You’re standing there, towel in hand, looking at a patch of grass or a cracked concrete slab where a pool should be. Or maybe the pool is already there, but it looks lonely. Unfinished. You want that resort vibe, but every time you look at composite materials, they look like plastic. Because they are. This is why wood swimming pool decks haven't gone anywhere. They’re classic. They’re tactile. Honestly, there is nothing quite like the feeling of actual timber under your feet when you’re dripping wet and the sun is beating down on your backyard.
But let's be real for a second. Wood gets a bad rap. People act like if you build a wooden deck near water, it’s going to rot into mush by next Tuesday. That’s just not true. If you pick the right species and treat it like you actually care about it, a wood deck can outlast your interest in swimming. It’s about the science of the grain.
The Reality of Splinters and Moisture
Everyone’s terrified of the "S" word. Splinters. You imagine your kids running toward the water and suddenly screaming because a shard of pressure-treated pine found its way into a big toe. It happens. But usually, it happens because the homeowner bought the cheapest grade of lumber at a big-box store and never bothered to sand it.
When we talk about wood swimming pool decks, we are really talking about durability vs. aesthetics. Pressure-treated (PT) lumber is the most common choice in the United States because it’s cheap. It’s infused with chemicals like Copper Azole to fight off rot. But PT wood has a high moisture content. As it sits in the sun, it shrinks. It warps. It checks—which is the industry term for those long cracks you see. If you’re going the wood route, you have to be smarter than just grabbing whatever is on the pallet.
Choosing Your Weapon: Ipe, Cedar, or Redwood?
If money is no object, you go with Ipe. It’s a Brazilian hardwood that is basically as dense as a rock. It’s so heavy it doesn't even float. Think about that for a pool deck. It has a Class A fire rating, the same as steel or concrete. You can drop a cigar on it, and it’ll barely leave a mark. According to the Forest Products Laboratory, Ipe can last 40 to 50 years without even trying. It turns a gorgeous silver-grey if you leave it alone, or stays a deep, rich walnut if you oil it once a year. It’s expensive. Like, "maybe I don't need that extra pool heater" expensive.
✨ Don't miss: Weather Forecast Calumet MI: What Most People Get Wrong About Keweenaw Winters
Then there’s Western Red Cedar. It’s the middle child. It smells incredible. It has natural tannins that repel bugs and decay. But it’s soft. If you have a big dog with sharp claws or you're constantly dragging heavy patio furniture around, you’re going to see scratches. Some people call that "character." Others call it a headache.
Redwood is the California dream. It’s stable. It doesn't warp as much as Cedar. But unless you’re on the West Coast, the shipping costs will kill the project's budget. You have to look at the heartwood. The sapwood—the light-colored outer part of the tree—is useless for a pool deck. It rots. You want the dark, reddish center. That’s where the durability lives.
Thermal Performance: Why Your Feet Aren't Burning
Composite decking—the stuff made of plastic and wood fiber—is famous for being low maintenance. It’s also famous for being a literal frying pan. On a 90-degree day, dark composite boards can reach temperatures over 150 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s enough to cause second-degree burns on a toddler's feet.
Wood is different. It’s a natural insulator. Even in direct sunlight, wood swimming pool decks stay significantly cooler than their synthetic counterparts. It’s a cellular thing. Wood is porous. It breathes. It doesn't just trap the thermal energy and radiate it back at you. If you’ve ever had to do the "hot sand dance" across a concrete pool apron, you know exactly why timber wins this round.
🔗 Read more: January 14, 2026: Why This Wednesday Actually Matters More Than You Think
Dealing With the "Wet" Factor
You’re building a deck around a giant tub of chemically treated water. Whether it's chlorine or salt, that water is coming for your deck. Saltwater pools are becoming the standard because they’re easier on the skin, but they are harder on hardware. If you’re building a deck for a salt pool, you cannot use standard galvanized screws. They will corrode. Period. You need 304 or 316-grade stainless steel fasteners. They cost more, but your deck won't collapse in eight years.
Drainage is another thing people mess up. They build these beautiful, tight-fitting decks where the boards are practically touching. Looks great. Until it rains. Or until the kids splash 50 gallons of water out of the pool. Water needs a way out. If it sits in the grooves or under the joists, you’re creating a literal petri dish for fungus. You need at least a 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch gap between boards.
And don't forget the "under-decking." Most people ignore what’s happening beneath the surface. You need airflow. If you box in a wood deck all the way to the ground without any ventilation, the humidity trapped underneath will rot the joists from the bottom up, even if the top looks pristine.
Maintenance is Not a Myth
Look, if you want to build a deck and never touch it again for twenty years, don't use wood. Buy stone. Or stamped concrete. Wood is a living material. It’s basically a dead tree that's trying to return to the earth.
💡 You might also like: Black Red Wing Shoes: Why the Heritage Flex Still Wins in 2026
- Clean it. Every spring, get the pollen and dirt off. Use a dedicated wood cleaner, not just a high-pressure power washer. Power washers at close range will shred wood fibers and make the splinter problem ten times worse.
- Brighten it. An oxalic acid brightener opens the pores and brings back the color.
- Seal it. Use a penetrating oil. Film-forming stains—the ones that sit on top like paint—are a nightmare for pool decks. They peel. Once they peel, you’re looking at a full sand-and-strip job. A penetrating oil (like Messmer’s or Penofin) soaks in and lets the wood breathe.
What Most People Get Wrong About Costs
People think wood is the "cheap" option. That’s a misconception. Sure, pressure-treated pine is cheap. But if you want a high-end wood swimming pool deck made of Garapa or Tigerwood, you’re going to spend more than you would on mid-range composite.
The real cost isn't the lumber. It’s the labor and the long-term upkeep. You’re trading a higher upfront cost for a material that can be sanded and refinished. If a composite deck gets scratched or melted by a dropped charcoal grill, you have to replace the boards. If a wood deck gets damaged, you sand it out. It’s repairable. That’s the sustainability argument that people often forget.
The Slip Factor
Water and smooth surfaces are a bad mix. This is where wood actually has a secret advantage. Most tropical hardwoods have a natural "grip" because of their grain structure. You can also buy "anti-slip" oils that have tiny particles of grit in them. You can't see them, but you can feel them. It’s much safer than a wet, polished concrete surface which basically turns into an ice rink the moment a kid does a cannonball.
Practical Steps for Your Project
If you are ready to pull the trigger on a timber surround, do these things in this specific order. Don't skip the boring parts.
- Check the Joist Spacing: If you’re using 5/4-inch thick boards (the standard), your joists should be 16 inches apart. If you’re using thinner boards, you might need 12-inch spacing to prevent "bounce."
- Order 10% More Than You Need: Wood is a natural product. You’re going to get some boards with knots you hate or cracks you can't use.
- Seal the End Grains: This is the pro tip nobody follows. When you cut a board, the end grain is like a bunch of tiny straws. It sucks up moisture. Use a wax-based end-sealer (like Anchorseal) on every single cut you make. It stops the boards from "checking" or splitting at the ends.
- Flash the Joists: Buy a roll of butyl joist tape. Stick it to the top of the pressure-treated frames before you lay the deck boards. It prevents water from sitting between the board and the joist, which is where 90% of deck rot starts.
Building wood swimming pool decks isn't just about hammering nails into planks. It's about understanding how a specific environment—high UV, high moisture, and chemical exposure—interacts with a biological material. If you respect the wood, it’ll give you a space that feels warmer, looks more expensive, and stays cooler than anything coming out of a factory.
The best move right now is to go outside and measure your site. Check your local building codes regarding "pool barriers"—many towns require the deck to have specific railing heights if it serves as the pool's entry point. Once the boring legal stuff is out of the way, get some samples of Ipe and Cedar. Wet them down. See how they feel. Your feet will tell you which one is right.