The choice of tiles for your pool is an important decision. It influences many aspects of a new or existing pool. It impacts how the water looks, how safe the pool is to use, and how much maintenance it involves. Plus, the tiles can influence how the space as a whole feels, too.
Before you dive in, let’s take a look at some tips for buying pool tiles.
Choose The Right Material
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First up is knowing that not all pool tiles are made equal, nor is there just one type you can pick. What you end up with depends on your style, the characteristics you want, and the type of pool you have.
Some of the most common types of pool tile include porcelain, natural stone, ceramic, and glass. But all of these have different durability, water absorption, and react differently to pool chemicals.
Porcelain, for example, is dense, has low absorption, and is highly resistant to the conditions of the pool environment.
Match to the Pool Color
The color of your tiles will directly impact the color of your water. Lighter tiles like pale blue, white, and cream will give the water a bright tropical appearance, while choosing darker tiles like deep blues, greens, and grays delivers a richer color within the water, which is ideal if you’re looking for your pool to feel more like a natural body of water.
From here, make sure you pay attention to how the tiles look in relation to the wider area the pool is in. If your pool is surrounded by lush planting and natural stone paving, the tiles will look drastically different if you add white tiles compared to darker slate ones for your pool. It’s a good idea to take a sample to see how each one looks within the outdoor space as a whole, not just the pool.
Understand the Size and Layout of Your Pool
Did you know the size and layout of your pool can have a surprising effect on how your pool looks and feels? Larger format tiles can create a cleaner, more contemporary look with fewer grout lines, which makes it easier to clean.
Smaller mosaic tiles, on the other hand, allow for more design flexibility and can be used to create patterns or gradients within the pool interior.
From here, the shape of your pool needs to be considered too. A large rectangular pool can carry large format tiles comfortably, but a smaller or freeform pool would benefit from smaller tiles that follow the shape more naturally. Check out similar pools to yours before you make your decision, so you are not choosing the wrong tile for your pool, and you can see what your pool might look like in real life, not just a mock-up.
Check the Finish
The finish of your pool tiles affects more than just how the pool looks and how easy it is to clean. It has an effect on the safety of the pool, too.
Smooth non-porous finishes resist staining and algae growth and are also straightforward to wipe down. However, textured or matte finishes can offer better grip but might require more effort to keep clean over time.
Next up is the grout you choose.
Epoxy grout is more resistant to pool chemicals than standard cement based grout and is absolutely worth the extra cost to use it.
