Need advice on Salt Resistant Coping

[jjgainer]

I am about to have a 28' Tuscany (kidney bean shaped) fiberglass pool from Leisure Pools installed on Monday 3/18. We have agreed on Belgard Urbana stone pavers for the decking and the pool will have a salt system. However, there still has not been a final decision made on the coping. The dealer had suggested a different brand of Belgard stones with a tumbled look, but I really want a bullnose edge on my coping. The problem is that apparently, Belgard does not make coping stones with a bullnose edge that are salt resistant. The dealer and I are looking for a solution that provides the bullnose edge, is salt resistant, and that will go with the Belgard Urbana pavers in Brittany Beige color. It should be a material that will not have to be constantly resealed and that comes with a lifetime guarantee (like the pavers) and that is reasonably cost effective. I am thinking not more than $15 a square foot. Does anyone have any ideas?

I have attached a 3D model of the pool design below in case that helps, but it doesn't really show the coping in a realistic fashion.

[attachment=0:1h76865h]pool3.jpg[/attachment:1h76865h]

 

[jblizzle]

Read this thread discussing a similar topic:
swg-vs-chlorine-with-borate-vs-chlorine-with-ozone-t56420.html

Although it is more concerns with natural stones. I would think that any concrete-type paver with no have a problem with the slightly higher salt content.

 

[jjgainer]

I read that whole thread and it confirmed that I should stay away from the flagstone as I had been told by multiple pool vendors. I was leaning towards coping made of either brick or concrete, but still really uncertain as to what a durable yet cost effective and low maintenance option would be.

 

[4knights]

I can't imagine anything lower maintenance than stained concrete. Well maybe unstained concrete.

 

[Killer95Stang]

Why not poured in place concrete coping? If you hire the right guy, they can make it look just like real rock...

 

[jjgainer]

I will check with my builder, but I believe the poured in place concrete coping is extra. I am already $10K over budget and I have a hard limit at 40K that I don't want to exceed.

 

[JasonLion]

Both concrete and concrete based pavers are essentially immune to salt. Brick is a little more variable, but generally does well.

 

[4knights]

To save costs you could have the builder do a cantaliever coping ribbon (18-24inch)around the pool edge and you or any landscape guy could do a patio stone deck up against the coping.
Or
If you want to DIY the whole deck and coping, you could do the concrete pour yourself. The coping forms are available online or local (shop around for best price) my stegemeier forms only cost $250. I had one adult and two teenagers and we did the whole pour in about four hours. (don't DIY unless you have experienced helpers or are only doing the coping ribbon as described above) it was back breaking work but turned out fine.

 

[jjgainer]

I am definitely not up for the DIY option. My PB is kind of pushing me away from stained concrete. They have a preference for Belgard pavers I think because they have an ICPI certification from Belgard which allows them to offer a lifetime paver warranty and a 5 year installation warranty. In regards to concrete, they say that it is inevitable that it will crack and that when that happens, trying to patch it doesn't look good. So, we are now looking at a bullnose travertine coping stone from Durango Stone and potentially doing the whole deck in travertine as well. I am trying to determine if we can save money and still have a nice look by using the Belgard pavers and wall stones with Durango Stone coping and wall caps. Any other ideas or anyone with experience in this area would be greatly appreciated.

 

[bigdav160]

I did precast concrete coping for my pool. It was roughly $16 a linear foot.

The downside was the 5 weeks to get it made.