It’s no secret that many pool owners consider their private piscinas as investments. That said, it’s no surprise that homeowners want to give their pools the best when it comes to look and longevity. After all, everything you put in to increase the beauty of your property also increases its overall value. That’s why many pool owners love using pebble pool finish on their pool interiors, because it perfectly combines the benefits of aesthetic beauty and structural integrity.
If you want to know more about why using pool pebble finish has become popular for many of today’s pool owners, you’re in the right place. And who knows, maybe you’ll find that a pool pebble finish might actually be what you and your pool are looking for.
The Anatomy of a Pebble Finish
Pool pebbles go by many names including pebble finish, pebble surface, pool pebble, and exposed aggregate. Nevertheless, it’s main components are just hydraulic cement and polished stone pebbles. These pebble stones come in various shapes, sizes, and colors giving the pool owner a variety of looks and textures to choose from. You can also customize how smooth or how coarse the pool pebble finish is by using larger pebblestones or smaller ones like mini pebble pool finish. Surprisingly, pool pebble offers a wide range of customizability with hues ranging from anything in between sandy white to dark and deep blue making them a viable option for those who want to keep their pools uniquely beautiful.
Pool pebble finish is applied to an in-ground concrete pool either by hand using trowels or by hydraulic equipment blasting the pool pebble mixture into the exposed surface. Some pool owners have their pool pebble interiors finished with a dash of glass or shell mixture. This is added into the final layer of the pool interior giving it an added sparkle and character.
Because using pebble finish gives your pool a more natural look, it’s often used on pools that have landscaped decks. Pebble gives off the look of natural stone making it a befitting companion to decks with slate and other natural rocks like travertine, flagstone, and sandstone.
When it comes to price, using pebble pool finishes might not be the most affordable option. They are more expensive than the average pool plaster, but its benefits outweigh its heavy price tag making it still one of the most practical pool interiors to date.
Pebble Pool Finish Benefits
As we’ve briefly covered above, one of the most obvious benefits of using pool pebble is its durability. When pebblestones are used as aggregates allow the interior to boast better strength and resilience against chemically treated pool water. For the uninitiated, pool water contains several chemicals used to treat the water for sanitation. Amongst these chemicals is chlorine. Chlorine can weaken the average pool plaster and cause the average pool finish to develop stains. It will take a really strong concentration of chlorine to get the pool pebble to stain and even that won’t be enough to cause substantial damage to the pool’s interior especially when compared to pool plaster. Given proper care and maintenance, pool pebbles will last an average of 15 to 20 years before you see significant manifestation of wear and tear. On the other hand, under ideal conditions, the average plaster will last you around 7 to 5 years. Different pool contractors use different pebble pool finish products. Here, at Pool Plaster Central, we use products from NPT. They offer the same beauty and durability as more expensive pool pebbles like Pebble Tec but come at a more affordable price.
Another benefit of using pool pebble finish is ease of maintenance. As we’ve briefly covered above, pool pebble is more durable than plaster. This means it can hold up well against more thorough cleaning, say when you brush your pool’s walls and floor using a steel pool brush. For obvious reasons, a pool brush with steel bristles will give you a better chance of taking out dirt and debris that might have lodged its way into the crevices of the pebble pool finish compared to one with nylon bristles. This means that you can easily take out stains, smears, dirt, as well as any form of microorganisms like algae that might have stuck on the walls and on the floor of your pool. You can also use stronger cleaning agents to sanitize your pool as the pool pebble finish can definitely withstand these chemicals.
Using a pebble pool finish for your interior makes for a low maintenance pool. Because it’s durable and can hold up well against string chemicals, you’ll find yourself faced with fewer instances of repair as pool pebbles have a lower tendency to experience scaling, etching, discoloration, and hairline cracks. Sure, it may have a higher upfront cost but because it’s durable in nature, you’ll be spending less money on resurfacing and remodeling when using pool pebbles. You may also want to hire pool professionals to help clean your pool but you can do away with brushing the pool’s interior once every week because pebble is not as delicate as plaster.
On that note, a lot of pool owners love to use pebble pool finish because of its ability to make your pool last as good as it looks.
Because Traction Matters
Out of all the pool finishes used today, only pool pebble offers the right amount of traction. Other interior finishes like plaster and tile are often smooth causing swimmers to trip down and fall over when walking along the pool. When using pebble pool finish, your pool will be lined with an interior that’s rough and coarse enough to give your feet the right traction when walking around the shallow parts of the pool. It makes it safe not only for children to play around the pool but also for the elderly to find their footing on spas adjoining your backyard pool.
You can choose the consistency of the pool pebble finish by using various sizes of pebblestones. Larger stones tend to be rough while smaller pebblestones like the ones used in interiors as mini pebble pool finish will be smoother. If you’re worried, it’s good to know that pebble pool finishes with smaller pebble stones do not hurt the feet even when you’ve had it soaked in for hours it will still provide a comfortable feel. Many pool owners are drawn into its slip-resistant benefits because many of them do use their backyard pools to entertain guests as well as friends and families when they come over. It’s not unusual to see outdoor pools have some sort of grill on the side where they can grill barbecues while they take a dip in the pool. Others will even have pool bars built near or on the actual pool so it’s important to have the floor have some kind of traction so those drinking won’t just fall over the water.
The traction pool pebble provides is also important for backyard pools with Baja steps or Baja shelves. A Baja shelf is similar to a beach entry but instead of slowly descending into the water, it forms a shallow platform where one can set up large pool umbrellas with relatively large pool lounge chairs. You don’t want the chair sliding out of place and you certainly don’t want to trip over while you have a glass of wine on one hand and your favorite book on the other. Lining your Baja step with pebble makes it so that you’ll have a safe and fun time soaking up the sun. This makes the use of pool pebble an invaluable addition to your backyard resort.
A Highlight to your Pool
Let’s face it, we sometimes look at our pools as the highlight to our properties. In the same way, having pool pebble as an interior can be seen as a highlight to your pool. Other people who have pools in their homes will easily recognize the kind of material you’ve used in your pool interior and will be quick to see that what lies underneath the water is pebble. As you may know, pebble is not cheap and it brings some sort of pride having this type of material used in your backyard oasis. In fact, using pool pebble can be seen as some sort of status symbol showing other people that you don’t settle for anything less, especially when it comes to your swimming pool. If you want your pool to be the envy of the block, you should consider using pebble pool finish when you renovate or remodel your pool. And for professional quality pool pebble installation, contact us at Pool Plaster Central.
We provide superior quality solutions that are designed and engineered to make your pool beautiful and beautiful. We’re backed by a team of licensed, bonded, and insured professionals who have years of practical experience under their belt. If you want the best pool interior make sure to use pool pebble. And for superior workmanship make it Pool Plaster Central.