Automatic Cover color choice

[poolnorthernva]

We are at the point where we need to decide on the color of out automatic cover. We are using Coverstar. We have a mid atlantic climate. My thoughts are covers are going to get dirty, so which color will show more or less dirt. Our coping is Walnut Travertine. We are leaning towards Royal or Light Blue. At this point its six one, half dozen of the other. Is one color harder to maintain appearance over the other? Or do all covers equally show dirt and wear over time? Auto cover owners, are you happy with your color choice?

Thanks!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

My only concern when picking the color was that it not look like cement (gray) in the dark so someone might accidentally step on it not realizing there was a pool there. We went with the light blue. Dirt shows but not bad, it just gets washed off once or twice a year with car wash cleaner and a big long broom and hose.

 

[SuzfromTexas]

Is it like car colors - darker colors show dirt more than lighter colors? Or does a darker color for the pool cover help with keeping the pool warm? Whenever I've seen tan outdoor covers for miscellaneous things, it always looks so dingy and dirty. My vote is for Light Blue. Maybe the best of both worlds - FWIW. Sorry to jump in when I don't own a pool cover (or even have a completed pool, yet)! But as the saying goes....."Everyone's got an opinion!" Take care. Suz.

 

[bobby1017]

We got one that is close to royal. Dark colors do show more dirt but i wanted something that looks like water (kind of), and that might absorb heat better. Prob tan would be best at not showing dirt but I didn't want that in my yard.

 

[wjr75]

We are surrounded with large trees so we have the green and also a forest green hot tub cover. It blends nice with the landscape..they will all get dirty.

 

[swimcmp]

We have been selling and installing covers for almost 20 years. Had a customer that I just ordered their replacement cover, the original was nine years old and light gray. Any darker cover generally hasn't lasted as long.

 

[bmoreswim]

Ours is charcoal, very similar to our bluestone coping. There is a partial picture on page 5 of our build thread in my signature. The picture sort of shows what general dirt looks like on ours. I think our color does a fairly good job of disguising dirt though. The dirt/grime forms most where the cover pump is left. Best to position it in the same location each time to have one area be very dirty versus the whole thing.
I'm about to clean it after two years and put a UV protectant on it. I bought a gallon of Aerospace Protectant 303 to use after a good wash.
Best of luck with your choice.

 

[santacruzpool]

We just selected our cover color 2 days ago, choosing the dark green. I think the colors in the sample swatches will be a little lighter in appearance in the real life large size - so even though the dark green seems dark for us, I think it will match our home colors pretty well and offer some contrast to our grey coping and deck when closed. Who knows though until we have it installed...

 

[SCon36]

Honestly, when it comes down to it, light colors show dirt as dark, while dark colors show dirt as light. I don't know if there is ever a best choice. I had a 1991 Honda Accord that was Seattle Silver (champagne), and it never showed a thing. Always looked clean even when I knew it was dirty. I say pick the one that looks the best in your application and keep what swimcmp said in mind.

 

[bmoreswim]

Hey if we're gonna give you our opinion, we need to know your final decision! [emoji3]

 

[poolnorthernva]

I was going to wait till the pictures but we went with light blue. Honestly, it was a toss up. Thanks bmoreswim for the protectant idea.

 

[8corneflakes]

My only concern when picking the color was that it not look like cement (gray) in the dark so someone might accidentally step on it not realizing there was a pool there. We went with the light blue. Dirt shows but not bad, it just gets washed off once or twice a year with car wash cleaner and a big long broom and hose.

My mother in law did this exact thing...during the DAY! She had a plate of food, walked out the door, onto the deck, and stepped right onto the cover. She said, "oh geez, I forgot ya all got a pool." Our cover is gray. Personally, I like that it looks like concrete. It blends in when we aren't using the pool.

 

[bmoreswim]

Thanks for the update. I look forward to pics of it installed. But I'm sure not as much as you look forward to it being installed.
We've had ours for two years (we use a separate Merlin mesh winter cover) and had the first maintenance performed this year. It was the lowest level of visit they offer at $250 (didn't include box cleaning or cover cleaning both of which I can do) but resolved our issues between adjustments and 4 leaking pulleys replaced under warranty. The idea with the cover is similar to a car...you will want to do some routine maintenance to avert bigger issues. They are an investment to be maintained in addition to the pool itself.

 

[bdex]

We have an APC in grey. Kind of by default. Did not want blue or green, charcoal was too dark. The grey attracts enough sun to help heat in the spring/fall but is easy to keep clean.


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[mmesqc1578]

Thanks for the update. I look forward to pics of it installed. But I'm sure not as much as you look forward to it being installed.
We've had ours for two years (we use a separate Merlin mesh winter cover) and had the first maintenance performed this year. It was the lowest level of visit they offer at $250 (didn't include box cleaning or cover cleaning both of which I can do) but resolved our issues between adjustments and 4 leaking pulleys replaced under warranty. The idea with the cover is similar to a car...you will want to do some routine maintenance to avert bigger issues. They are an investment to be maintained in addition to the pool itself.

With the winter mesh cover, do you then keep your automatic cover open underneath in winter?

 

[bmoreswim]

Yes. Just one at a time if you have both.