longest lasting interior pool finish

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marinoperna

Member
Jul 8, 2014
18
largo, fl
Well it is now time to find a pool interior. Have looked at all sorts. Pebble tech seems to be on top of the list but then there is Hydrazzo (some want it acid washed while others recommend polishing) along with Diamond Bright, Marquis et all.

I plan to sit still for the next 20 years and would like the find the most durable product for the most reasonable cost. Don't want to have to redo this.

Thanks to all who take the time to comment

Marino
St Petersburg Fl
 
Welcome to TFP!

Top of the line is all tile, but that gets very expensive very quickly. Next ,in terms of durability is Pebble, then Quartz. In line with these is a sanded/polish finish like Hydrazzo that you mentioned. Done well, you should see a minimum of 10-15 years with good care of it and it can be re-sanded at any time. Pebble is commonly good for 20 + years while being near new all those years later. It has the roughest texture of all these but is quite durable. Go with a top brand, but most importantly a Top applicator who cares about their work. Top brands limit application of their products to outfits who pay to get certified by them to do so. Generally, these are the types you want doing your pool.
 
Thanks. I have been leaning that way but have been swayed a bit from some trustworthy applicators who use Quartz.

So If pebble it is then is there a major difference between CLI, pebble tech, wet edge etc. Kleenex may be the brand name but Puffs is just as good but less expensive if you catch my drift. I really do mind paying the difference between a brand name and generic if there is no benefit other than bragging rights.

Thanks
Marino
 
All of the brands use essentially equivalent materials, though there are some variations in available colors and what ranges of uneven/smooth they each offer. The most important criteria is the experience level of the application crew. PebbleTec tends to stand out because they are very careful to only work with the most experienced crews and tend to be much better about warranty coverage than others. For this they charge a substantial premium.
 
Wet Edge is similar in price and applicator criteria. I don't know about their warranty honoring but done right you won't need it, and that is the key. I had CLI put in and it was the best I could get as there are no PT or WE installers here. We love the color, but done again, I would have separated this part of my build and had it finished by a PT or WE certified installer. IMO, a good CLI Quartz done right will last every bit as long as the two big names above. We went with CLI Select and it is very nice. Not finding the exact color we wanted, we blended two on the spot on plastering day and we love how it came out.

I forgot to mention it, but glass bead is another option. Long lasting as pebble, but a good bit more cost.
 
Brushpup

CLI is way less expensive than either PT or WE where we are but you confused me by the "if done again" part going with PT or WE because they have certified installer. You feel that strongly that due to those companies using a certified installer is best even though you like what you got and the cost savings? Even though I don't want too, I would want to spend the bit more if there is a consensus of the likely hood the job will be better. What colors did you blend if I may ask?

Looked into glass and you are certainly correct by the "bit more"

JasonLion
Thank you for you message too.

Need to make my choice in the next week or two or wind up losing my insurance company who has warned me to finish my pool.
 
Be sure you are comparing apples to apples. Sunstone select should be comparable to to either one's top quartz finish in price. PT will be higher on all, but make sure. Quartz will be less than pebble or glass bead obvioulsy, so make sure they aren't giving you that comparison.

Yes, to do over, I would choose WetEdge because I would have gotten a better install mostly, but I really liked their color and texture choices much better than PT. Also, PT IMO, is overpriced to a point I think is unreasonable. CLI is a top tier finish, so if you like the price point better and could have the same installer that would do WE or PT, it would be a great option. In the end, choose a top level finish, but most important is the installer. And again yes, I think it would be worth the extra cost.

This is one area a lot of people try to save money in, and I think its a mistake. Costs should be cut elsewhere on a build if you ask me. It has everything to do with how the pool looks, and how it feels when you are in it, and that choice is one that should be treated with care. Not an easy fix if you have problems or don't like it, and it's a choice you have to live with for a long time.

We blended 11 Bags of Granite to one bag of Sapphire in Suntone select, and we absolutely love the color. My PB did a lousy overall job on quality of the application, but otherwise we love what we chose. Mostly, they bothched the acid wash, but I wish we had a higher level of installer do the finish.

You can see the color here, and I have many more pics of it if you want to see. Just let me know and I can send them to you. You might be after something entirely different in water color though. We made an educated guess, but we liked it even more than we thought we would. We got lucky on that part.

http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/69505-West-Texas-Pool-Build/page6
 
Your color looks perfect. What is the color look like on the shallow steps. Seem some finishes that the deep end is great but the shallow looks like blue paint. don't want that.

Wet edge (Satin Matrix) here is $500 more then Pebble Sheen. However the CLI/NPT product is nearly $2k less than PS. From what I'm being told the installers are all the same except for the supervisor at WE being a different guys than PT. The PS company has been here the longest.

I like the idea of mixing in a bit of that to make the look better but the majors are reluctant to add anything possibly affecting the warranty. CLI doesn't care. A bit of glimmer would be nice but glass beads are way expensive.

Whoa is me!

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

OH - going to ask. This is a remodel and I'm going new everything. Should the skimmers be set flush with the tile or inset with a bit of taper for a larger drawing area (venturi effect)? Differing opinions but flush makes no sense to me.

Thanks
Marino

In the scope of things. even though $1500 is a good chunk of cash. Problems could easily eat that up in anti-acid formulas in no time.
 
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