Pool Surface Questions

[glicks]

Hello everybody. I just found this forum and this is my first post. It seems like an excellent resource.

I owned a pool in NJ for about 8 years and loved it. We renovated it a few years ago with a Hydrazzo plaster surface and the water had a really nice blue color.

7 months ago I moved to Arizona and our new house does not have a pool. I put together a plan to do an owner/builder pool project, have all my designs and permits, etc and was trying to decide on the pool surface. It seems that in AZ the Pebbletec products dominate and we've been steered by the people we are dealing with towards Pebble Sheen.

We've looked at all the colors online of course but also have been driving around looking at actual pools that have various colors of Pebble Sheen. We can't seem to find a color of PS that we like. To use my wife's word, none of the colors 'pop'.

At one of the places we were at today they had a couple of tile surfaced pools that really had vibrant color. I know that tile is a lot more expensive (though I am not sure how much more) but they were so cool looking. Even my old Hydrazzo pool had a more vibrant color than anything I've seen in PS.

Also, we have a beach entry (baja) in the design and were thinking of making that area a different color than the main pool.

Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions as I try to pick a surface? Is there a reason, perhaps having to do with the climate, that Pebbletec is so popular our here?

Thanks in advance for your help!!
Mitch

 

[sandybeach]

they use pebbletec because it stays cool on your feet when the temp goes over 100 degrees. be careful which product you use in that hot climate. try contacting a good concrete contractor, and ask him about color staining, it's becoming some of the industrys most beautiful surfaces , and the colors are endless as are the paterns.

 

[Lana537]

and we've been steered by the people we are dealing with towards Pebble Sheen.

Hello,

There is your problem. Maybe you could do a search for Hydrazzo + Arizona, and see what comes up. I did a quick search and found a couple of firms out there that handle Hydrazzo. Can't say whether they are the best or worst companies/builders/whatever in the world, but maybe you can poke around a little bit.

If you end up feeling that you need to get the PTec finish, have a look at the PebbleTec site and look at their tile collection. Maybe you can get some wow factor from what you do with your waterline and your steps and benches. We're using their Geometric Tile Sky with Fire Opal on our waterline and steps. The pool isn't even finished, the PTec isn't in yet, and this tile looks terrific.

Or maybe you could get some interesting mosaics done on the floor or walls?

Good luck getting the look that you miss from your former pool or getting a good substitute to make you happy.

Lana