Show me your green pools and waterline tile!

Yargnits67

Well-known member
Jul 20, 2020
66
Rockledge, FL
Pool Size
19000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Jandy Truclear / Ei
Hey folks,

We are trying to decide on the pool color and our waterline tile. We are currently considering a pebble finish that is called sand and we are thinking a natural color light brown waterline tile.

What I am hoping you all can do for us is show us your pools that have green water and what your waterline tile looks like. Pleas include the finish color of the pool.

Thanks for helping and showing us your beautiful pieces of paradise!
 
Here is a link to a thread where members shared their plasters with their names. The waterline tiles are also shown.

I hope you find something you like here!
 
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Crickets, eh? 🦗 TFP is all about keeping our pools from turning green, so maybe that's why you're not getting any takers here! ;) My edge tile looks like river rocks and the water is a deep blue-aqua color, so I can't help ya.

Did you find anything to your liking in the thread Kim linked? What kind of green are you after? What kind of brown? A green pool with brown edge tile doesn't sound all that appealing to me. But I suppose, if done well, would mimic more closely what you might find in nature, like an ocean near a sandy shore? Is that what you're after?

The physics involved will always add a strong blue overtone to whatever color you use for a finish. It's why a white pool looks light blue. So there is that to consider when you're picking colors.
 
Thanks Kim! I'll check it out.

I know right Dirk. I couldn't think of a catchy title for the thread. Oh well. Here is the look we are going for. Our problem is that we have a very dark brown house, we want to go with a lite tan acrylic deck and then a sand pebble tec color. Can't tell which water line tile would be best. Keep with the browns or add some kind of neutral color or something else. I can't visualize it.Almar-Jackson_PT-Sandy-Beach.jpg
 
Our problem is that we have a very dark brown house, we want to go with a lite tan acrylic deck and then a sand pebble tec color. Can't tell which water line tile would be best. Keep with the browns or add some kind of neutral color or something else. I can't visualize it.
Your pool's elements don't have to match your house, or be a shade or tint of brown. The water, the deck and the edge tile can be part of a palette of colors that work together. Blue is the complimentary color to brown. Wander around on the 'net, or google "colors that go with brown," and find a scene or palette of colors that appeals to you, one that includes the brown of your house along with several related and complimentary colors. That might help you envision the possibilities. Below are some examples.

Once you have your palette, assign those colors to various object in your yard and the end result will look great. Bring colors from the pool elements to your house, and that will tie the two together. Ways to do that include: add chairs and chaises with slings that have all the colors of your palette. Sunbrella, which makes outdoor furniture fabric, has an amazing selection. Decorate the side of your house with "art" (wall hangings, yard art, etc) that "match" the pool's colors, and decorate your yard with objects that use some or all of the colors of your palette. Three glazed garden planters, for example, out in the landscaping; one brown, one tan one aqua (to support the colors of the house, deck and water).

There are all sorts of decorating tricks like that. The room below is decorated with many colors that are not shades or tints of each other, but all belong to a cohesive palette. You may hate the look of this room, or love it, no matter. It's just an example of a scene that consists of a color palette that works with brown (the curtains). Find a scene that you like and use that for inspiration for the palette you'll use for your pool and yard.

palette1.jpeg

This rug has a palette of colors that would work. The brown of the house, the light blue-green for your water, the darker blue-green for your tile and the tans for your deck. (I don't know what color brown is your house, but you get the idea.)

palette2.jpg

The edge tile can be predominantly blue-green, to support the color of the water, but include "jewels" of color that tie the tile, deck and house all together.

tile.jpeg

You're only considering colors all of the same hue, just varying the tint: brown, light brown and sand. That's "safe," as they are bound to match. But that palette is not very interesting. Choosing a palette that includes complimentary colors is much more interesting (browns and blues). Once armed with the palette, you go pick out tile and deck and pool finishes that belong to the palette.

Just one guy's opinion: that scene you posted is not all that great (in terms of color). The natural scene is really nice. The sand is a complimentary color to the ocean color. The pool water color kinda matches the ocean, and the pebble finish color kinda matches the sand. But the grey deck is completely out of place, as is the green of the grass. And there is no edge tile that might have been some help in tying things together. The colors of that scene are not pleasing, when viewed together. More to the point: it's not just about matching edge tile and house, but also making sure all the colors in your yard, your scene, work together.
 
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Here are a couple of nice palettes that include brown (a brown, not necessarily your brown). The second palette adds an accent color (Heartthrob), which adds even more visual interest. You'd use a color like that for maybe a fire pit, or throw pillows for the patio furniture.

93878022fd78d3fbe4b212bd2e0f0cf1.jpg

9fd742ab3e1a79620f444f12cd577113.jpg
 
Being from AZ, I know brown houses. In fact, my friend visiting from Ohio said, All the houses are various shades of dirt. She was correct. It is so nice to have a pool break that up. In a previous house that we had a pool, our neighbor had one in what looked to be the same color pebble you posted. Their pool looked like a green AZ lake. It was not inviting at all. We could see it from our bathroom and when we built ours just on the other side of the fence from theirs the contrast made it look worse since ours was a white interior, so light blue water. How about one of the colors that look more like a lake (not an AZ lake 😉) or pond, like Tahoe? That way it’s not a bright blue to contrast with the house but isn’t green either. But if you really like the green, green water then one of the tiles that is the same color as the pebble would work. Or that beautiful glass tile Dirk posted above.
 
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How about one of the colors that look more like a lake (not an AZ lake 😉) or pond, like Tahoe?
My pool's color is Tahoe Blue (which I had made darker). It's a dark blue-green (but more blue than green). My house is tan, but trim is dark brown. All works.
 
Sorry.. I had a busy weekend, so I haven't been on since Thursday. I like the Irish Mist (PebbleTec PebbleSheen). What convinced me that it wasn't going to be an issue was going up to the Grand Canyon and looking a mile down at the Colorado River. It's THAT color green you want if you are going to do it. No issues at all with it looking like Algae in the pool, it's just a nice color. So you can do it. And we did decide to match it with the house somewhat because almost everyone here has one of the basic tier PebbleSheen blues, and my wife and I though they clash. There was a sand brown color we looked at too that would have probably been fine, but the color we have stands out in a good way. Most of the pictures in the thread and in the "color" threads here are pretty close to what it actually looks like. Don't let yourself get talked out of it.
 
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Don't let yourself get talked out of it.
Couldn't agree more, and I hope I wasn't sounding like I was trying to do that. More important than this group's opinion or my color theory lessons or what anybody else says, ya gotta go with what you like!
 
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Cool. I might actually have the closest to what the OP might be looking for. What I did certainly worked out. I've had exactly no one say the pool doesn't look good.

I think the other color we looked at was "sand" and the examples I saw of that were not bad either. Like real sand, the more (especially TFP) water depth the more blue it looks anyway, so if you pick the correct colors, you get a "lagoon" color effect in the shallows. I think it works out great, honestly.
 
I also wanted a blue towards green color and had a hard time finding anything. Not many people get a 'green' finish for their pool. With pebble tech the tan colored pebble finishes mean the pool water will be more green. .. Usually it's the darker colored pools that have that green tone. When you look at pictures, keep in mind newly filled pools have a green tint until the chemicals even out.

You could visit Pebble Tec's 'World's Greatest Pools' page below. Check each year's entries. Again, the depth of the water shows the deeper color. The lightest color will be on the steps and in the shallow end. Keep in mind these pictures are prettied up so the true color of the finish may be completely different. (Many photos are at night).
 
Hey everyone. It’s been a crazy week! Thank you for the help with colors. I had no idea how many colors could go with brown. Dirk, you did not come across as trying to talk me out of it. I asked a question and gave an awesome answer with pictures. One of my biggest issues is I can’t visualize how it’ll look. Anyway, our permitting process has started and it’ll take a few more weeks so I’ve got time to figure it out.
We like the darker pool but my wife has a concern about snakes/ gators hiding in the pool. We live on a large pond and have gators and snakes out there. I would hate to have a snake in the pool and one of our kids jump in and frighten it.
Rattay’s, I tried to find a pic of your pool and couldn’t find it. I’m using my phone so when I get to my computer later I’ll search that way.
Thanks again for the input everyone!! We are pretty excited to get this moving.
 
OK, we've solved many a pool issue here, but gators is a new one on me. I just ran out and looked at my pool in the evening. It's a deep color. It would not hide an alligator. You haven't seen how clear a TFP pool is yet. No matter, whether her concern is founded or not, you and your family being comfortable in your pool is important. Happy wife, happy life. Light finish it is! ;)

So you find a palette you like, similar to what I showed you, with a couple light colors, a brown and a nice complimentary color or two. One light color for the deck, the other light color for the pool, the brown house and the tile is predominantly the complimentary color, with accents that pick up the two light colors and the brown. Before you try to visualize your pool, work first on finding a palette that you like.

To help you visualize, a lot of builders have software in which they can design your pool, including its colors. Were you offered that? If your PB doesn't have that service, you could hire a pool designer and have them do some renderings of your pool with various color schemes. Your PB should be able to recommend one. They can show your house and landscaping, different angles, closeups, day and night (with lighting). It's pretty cool. That'd be a good way for you to visualize your pool. Here's a thread that has the kind of renderings I'm describing:

 
I was in the same boat. We have a creek nearby and Texas critters are bold. We had a 4' rat snake on our front porch recently. I've seen scorpions on the next street over during a walk with our dogs. An armadillo. You name it, it'll come 'round.

So we went with a lighter color, too. The problem was finding a light color. There are a coupe of youtube videos homeowners took of their pool -- Aqua blue and aqua cool. If you go with pebble of some sort, the 'white' look are the lighter colors. There are other finishes to check out too - Stonescapes, Wet Edge, and I barely looked at some premixed stuff.
 
It's not any better in Arizona. Everything is trying to kill you here, but I've not had much of an issue with things like snakes yet. Might someday. We have had one of the dreaded Colorado River toads show up in the front yard. They tend to kill dogs, so it's an issue. Luckily not in the back.

I wouldn't maybe worry about that so much. We do have block fences here in Arizona, and I suppose that helps, but I don't know if I'd make that a primary concern in the design of a pool. IF the critters really want to get in, they will anyway.
 
Dirk, you nailed it. Happy wife, happy life. The PB dropped off a ton of tiles and some booklets as well. I think she has it all figured out. The builder did have software for that but I guess I wasn’t smart enough to think about having him change it to all the different tiles we were considering. We mostly googled it and my wife can picture it. I showed her your post and she was like, I’ve been trying to tell you that. Then I let her know that you used pictures, she didn’t. Lol. She has a vision and I’m along for the ride. It’ll be fun and she is usually right anyway.
There are definitely a lot of critters here. My friends just pulled a 4’ rattler out of his pool. Apparently the pool attracted a couple rabbits and the rabbits attacked the snake. There is a large retention pond and then a swamp beyond that that our property backs up to. Rattus is exactly right, if they want in they’ll get in. Our HOA requires a 4’ black aluminum fence so there is nothing keeping them out.
 
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I got this trick from the woman that helped me with my finish color: lay the tiles outside, around where your pool will be. And be sure to get them wet. View them throughout the day and evening, wet and dry, to get a good sense of how they'll actually look.

If there is a big patch of grass or dirt where the pool is going, you shoulf obscure that from your view. Looking at a color on top of some other color will affect how your eye perceives either color. If you have a big sheet that is a neutral color, or a color similar to the deck you have in mind, that would be ideal: lay them on top of that, and not too close to each other, as they'll affect each other, too.

You can see what I mean, easily enough. Hold one of the tiles up against the brown of your house, and then up against something different, like your lawn maybe. That tile color will look very different, maybe you'll like it up against one color, but not the other. Holding it up to something that will be similar to the color of your deck would be best.
 
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