Hi, why don't you have a think about installing composite decking which will allow you to be level with the door sill without the worry of run-off into the house due to the 5mm gap between the boards. Composite doesn't required coating so the maintenance issues are significantly less, just a hose down and sweep or mop with water. You would still need to excavate approx. 250mm below the finished deck level to allow for the sub-frame but if you use treated pine framing with, either H4 stumps in concrete, or galvanised stirrups to anchor the framing into the soil. Check with your local decking pro for further advice and brand options. Generally, the USA made composites like Trex or Timbertech are better quality and the concealed fixing systems are easy to install. Your soil type may be the only issue with water, ie clay which retains water, or sand which tends to drain more quickly. Good luck

Great advice!

I work as a colourist and the easiest method for a upmarket look is to choose an exact colour to match one of the colours in the tile. I would take the tile to a paint shop and get the colourist it match exactly one of the greys in the tile. Make the depth of the colour a light version. All white walls are on the way out. Lappatto tiles usually have some texture as they are semi polished. This is the latest look in tiles as they give a shine without the maintenance of polished porcelain which had been in. They are usually less slippery than satin or polished tiles depending on the brand.

We built a pool exactly the same, however we didnt use laminated glass but a monolithic piece of 80mm thick Plexiglass 3mx2m from Germany. This reduced the overall cost of the pool considerably. Pool was fantastic and doubled as a water feature when not in use. Incorporating LED lighting allowed the pool to take on the mood of the night. The only downside we found with the pool was that after heaving swimming and sunscreen the waterline of the Plexiglass would need a clean. Other than that it gained lots of comments and was even used for photo shoots and promo work.