Pool colors in Tucson or Phoenix area

[lacey-lynn]

Hi all,

We’re in the process of picking out our pool color in Tucson, AZ.

We’re considering these finishes:

Pebblesheen Ocean Blue
Pebblesheen Turtle Bay
Pebblesheen Blue Granite
Stonescapes Tahoe Blue

Anyone in the Tucson or Phoenix areas have these colors? Can you post pics? Do you have any input about what you like or don’t like about the pool color? Do the darker finishes get too hot? Are the lighter finishes not warm enough, etc?

Picking the pool finish is tough. Any input is appreciated

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I don’t have those colors but please note that darker colors are much harder to achieve uniformity in and they can easily show mottling, color variations, and grey streaking. No colors will last around here for long because of the intense UV light. So if you go dark, expect it to fade to a more grey hue within a few years. Lighter colors will show less fading but they can be discolored easily especially if you have water with any iron in it (rare around here as calcium hardness is the bigger issue).

Do you know who your plaster subcontractor is?

Plaster is both a science and an ART. Good plaster jobs happen when skilled and experienced applicators are used. The quality of plaster job is determined more by the experience of the crew doing the work and not what particular materials/plaster vendor are used.

 

[Mdragger88]

Give this thread a look

Pool Finish and Color Viewing Room...PICTURES & details only please

This is our attempt at having one place that we can view the finished product of various Plaster/Pebble/Quartz/Vinyl/FG/etc. pool finishes. Simply attach a good pic looking down at the steps and another one looking at the deep end to share how it looks at different depths. Make sure to share the...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Also, you’re plastering your pool during the coldest time of the year …. that’s generally not a good idea. Just as being too hot can cause problems with plaster, so too can problems arise when it’s too cold.

Are you sure you can’t wait a month or so for the weather to improve? There’s no reason to start up a pool in Tucson over the winter months.

 

[lacey-lynn]

I don’t have those colors but please note that darker colors are much harder to achieve uniformity in and they can easily show mottling, color variations, and grey streaking. No colors will last around here for long because of the intense UV light. So if you go dark, expect it to fade to a more grey hue within a few years. Lighter colors will show less fading but they can be discolored easily especially if you have water with any iron in it (rare around here as calcium hardness is the bigger issue).

Do you know who your plaster subcontractor is?

Plaster is both a science and an ART. Good plaster jobs happen when skilled and experienced applicators are used. The quality of plaster job is determined more by the experience of the crew doing the work and not what particular materials/plaster vendor are used.

Thanks for the info!

Our plaster subcontractor is MMG Arizona.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Thanks for the info!

Our plaster subcontractor is MMG Arizona.

That’s Meadow’s Plastering (they renamed the business after the old man handed it off to his kids …). They’ve been plastering pools in Tucson for decades. My pool was plastered back in 2013 when they were stilled called Meadow’s. They’re a high quality operation but my point about the colors still stands. The dark ones are hard to get uniform. I’d caution anyone to go lighter unless the aesthetics absolutely demands a darker color.

Honestly, temperature doesn’t matter. In the summer here it’s hotter than he…. well, it’s really really hot. Any surface, no matter the color is going to get warm.

 

[lacey-lynn]

What pool finish and color do you have, JoyfulNoise?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

What pool finish and color do you have, JoyfulNoise?

Caribbean Blue regular PebbleTec. It lost its blue color after about the third season due to chlorine and sun exposure. The surface plaster cream is mostly a light gray nowadays. I could acid wash the surface to reveal more “color” but that would make the remaining plaster more rough and mechanically weaker. If I ever get around to replastering my pool, I’ll very likely go with straight white quartz plaster. I’d love to do a polished Hydrazzo but that’s way more money than I’d ever want to sink into this pool.

 

[lacey-lynn]

What’s the temperature of your pool during the summer?
And what months are you able to swim (when the water is warm enough)?

 

[tucsontico]

What’s the temperature of your pool during the summer?
And what months are you able to swim (when the water is warm enough)?

If you look at my "avatar" photo, you'll see my pool in PebbleTec Tahoe Blue. Unlike Joyfulnoise, my pool has retained its color for 11+ years. My pool is in full sun year round. There are some streaks from improper chemical additions (my fault) but they are minor compared the overall look of the pool surface.
To answer your water temperature question: My pool will get to 90ºF during the hottest days of the summer. Normally, it hovers at a perfect 82ºF from June-late August. I use a solar cover to keep the evaporation down and it can extend the temp drop-off until late-October. If you're OK with cooler water–say 75ºF– you could swim from April-October.

 

[lacey-lynn]

If you look at my "avatar" photo, you'll see my pool in PebbleTec Tahoe Blue. Unlike Joyfulnoise, my pool has retained its color for 11+ years. My pool is in full sun year round. There are some streaks from improper chemical additions (my fault) but they are minor compared the overall look of the pool surface.
To answer your water temperature question: My pool will get to 90ºF during the hottest days of the summer. Normally, it hovers at a perfect 82ºF from June-late August. I use a solar cover to keep the evaporation down and it can extend the temp drop-off until late-October. If you're OK with cooler water–say 75ºF– you could swim from April-October.

Thanks for the info

Do you know who plastered your pool? That’s impressive that the color has lasted so long.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

What’s the temperature of your pool during the summer?
And what months are you able to swim (when the water is warm enough)?

My pool is in full sun for most of the day (9am-5pm) during the summer. At the height of the summer heat, my pool will typically sit in the mid to high 80’s with some days reaching the low 90’s. I don’t cover my pool and although I have a gas heater, I don’t use it much and I almost never heat the pool with it. We swim typically from the end of May to the beginning of Sept. I have young kids so once school is in session, swimming becomes a lot less frequent. Once early October hits, the water is “too cold” for everyone’s liking. As I said, I don’t use a cover or waste money on gas heating the pool. Covers are an annoyance on a Freeform pool and they rarely last 1-3 seasons before they have to be thrown out and replaced. I don’t like filling landfills with plastic so I don’t buy covers. If one were to use a cover and a heat source (gas, electric, or solar), water temps can be kept swimmable from early March all the way to early November and spot heating on special events (like Christmas or New Years) is possible if you’re willing to spend the money on it.

 

[tucsontico]

Thanks for the info

Do you know who plastered your pool? That’s impressive that the color has lasted so long.

My pool was built by "Pools By Design" in 2013. Unfortunately, I do not know the plaster contractor for my pool.