Learn about the 4 best coating materials for swimming pools

Learn about the 4 best coating materials for swimming pools

We have discussed it in other articles. Your pool is one of those spaces in the house that we often neglect to the point of forgetting, then the rigors of time take their toll, and cracks and water leaks appear. In addition, the pool walls are the ideal substrate for the growth of bacteria and fungi. It is time to make a reform to improve your installation. Learn about the 4 best coating materials for the pool. 

When the pool is a few years old, especially if the installation is old, the problems begin. Suppose during the winter, you have yet to do everything possible to prolong the life of your pool, and you have not followed some maintenance guidelines. In that case, it is most likely that your installation needs rehabilitation. To do this, the best thing you can do is consider how to improve the health and quality of your bathroom when the time comes.

We work with four of the best wall-covering materials for this purpose, and we will tell you what they are like and their advantages. Do not wait for summer to arrive to uncover your pool and find yourself in a space where not even frogs bathe.

  1. Granite coating

This is one of the most reliable and durable pool materials. It is a vitreous material that offers great resistance to humidity, temperature changes, and chemical products.

Many people often believe that mosaic tiles are tiles, but this is not the case. The difference is that this material ( granite ) does not use fired clay but is made of flat glass melted at high temperatures. These characteristics give this material great durability and inalterability over time. It’s very tough.

Advantage

Its great resistance to the elements and conditions, added to its refined appearance, makes the tile a widely used material in the world of swimming pools. In addition, the possibility of using several colors allows the creation of drawings or decorations to the taste of each client. You can customize the interior of your pool.

What do you need to install tile in your pool?

This material’s main drawback is that it must be installed in a concrete pool. This supposes a cost disadvantage since we will have to work to install it. The tiles are not placed individually, but about 30 x 30 cm meshes are usually used. With many tiles, each mesh is glued to the concrete with adhesive cement. There are many pool tiles suppliers in Dubai, but not all of them are created equal. When you’re looking for the best possible supplier for your pool tiles, it’s important to consider a few key factors. First, you want to make sure that the supplier has a good reputation and is known for providing high-quality products. Second, you want to be sure that they have a wide selection of pool tiles to choose from so that you can find the perfect match for your needs. Third, you’ll want to confirm that the price is right and that you’re getting a good value for your money. With these factors in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of the best pool tiles shop in Dubai.

But its biggest disadvantage is that it is not a waterproof material. Through the joints between meshes, some water can filter. Likewise, concrete isn’t completely watertight either, so there should be a couple of layers of waterproofing material in between to ensure no water leaks.

How to repair a loose granite tile

This is not a serious problem: it is repaired with adhesive cement, putting another tile in its place. Joints are also easily and relatively inexpensively repaired by grouting.

The drawbacks of  tile

As we said, the concrete pool with a ceramic tile coating is one of the most durable, so the problems that may appear usually derive from poor construction of the pool or because the waterproofing layer has not been applied correctly (sometimes it is because neither this cape has been put on). It may also be that too much (or too little) cement has been used, and the tiles come loose from their place.

If the pool loses water,  and we rule out that it is a connection problem (cleaner, bottom, impellers…), we will not be able to see the water leak points since the problem will be under our tile layer. In any case, we have two possible solutions:

  • It would be necessary to remove the entire layer of tile, and perhaps part of the adhesive cement, to leave the facing healthy and as smooth as possible (if we see that the facing is very irregular or not very consistent, we will also have to remove the waterproofing layer). Then we will have to give the double layer of waterproofing material again and place a new tile lining in our pool.
  • The second option is to cover the pool with a reinforced sheet. In this case, instead of removing the tile and repairing the layer below, we will add a layer of a reinforced sheet, which is completely waterproof. Check out more at our Chill Blog.

NOTE: In our portfolio (here), you can see videos of installations made by us with tile.

  1. Coating reinforced sheet

We have just mentioned this material that we frequently use in repairing and rehabilitating swimming pools. The reinforced sheet is a material fully consolidated in France and northern Europe. However, in our country, it is booming, but there are still people who need to get used to its touch. It is a material made of PVC; specifically, it has two layers and, in between, a polyester mesh that reinforces the PVC; It is used to “line” the pool glass, as we show you in this video of an installation that we have carried out. Here we will bring you closer to this material and its pros and cons.

Advantage

-The first is its perfect sealing,  regardless of the settlements suffered by the pool (earth movements) or if there are cracks in the concrete or tile.

-Another advantage is that it can be welded on-site. When welded on the pool itself, the coating is perfectly adapted to the shape of any pool. PVC does not adhere to the pool’s surface by gluing it with glue but is heat-sealed layer by layer. The weld is quite simple, and the installation is very fast.

-It can be installed on any stable support: concrete, steel, wood, brick, etc., as long as the surface is even. That is why it is used to repair swimming pools made of tiles and for line ones.

-It is a very resistant material. In this video, you can get an idea. In addition, it is a non-stick material, a very useful feature to prevent the proliferation of algae, so common in tile joints. So you won’t have to work so much cleaning!

It should be noted that Alkorplan has a luxury line in its reinforced sheet, the well-known TOUCH range inspired by natural materials that provide the installation with very current and aesthetic colors and textures.

  • Finally, it has a 10-year guarantee on waterproofing! Who gives more?

The disadvantages of the reinforced sheet

You have to be careful with the use of chemicals in the pool. Indeed, the reinforced sheet, as with liner and polyester, is sensitive to improper use of chlorine, algaecide, winterized, excessive use of copper, etc., and if we leave a chlorine tablet in the bottom, we can discolor the reinforced sheet.

The touch can be strange to us as we are used to glass mosaic tiles. It is a matter of perception and habit.

Until a few years ago, the reinforced sheet was only manufactured in plain blue. Currently, there are many colors, designs, and textures on the market: imitating tile, stone, etc.

NOTE: In our portfolio (here), you can see videos of our installations with the reinforced sheet.

  1. Porcelain tiles

Porcelain stoneware is a material that has been creating a trend lately. One of its great differential values ​​is aesthetics, and it is very resistant, hygienic, and safe; best of all, it offers a wide range of models and designs (30 colors and textures), so you can customize your pool to your liking. It adapts very well to any style, be it minimalist or neo-rural, Provençal or cosmopolitan, traditional, Mediterranean or urban.

Its point against it, in addition to the price, is that even its non-slip models can pose a risk of aquaplaning if we run near the pool and the ground is flooded, so… be careful. However, as we have already mentioned, it is a spectacular product due to its aesthetics, possibilities, and durability.

4. Polyester pools

Polyester or fiber pools are a very economical alternative to having our in-ground pool since it allows its installation on the ground without having to make a concrete pool or use steel plates.

None of this is needed because the composition of the polyester pool is completely rigid, which means that it does not require a structure on the sides to resist the weight of the water or the soil that supports it. You can get a better idea in this video of an installation we have made.

Advantage

One of its main advantages is that there is hardly any work to be done, since the pool arrives at our house manufactured, with a crane.

Its tightness and lightness make it the ideal pool to place in an attic, although they are installed anywhere, both in chalets and single-family houses, as well as in some communities.

In 2 or 3 days, you can bathe in your new polyester pool.

The drawbacks of polyester

Polyester has the same fragility when faced with the inappropriate use of chemical products such as reinforced sheets or liners, but with a difference. To paint this type of pool, when the coating deteriorates, we must use gel coat paint, and it is not recommended to paint them with chlorinated rubber.

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