Your Guide To Jacksonville Florida Swimming Pool Finishes
Choosing the right swimming pool finish or pool surface material is a very important part of your new in-ground swimming pool purchase. There is a wide variety of pool surface options available today – from standard white plaster to a full spectrum of colored pebble finishes – and the choice can be daunting without proper guidance and information. Read through the options below, and call us to find out which pool finish would be best for you.
Classic White Plaster Swimming Pool Finish
One of the most common pool surface materials is classic white plaster, which has been in use for as long as people have been building swimming pools. White plaster is most often chosen for economical purposes and is comprised of a simple combination of white cement, white marble aggregate and water.
Pools and spas which are surfaced in white plaster have a very clean, light-blue appearance that is very smooth to the touch. It is very popular and reliable when installed by a quality contractor and properly maintained.
Concerns About White Plaster Pool Finishes
Your pool surface is constantly in contact with your pool and spa water and as such, the chemicals in the water. Of all the pool surface options available, white plaster is relatively “soft” and is more susceptible to the effects of water chemistry. It is reasonable to expect that during the life of your pool and spa, water conditions which can include improperly maintained or fluctuating chemical conditions will change the appearance of your pool surface. The changes may be slight shading or scaling, or more serious such as staining, etching, cracking or delaminating in some extreme cases. Colored plaster will amplify all of the characteristics found in white plaster, including the negative aspects of degradation.
White Plaster Additives
Being the most economical, white plaster is often chosen with an upgrade – additives. Innovative chemical additives have been developed which increase strength and durability without sacrificing the smooth texture of plaster. The primary concern with additives is that they increase the cost of your pool finish and are not completely fool-proof so you may still see some surface degradation over time.
Pool Surface Aggregates – Colored Ceramic Quartz
Another innovative addition to pool and spa surface finish options include aggregates. Aggregates are a specialized form of ceramic coated sand available in pre-mixed plaster products. These aggregates offer a broad range of colors and have the advantage of creating a much more durable swimming pool and spa surface than plaster alone. These finishes are far more resistant to fluctuating chemical conditions.
Pebble swimming pool surface – Pebble finish
For a little more than a decade, pebble swimming pool surfaces have become extremely popular as they are the strongest and least susceptible to damage. Pebble swimming pool surfaces are comprised of small, smooth river pebbles embedded throughout the product. Pebble pool finishes are available in a wide range of colors, and they are beautiful, natural-looking and chemically inert. Pebble surfaces are very unlikely to react with swimming pool or spa water and for this reason they offer superior longevity.