Travertine Coping - Colors Not Matching

[schneidersurgical]

Nearly finished building a pool with a reputable builder in Austin, TX. During the build process, the builder ran out of coping stones and had to bring in another batch to top off our water sheer and replace a few coping stones that had badly chipped edges.

The day before plaster, I noticed that some of the newer (installed roughly one month after the originals) coping stones were drastically different in color from the others (see attached photo). As in the photo, we have 3 other stones like this placed in runs of the darker color, along with the entire top of the water sheer being this "whiter" color.

We had asked for "white travertine" from our designer. They installed a travertine product called Fossil Stone by Crossville. We are very unhappy with the "darkness" of the original stones and wanted something closer to the "whiter" stones that were installed later. At this point, we are asking them to rip out everything and find a new batch that all match. We have also noticed the original stones are smoother/slicker, while the second batch are more porous. We do not know if they are even the same stones.

Are we being unreasonable? Will these stones eventually all "weather" and look the same over time? Our builder is saying that these are all the same type of natural stone and that variable differences are to be expected from lot to lot. I understand that, but these seem MUCH different!

Would love some expert feedback from others that have travertine experience. Our pool right now seems like it is "pieced" together.

Thank You!

 

[trivetman]

Yeah id be ****** too

 

[Toxophilite]

We just had silver travertine throughout on new build. I can say that our coping was of a lot consisting of bullnosed cut just for coping. It's definitely of a different select than the pallets of pavers we used on the decking. This actually helps define the border.

The decking is approximately 2400 sf, and as would have it, they mis-judged the first delivery by 3 pallets. There was very slight difference in some of the colors with the second batch, and like you see, some of the finished tumbling, but over the whole area, it all blends fine. I have a few white in with the silver, and they just add character.

Your issue is a bit different. The coping is a defining border and catches the eye very much differently than an overall mixed-color deck. Some variation looks natural, but there's a limit. Two or three way off-color tiles can be very annoying in my opinion when it's a border such as that. BTW, your pool does not looked pieced together. It's very nice work and color selection. Just a tile or two to change. My PB would change any one I wanted for a per/piece price. Of course, we would have had to wrangle that price based on "why" I was rejecting one, as you kinda got to take some variation. You have good reason to request change of those white ones.

 

[cowboycasey]

I know you want the whiter look but that one STICKS out and I would want that one taken out and replaced with ones like the rest..

 

[BigPapaSmurf]

I agree with all the other comments and you are not being unreasonable. We asked our builder for extra copping stone and pavers, in case we needed to replace something down the road, and it took them 4 tries to find a “reasonable” match.

 

[Oona]

Sounds like Myra white limestone is the color you ultimately want

 

[brimorga]

We just had silver travertine throughout on new build. I can say that our coping was of a lot consisting of bullnosed cut just for coping. It's definitely of a different select than the pallets of pavers we used on the decking. This actually helps define the border.

The decking is approximately 2400 sf, and as would have it, they mis-judged the first delivery by 3 pallets. There was very slight difference in some of the colors with the second batch, and like you see, some of the finished tumbling, but over the whole area, it all blends fine. I have a few white in with the silver, and they just add character.

Your issue is a bit different. The coping is a defining border and catches the eye very much differently than an overall mixed-color deck. Some variation looks natural, but there's a limit. Two or three way off-color tiles can be very annoying in my opinion when it's a border such as that. BTW, your pool does not looked pieced together. It's very nice work and color selection. Just a tile or two to change. My PB would change any one I wanted for a per/piece price. Of course, we would have had to wrangle that price based on "why" I was rejecting one, as you kinda got to take some variation. You have good reason to request change of those white ones.

Funny. Was just gonna post the exact same story, same exact details even!
We were annoyed at first but it wasn’t an issue once it was all done for us, but also agree that in this case that one peice of coping just doesn’t look right.

 

[travelfeedsthesoul]

I know you want the whiter look but that one STICKS out and I would want that one taken out and replaced with ones like the rest..

^^^This. I'd rather them rip out that lighter piece and make it match the darker. Same for the other 3.

 

[Toxophilite]

Funny. Was just gonna post the exact same story, same exact details even!
We were annoyed at first but it wasn’t an issue once it was all done for us, but also agree that in this case that one peice of coping just doesn’t look right.

Odd how those things that were so imperative during the build now are non-issue. I think building a pool is equal stress to building a house, then, you live in it and forget it all.

 

[Cena_sea]

This must be common. For coping pb told us you want to try to keep the travertine from the same batch to match, but we had to okay the mixing of two different batches (sent via pics). It is probably only noticeable because we know. On yours, that lighter piece is pretty noticeable.