Waterline/feature tile choice

[dotbombjoe]

Ok, we need to finalize more materials, most importantly the waterline tile which we also expect to use for a raised bond beam water feature at the end of the spa.

I lined up a slew of samples and lined them up against what will become the water feature wall. The light was changing fast so I took a few pics as the sun started heading down and also at slightly different elevations. The wall basically faces due west so the irridescent ones catch the light pretty fierce. I just can't decide if that is too much bling.

The water feature wall is 'flat' right now -- they screwed it up -- but the middle will be recessed and the recessed part will be tiled with the waterline. The rest of the surface we expect to tile with a wood-look tile. I took a couple extra floor panels from our house flooring which is similar and just stood them up on either side to give some context...so, it will look like a fairly dark but warmish wood around the sides and top, and then the waterline tile in the recessed area.

We're planning a sheer descent at the top of the waterline tile to drop three feet down into he spa but we may end up going with a straight drop rain effect which is more what is depicted in the architectural drawing.









The wife's favorite in the store was the 1x4" tile that is sitting in front of a few samples in the middle (and then put on top in the last pic)...but I feel like seeing them in the sunlight totally changes things so my guess is she will feel differently tomorrow.

It is pretty amazing how different these things looked even over the course of 30 minutes or just shifting angles.

Our colors are generally muted everywhere...a very pale beige floor (R11 porcelain), an ipe wood deck, wood-look tile on the exterior side of the pool (the pool & spa are both raised 18" above ground), dark grey concrete coping...the waterline/feature tile is really the only 'bling'.

FWIW, haven't decided on pool surface material or color...looking at aquabrite, tile will probably determine color.

Lastly, the builder is complaining about recessing the spa wall as it was drawn...obviously he'll have to fix the work that was messed up but in addition to that, he's looking at quite a few mitred cuts on some pretty small cuts of 3/8" porcelain tile which he is none too thrilled about... I'm not sure how far to push it. Can you sit comfortably against a straight wall? I didn't realize it until now but he just completely 'missed' that the feature isn't supposed to sit on the pool bond beam, it was supposed to be built behind it.

Opinions on tile??? Opinions on whether I have to make him redo the spa water feature wall?

 

[ajw22]

I would definitely have the wall redone as designed behind the wall.

I think 1” tall tiles are too small for the scale of the wall. I think it will blend in to a blur when viewed from a distance. I would go with one of the 2x2 tiles. I like the third or fifth from the left but I don’t have a mental image of your total design.

 

[dotbombjoe]

I would definitely have the wall redone as designed behind the wall.

Ugh. I think I'm screwed. The hartford loop (air line for the spa jets going above the water line) and the water line for the feature in that wall are both encased in the pool bond beam...I don't see how to fix that at this point.

How do I approach mistakes like this with the builder? I mean, I consider this a pretty big mistake. I don't see how he can fix it without cutting into the bond beam or something which doesn't sound like a good idea. Aaargh!

I think 1” tall tiles are too small for the scale of the wall. I think it will blend in to a blur when viewed from a distance. I would go with one of the 2x2 tiles. I like the third or fifth from the left but I don’t have a mental image of your total design.

Good point re: the 1" tiles being awfully small to use for that recessed space, which is nearly 7' wide by 3' tall. My current favorites are the third one in from the right side which I think is npt lightwaves aquamarine in 2x2, the one two over from that, which I think is lightwaves blue, and the one 1x4 tile sitting on the top in that last picture which is from Arizona Tile...but I agree, any 1x tile feels small for that wall.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[ajw22]

Good point re: the 1" tiles being awfully small to use for that recessed space, which is nearly 7' wide by 3' tall. My current favorites are the third one in from the right side which I think is npt lightwaves aquamarine in 2x2, the one two over from that, which I think is lightwaves blue, and the one 1x4 tile sitting on the top in that last picture which is from Arizona Tile...but I agree, any 1x tile feels small for that wall.

I told you left but I meant right. The tiles you like are the same ones I liked in my post above.

I would turn to whoever did your original design for the wall and show them what you now have and see if they can be creative with a new design.

I am thinking if they can take the pipes coming out of the bond beam, do a 90 degrees back, and then 90 up. That would make the wall flush with the bond beam maybe 6-8 inches higher then designed and after that it would be set back. It should give you most of the look you wanted.

It would help to have a 3D view of that wall as built and exactly where the pipes are.

 

[kimkats]

I am in with both of your pics......the 3rd and 5th with the one on top of the fifth one thrown in as I think it would work also as there is not as much contrast in the colors so it should blend together quite well. The grout color is going to be VERY important for this as well. They should have grout sticks you can play with to find the best color. White to make each tile stand out to shades of gray to help the tiles blend.

Kim

 

[dotbombjoe]

Photo isn’t great. Top gray is ‘pewter’. Middle is ‘dove gray’. Bottom is ‘natural gray’.

I’m not looking to highlight each tile so I’m thinking the dove gray — darkest one may work.

The natural gray has some gold tones which can make it match with the iridescence of certain tiles more but other angles less so.

The pewter I think could work too but it definitely looks light at some angles.

I’m just nervous dove gray may be too dark.

 

[kimkats]

Pewter is my pick. The dark one is too dark. The other light one would work as well but I kept going back to the pewter so....that is my pick.

 

[ajw22]

Pewter is my pick. Especially as it ages and gets a but dirty.

 

[dotbombjoe]

lol...I just told the builder to go with dove gray, the dark one. I felt like the pewter was very light depending on how the sun fell on it. But now I'm nervous the dark will be too dark.

The following seems like a it may be similar to my 'pewter' option...it looks a bit darker in the first pic but the closeup below looks pretty light:

The next several pictures are from a pool that has a grout color that seems similar to the dove gray:

This last one is what drives me bonkers...when I zoom in on this I feel like the grout on the left is a dark gray...but it's actually the same pool as in the first pics above!

Anyway, I do like the look of the pool with the dark gray grout -- especially the shots from a distance -- and that is what is pushing me to go with the dove gray. I don't mind the lighter ones though. Hopefully that means it won't matter and I'd end up liking either option.

Are there any other reasons to prefer light/dark grout? Like is it easier to keep dark grout clean looking or anything like that?

Also, I'm planning marker tile for the benches/stairs. I don't think I'd want to use a dark grout there so I'm assuming I'll go with a very light grey or something that seems like it might work better with my surface. Still haven't finalized my surface yet -- quote is for pebble but thinking aquabrite. I wonder if the aquabrite can be used between the tiles...like plaster between the marker tiles leaving enough space for the aquabrite to cover those gaps or something.

 

[ajw22]

No one but you is going to know or care what your pool grout color is when they are enjoying splashing around in your pool.

 

[kimkats]

Seeing it in real life is MUCH better than seeing it on a computer screen. Go with what YOUR gut says!! This is a "test" where there are no wrong answers so stick with the first answer you picked.

Aquabright-I don't think it can be put between tile. I will put in a call to someone who will know as he used to install it. @bdavis466

If you go with plaster then use it for the grout. That looks great as it helps it blend in with plaster.

Kim

 

[bdavis466]

No, Aquabright can't be used in that application. You would probably need to leave a 1" gap between the tiles in order for it to work otherwise you're stuck seeing the grout

 

[dotbombjoe]

Thanks for the input all. ajw22 wins, lol. My wife and I planned our wedding in 5 weeks and one key tool we used to do that was to remind ourselves that none of the decisions we were making were really important other than the one to get married...we reminded ourselves of that many times a day saying the phrase "it's only a cake". I can't believe I didn't think to dust that off for this project.

Thanks Kim/Brian re: the aquabrite comment...good to know. We'll just plan on using a light grout for that marker tile.

 

[kimkats]

There ya go! Wise words to have and use!

Kim