Your pool needs two structural concrete pours: the gunite shell that holds water and the deck that surrounds it. Both must handle Quebec freeze-thaw cycles and the weight of a full pool. We pour the shell and deck, coordinate with your pool builder and trades, and deliver a free written estimate before any work starts.
The pool shell begins with excavation to the engineered profile, rebar tied to drawing, and embeds set for plumbing and lights. Gunite or shotcrete is then sprayed pneumatically against the rebar, bonding tightly and conforming to the shell shape. This creates the monolithic body that holds water pressure and soil load for decades.
The pool deck resurfacing option works when the shell is sound but the surrounding concrete is tired. For new pools, the deck is the second pour, finished slip-resistant and sloped to drain away from the pool and house. Both pours are tied together structurally.
We do not handle plumbing, equipment, plaster, or tile finishes. Those are pool-specialist trades. What we do is coordinate the schedule so the shell is ready when the plumber needs it, and the deck is ready when the tile crew arrives. This same coordination approach extends to patio concrete and outdoor living projects that tie into the pool area.
Recent work
The sequence
How Pool Shell & Deck Get Poured in Order
Review engineered drawings with pool builder
We work from the pool builder's engineered shell drawings, the deck layout, and how concrete ties into plumbing runs, equipment pads, and other trades on site.
Excavate, set rebar and embeds
The pool cavity is dug to profile, rebar is tied through the shell cavity to drawing, and all embeds for plumbing, lights, and skimmer are placed before concrete arrives.
Spray the gunite shell
Gunite or shotcrete is pneumatically sprayed against the rebar, screeded to the shell profile, and cured. This forms the structural body that holds water and pressure.
Pour and finish the deck
The surrounding deck is poured slip-resistant, sloped to drain, with control joints on layout, and tied cleanly into the shell, patio, and yard.
Concrete is one specialty
Why Coordinated Trades Build Better Pools
A pool project succeeds when each trade does what it does best. We pour the structural concrete. The pool builder handles design, plumbing, equipment, and finish. The plumber runs the lines. The tile crew applies the finish. When everyone stays in their lane and the schedule is coordinated, the project moves without delays.
We work from the pool builder's engineered drawings and match the deck layout to their finish plan. The shell is ready when their plumbing rough-in needs it. The deck is ready when their plaster and tile crew shows up. If you have an existing pool with a tired deck but a sound structure, pool deck concrete replacement is often paired with sidewalk or retaining wall upgrades around the yard.
What concrete trades cover, gunite shell, deck, and how the project coordinates in Gatineau.
We pour the structural concrete, the gunite shell and the surrounding deck. The plumbing, equipment, plaster, tile and pool finishing are pool-specialist trades; we coordinate the schedule with them so each handoff is clean.
Both are concrete sprayed pneumatically against engineered rebar in the pool cavity. The pneumatic placement bonds tightly to the rebar and conforms to the shell profile, giving a strong, monolithic pool body.
Yes. The shell and deck are engineered with proper rebar, mix design and drainage for freeze-thaw, and the pool is winterised by the pool builder so water cannot freeze in the structure or plumbing.
Yes. The pool deck is the second structural pour on a pool project, slip-resistant, sloped to drain away from the pool and the house, and tied into the shell. We pour them as one project.
Yes. We coordinate with whichever pool builder you are using, working from their engineered drawings for the shell and matching the deck layout to their finish plan, so the project sequences cleanly between trades.
Homeowner reviews
What Gatineau Homeowners Say About Their Pool Concrete
Shell pour was clean against the engineered rebar. The pool builder commented on how easy our handoff was, and the deck was ready exactly when their plaster crew showed up.
J. O.
Gatineau
★★★★★
Built the shell and deck for our pool over one summer. Coordinated with the pool company and the plumber so we never lost a day waiting on concrete.
E. S.
Nepean
★★★★★
They were upfront that they pour the concrete and not the finishes. Made it easy to assemble the right team. Both pours have held perfectly through freeze-thaw.
S. H.
Ottawa
★★★★★
Slip-resistant pool deck that slopes properly away from the house and the water. Two summers in and not a crack at the joint with the pool.
T. M.
Manotick
From the blog
Concrete Guides & Articles
Practical reading on planning, finishes and caring for concrete in Gatineau.
Planning a new pool or rebuilding the deck around an existing one. Send us the engineered drawings or describe what you want, and we will schedule a site visit with a written, itemised quote.
