can cause problems. A quick level check can tell you if a small regrade is needed.

 

[syedsam]

Thanks both! The puddle dries in about 40 minutes so sounds like I'm okay. I’ll still check the slope this weekend just to be safe.

 

[Michael Young]

If the puddle dries in 30-40 minutes, it sounds like it’s okay. But still, I’d check the slope this weekend just to be safe.

 

[Lily Allen]

For me, if the water dries up within an hour, it’s usually fine. Still, it doesn’t hurt to recheck the slope so you have peace of mind and don’t worry about it later.

 

[Megan Lawson]

One thing I’d keep an eye on over the next few weeks is what happens after a proper rain, not just a rinse with the hose. Hose water can be misleading because it’s controlled and short-term. A decent downpour will tell you a lot more about whether that low spot is actually an issue or just surface tension between the pavers.

Also worth checking if that pooled area lines up with where people walk the most. Sometimes pavers settle slightly once they’ve been used a bit, especially around entry points or furniture spots. If that’s the case, it may self-correct with a small adjustment later rather than needing anything urgent now.

If the water isn’t heading toward the pool shell or sitting long enough to get slimy, I wouldn’t lose sleep over it. A lot of decks aren’t perfectly dry everywhere, the goal is controlled runoff, not zero moisture. Sounds like you’re already in a pretty good place.

 

[Benjamin Lewis]

I have dealt with this after a DIY deck remodel and a little pooling usually means the slope is just barely off, not a full redo, I watched it during a few rinses and heavy rains and as long as water eventually moves away from the pool shell it was fine, I just kept the edge clean so I could clearly see flow, and using aquadoc tile and vinyl cleaner helped me spot where water was actually sitting versus just surface wetness.

 

[Nathan Parker]

Been there after a DIY deck redo, that second guessing feeling doesnt really go away until you watch it through a few real situations. When I finished mine, rinsing always showed one low spot and it drove me nuts even though it dried in about 30 to 45 minutes. The problem in my head was worse than the actual problem on the deck.

What helped was paying attention over time instead of reacting right away. I watched it after a couple heavy rains and checked if water was actually moving away from the pool shell or just sitting on the surface between pavers. I also noticed that areas with more foot traffic settled a hair more, which made the puddle look worse than it was. Keeping that edge clean made it easier to see real flow, and using aquadoc tile and vinyl cleaner helped me tell the difference between actual pooling and just leftover surface wetness.

If its drying in under an hour and not pushing water toward the pool, youre probably fine. Decks almost never drain perfectly everywhere. Id give it a few weeks and see how it behaves in real weather before pulling anything up. Anyone else notice their pavers settle a bit after the first month of use?

 

[Andrew Coleman]

I’d look at two things before you start pulling pavers back up.

First, grab a long level or even a straight 2x4 and actually measure the pitch. For pool decks, you usually want around 1/8 to 1/4 inch per foot of slope away from the pool. Eyeballing it can be deceiving, especially with new pavers that have texture and joint sand that holds a little surface water.

Second, watch what happens during a real rain, not just a rinse. Like Megan said, hose water behaves differently. A steady downpour will show you if water is actually migrating toward the drainage strip or just sitting in the low joints temporarily. If it dries in 30 to 40 minutes and isn’t flowing toward the shell, that’s generally acceptable.

One other thing people forget is splash out plus bather load. If that low side is near steps or where people get in and out, it’ll see more water and may settle slightly over the first few weeks. Keep an eye on it and recheck your base if the puddle gets bigger over time.

Minor pooling that evaporates quickly isn’t a structural failure. The real red flags are water sitting for hours, algae starting to form, or moisture constantly against the coping or beam. If you’re not seeing that, you’re probably within normal DIY tolerance.

 

[Jacob Foster]

You’ve already gotten solid advice, so I’ll just add one angle that helped me stop obsessing over mine.

After our paver redo, I had one corner that always showed a shallow sheen of water after rinsing. Dried in about 30 to 45 minutes, but it bugged me. What I realized later was that joint sand and surface tension between tight pavers can make it look like pooling when it’s really just water sitting in the micro texture.

What I did was mark the edge of the “puddle” with chalk right after rinsing, then checked it 20 minutes later. If the outline shrinks evenly and doesn’t creep toward the coping or pool beam, that’s a good sign your slope is basically doing its job. If it stays the exact same footprint for hours, that’s when you’ve got a true low spot.

Also check it after a big rain when the ground underneath is fully saturated. Sometimes drainage issues only show up when the base can’t absorb anything else. If your drainage strip is actually collecting runoff and not backing up, you’re probably fine.

A perfectly bone dry deck everywhere is rare. Controlled runoff away from the shell is the goal, not zero moisture. If it’s drying in under an hour and not feeding water back toward the pool, I wouldn’t tear anything up yet. Keep watching it for a few weeks before making a move.

 

[Amber Chase]

I went through this exact spiral after redoing my paver deck last summer. Finished everything, stepped back, loved how it looked… then immediately started staring at one spot that held a little water after rinsing and wondering if I messed up the slope.

One thing that helped me figure it out was watching the water path instead of just the puddle. I poured a bucket in a few different spots and followed where it actually wanted to travel. On mine the surface around the puddle still had the right pitch, about 1/8 inch per foot away from the pool, but the texture of the pavers and the joint sand created a shallow “dish” where water sat briefly before creeping toward the drain line.

Another thing to check is the drainage strip itself. If the channel or grate is catching debris or joint sand early on, it can slow the flow and make nearby areas look like they’re not draining well. When I cleared mine out the water started moving a lot more consistently.

If yours dries in 30 to 40 minutes like you mentioned, that’s usually within the normal range for a paver deck. The bigger concern is water constantly migrating toward the coping or sitting long enough to get slimy. If it’s moving away from the pool and disappearing in under an hour, the pitch is probably doing its job.

I’d watch it during the next heavy rain too. That’s when you really see how the deck behaves. Sometimes the “problem spot” during a hose rinse turns out to be a total non issue once real runoff hits the drainage line.