Stucco, polished concrete, or porcelain or stone veneer - materials selection help

[OliviaT]

TL;DR: have you used stucco or porcelain slabs for the finish of above-ground pool/spa walls and caps? Any experience/advice?

We're doing a remodel and adding an 8x10' spa with 24" above the ground next to our 50x15' pool. I've been trying to find a durable, practical finish that looks like these examples – specially the no grout line, sleek look for the sides and cover vault (we're compromising and using our waterline tile for the waterfall face).



Here are some images of the kind of finish we'd like to create for the sides and top:


We found some stone and concrete-look large porcelain slabs that seemed perfect, but the PB wasn't confident they could be cut and mitered effectively on site. :/

Now we're looking at polished concrete or stucco, hoping they're durable enough for spa coping and walls adjacent (regular chlorinated pool water). Our mason brought up stucco, but PB recommended against it (no details yet). We have stucco elsewhere already (5 year old La Habra) and it's held up great and has the look we want:



There's almost nothing on the internet I've found about using stucco as spa siding though.

With either stucco or concrete, we want to achieve a very smooth, polished finish that stays light-colored over time. Any gotchas with these materials, or guidance for a successful install?

Thanks!

 

[ajw22]

I think porcelin or stone veneer will look better over time and require less maintenance then stucco will. I have stucco for 20 years on vertical fence walls and over time it cracks and gets mildew and dirt on it.

 

[renesme]

From what I understand stucco doesn't do well in humid climates, so I would think it would likewise not be the ideal material in an area that would frequently be wet such as a pool/spa surround.

 

[sktn77a]

Well, it's used extensively in Florida! Still, I wouldn't use it for your intended application, for the reasons stated by Allen.