Sun City West managers and vendor offer EPDM rubber fix after pool-deck failures at RH Johnson

At a March 13 workshop, Recreation Centers of Sun City West Manager Hershel Workman told the governing board that the RH Johnson pool deck installed in August 2023 for $225,000 is failing at coping edges and other high-water areas, and blamed UV degradation and pool chemicals for the breakdown.

Workman summarized staff research and vendor quotes, saying the installed material is a recycled-rubber product that is ‘‘very susceptible to UV sunlight’’ and to chemicals in pool water, which explains why coping and drain areas are deteriorating faster than indoor pool decks. He told directors the installed coating also varies in thickness, which worsened wear at stressed points.

Why it matters

Pools and pool decks are major amenities for Sun City West, an active-adult community, and repeated failures on relatively new installations raise questions about long-term capital costs and maintenance. Management presented short-term and long-term repair options and asked the board for feedback and next steps ahead of April capital program decisions.

What staff proposed and what vendors said

Workman presented three short-term patches (a coping band-aid, a life-floor patch at the edge, or replacement of the blue coping area with EPDM rubber) and two longer-lived approaches: an acrylic ‘‘cool deck’’ coating (initial estimate $275,000 plus recurring reseal costs) or a full EPDM rubberized deck replacement ($375,000 including $55,000 for removal of existing material), both with periodic warranty maintenance.

James Reigns and Ryan Davis of Cardinal Concrete Coatings, who answered director questions at the meeting, said their EPDM product is a virgin rubber formulation designed for outdoor, high-UV conditions. Reigns said the company uses a two-part resin base that bonds the rubber granules to concrete and reported a five-year rolling warranty with periodic sanitation and luster coats. Reigns told directors, “once this stuff is on there, it’s on there,” and later said the manufacturer’s view was the product could last two decades under normal conditions.

Board questions and next steps

Directors pressed vendors and staff on drainage details, coping curvature, durability around lap pools, maintenance, and scheduling. Directors asked whether drains can be raised or the material beveled to minimize trip hazards, whether the product upholds under heavy foot traffic near bars and entrances, and how the vendor’s warranty and local presence compare with the firm that supplied the failing material.

Workman said the EPDM option had a modeled 10-year cost advantage compared with the cool-deck alternative and recommended either testing EPDM at the coping edge first or fully replacing the deck at RH Johnson for $375,000 if the board wanted a long-term fix.

The board requested three follow-ups before deciding in April: (1) examples of local installations and at least one lap-pool application to verify performance; (2) a written warranty and service contract sample; and (3) a per-square-foot extrapolation and phased cost plan if the board elects to include more pools. Staff said they will provide warranty documents, arrange local site visits and supply schedule/downtime estimates.

What’s next

Workman and the vendor will provide warranty paperwork and local installation references and will coordinate scheduling and maintenance plans. The governing board expects a formal capital recommendation at its April workshop as part of the FY2627 capital program review.