Indoor pool flooring

[Kyle Smith]

I’m currently building a pool cabin in Gatlinburg and I’m interested in some opinions regarding indoor pool flooring options.  I will be pouring the pool floor next week and I had originally considered stamped concrete but now I’m sorta second guessing myself.  I got to thinking the stamped concrete may hold water and water may stay in the grout lines or cracks in the concrete causing potential mildew, mold etc. 
Has anyone considered epoxy flooring with a nonslip surface or what other options should I consider?  Thoughts?
Thanks in advance

[Ken Boone]

@Kyle Smith I am torn on pool flooring.  I have 3 different setups.  One is a really nice flat rock layout around the pool.  The rock has a sealant on it.  The problem is the chemicals in the pool, react with the sealant, and instead of having a really nice rock layout where you see color running through the veins in the rock kind of thing, you see a washed out surface because the chemicals from the pool really interact with the sealant.  It can be cleaned to make look new again, but it's only a matter of months before it is washed out.

Before I go on to the next 2, let me preface this by stating my opinion.  In that market, once everyone saw the added $$ from the pool cabins, whether it is a builder or an investor, every builder seems to have added pool cabins to their repertoire.  They all claim to know what they are doing..   The problem I have found is that with the ones I have interacted with anyway - they don't know jack about it.  The people they contract to put the pools in don't know jack about it.  The ONLY way I will build another pool cabin is to have it in the contract, that the builder will work with a pool company of my choice where all they do is install pools.  

Ok so #2, this was just a concrete floor and they put some type of finish on it.  Based on the work done by this builder's contractors I am guessing they did not prep the surface properly before they put this finish on.  It looked like it was some type of a paint finish.   This builder also insisted that I did not need a dehumidifier - that a fan with a humidistat will work, because that's what all the builders are doing now.  LIAR!!! LIAR!!! Sorry a little "Princess Bride" came out there ;)  Anyway, whoever put the concrete in did not do a good job, because there are places where it puddles.  After 6 months or so the pool finish started peeling/chipping away and turning really stained dirty looking.  At about the 11 month mark, the builder came in a re-did the finish.  Wow it looked so much better.  - uh about 6 months anyway.  A neighbor cabin had similarly issues and they ended up having someone put in a product called Behr Granite Grip.  It looked good, had a slip resistant surface so we had that put in.  It almost feels like a rubbery texture but not quite.  It has to be applied in a specific way though, you don't just go and paint it on.  So there are now 3 pool cabins that I know of with that installed.  It has held up really well, with the exception of where the concrete depression spots are that hold water.  In those locations, it just has a stained water ring effect to it - the product does not appear to be deteriorating in those spots though, just stained from the water.  But it's a whitish stain not a dirty looking stain.  The thing is all of the 3 cabins I know about with this applied, the longest has been about 20-22 months I would say so I just don't know about longevity.  

Cabin #3 the builder started with concrete.  Again, they didn't have a clue what they were doing and ran their mouth about how they are better than everyone else.  By the time they were done, it looked like crap, the far side of the pool between the pool and the wall with windows, has a 5 inch rise in about 18 inches.  Supposed to be 1/2" per foot if I am not mistaken by code.  It's a total hazard man.  I did insist in a floor drain line, but they didn't slope that enough so now it holds standing water as well.  I regress.  Anyway, my pool was all jacked up, this was a fiberglass, builder basically ignored the issues and wasn't doing anything, they finally brought in this guy that was supposed to be a pool expert and was gonna fix everything.  And he got to work on stuff, and then I ended up having to pay him every time he came out, but at least he was getting stuff done.  At this point I was like 21 months into this build, already had CO for like 8 weeks and the cabin still was not rentalable - that is another story.  Anyway, the concrete flooring was so bad, and there were patches and what not in places, and different color in the concrete patches etc.. So this guy that I ended up having to pay put in an epoxy flooring with some stuff mixed in to add grit.  When the builder's foreman came in after he was like WOW that looks amazing.  It does look really good.  Again, can't speak to the longevity factor.

What I am afraid about concrete, is it is my understanding that has to be sealed too, like those rocks.  I am no expert in it, but my fear is that the chemicals might affect how that concrete looks over time to like it did with the flat rocks on my first cabin.  The problem I run into is that I can't seem to find a real expert on the topic.  You start talking to a guy who does concrete in pool rooms, and you find out he really doesn't know how it is looking a year later cause he never goes back.  So I really don't know about just straight concrete and when I start talking to different companies about this issues, I never get authoritative answers, I always get wishy washy answers that are non-committal as to how well it will look a year from now.

I will say that the Behr Granite Grip was really an inexpensive option though, so if it only lasts a few years, it's not costly to re-do.  I have heard a lot about using Cool Deck, but again no experience just people talking.

What do you mean about your pool having an overflow drain?  So you have a drain line say higher than the surface intake skimmer?  If that is the case you may not need a floor drain.  If you are talking about the intake skimmer, then I would highly recommend a floor drain.  On this last pool, we are still struggling with some issues, and the builder's warranty is worthless, but we have dealt with 2 leaks, and so we have had to ask guests to add water to the pool.  I think we just got the last leak fixed, but when it wasn't we had one guest turn the hose on and forgot about it and left.  That floor drain would have saved me.  Now it is just as easy for your cleaner, or pool service company to do the same thing.  A random phone call comes in and they accidentally walk away with the pool hose running.  

Last but not lease - make sure you have a dehumidifier installed!

Sorry this was long - hope it helps.