How To Choose Tiles For Your Swimming Pool

You might want to build a new pool on the premises of your house, as being able to jump into your personal pool whenever you want sounds intriguing. This summer, building a swimming pool at your house can be one of your top priorities. Or, you might just want to decorate your existing pool. Whatever the case, one of the important elements for pulling that off is choosing the right tiles for your swimming pool. And the choice can be tough, as you need to think of many different criteria such as tiles fitting within your budget, tiles that look amazing, are easy to clean, and durable too.

What Should You Look For In Pool Tiles

The tiles you are going to choose for your swimming pool should have certain traits. Your swimming pool tiles should be-

Slip-resistant

Pool tiles must be slip-resistant for obvious reasons. If tiles get slippery there will be huge risks of falling and injuries, so it is a must to have slip-resistant tiles for your pool.

Water-resistant

You need to get water-resistant tiles for your swimming pool so that the tiles don’t get damaged due to water.

High Wear Rating

Due to the changing weather and exposure to chemicals, poolside environments can be quite challenging. Make sure to choose tiles with a high wear rating so that the tiles and pavers are strong enough to cope with the environment, and ensure everyone’s safety.

Comfortable

Some materials get really hot underfoot when the sun beats down on them. So, for having comfortable underfoot, you can go for light pavers or tiles of natural materials such as sandstone, limestone, or travertine, as they are up to 30% cooler than other types of tiles and stones.

Low-maintenance

You should go for tiles that are really easy to clean and maintain. Sealed tiles are much easier to clean. Pre-sealed tiles such as porcelain, and large tiles can give you fewer problems regarding maintenance.

You can decrease the chances of maintenance by following 2 steps –

If your pool is in desperate need of some TLC, a pool cover may be the solution. A waterproof pool cover can help limit the effects of chlorine and sunshine on the water, allowing you to enjoy the great outdoors without the risks associated with swimming in pools.

A pool enclosure would be required if you wish to increase your swimming times. The pool enclosure keeps waste out of the pool while also allowing you to regulate the temperature. It gives the children and adults who use the pool a sense of security, but it can also protect swimmers from dogs, birds, and pests.

How You Should Choose The Tiles

When you are finally down to choose the tiles for your swimming pool, there will be many different options before you. But you must decide the best tiles for your swimming pool that will best suit your needs and preferences. So, before you choose your tiles, here are some things you must consider-

Setting The Budget

This is the first thing you should decide, as understanding how much you have to spend on your tiles will guide you from the beginning, and help you to make decisions on what type you want to go for and allow yourself to have.

Choosing The Right Type of Tiles

One of the first decisions you’ll have to make before choosing the tiles for your swimming pool is what type of tile material you want. Pool tiles come in many different materials such as glass, porcelain, ceramic, natural stone, etc. Traditionally, ceramic and porcelain tiles have been the normal choice for swimming pools, and they are good options if you have a compact budget. These tiles can be hand-painted with intriguing designs or formed into a mosaic.

Or, if you are looking forward to truly bringing life to your pool area, then it will be best for you to choose glass tiles for your swimming pool. Glass tiles are a bit more expensive than ceramic and porcelain tiles, but they shimmer as water flows over their surface or with the change of lights, and create a truly eye-catching feature. Glass tiles for swimming pools are also non-porous and extremely durable, which makes them one of the best tiles for swimming pools as they are less likely to fade, wear out, or discolor.

Stone tiles can be a great option too, especially for people who are looking for a natural touch, or a Mediterranean design for the pool. They can add a great textured and natural look to your pool design, and be relatively more affordable, especially for larger areas.

Picking The Right Color

After choosing the tile type, it’s important to choose the right color for your pool tiles. Mostly blue, green, and white tiles are used in the pools as they reflect the light quite well inside the water, and make the pool look bright and inviting. You can also go for dark or mixed colors if you want to add dimension and depth to the pool or create a unique eye-catching feature within the pool. You can also try adding an accent color to the design. Just remember that the color of tiles will change from time to time based on the lighting, brightness of the sun, reflections of things, etc.

The Place You Are Tiling

As your tiles will complement the pool and poolside area, you need to know the areas where you are going to apply the tiles, as based on that you’ll need to choose different tiles. Let’s see the places you can apply tiles-

Waterline Tiles

These tiles are placed under the edge of the pool to mark the ideal water level, and you can easily add an accent to your pool by using decorative tiles on the waterline.

Coping

Coping is the edge or border of the whole pool and is extended over or above the waterline, where mosaic or stone tiles work best.

Steps

You can go for iridescent tiles or glow-in-the-dark ones for the steps, which can act as a guide at night.

Walls, Floors, and Deck

You can keep things simple with one tile to cover the walls and floor, or you can get creative with decorative mosaic tiles. And the deck area will need to be fitted with anti-slip tiles or materials with better grip.

Checking Tile Maintenance

Be sure about the best way to clean and care for your new tiles, as over time your tiles will naturally develop stains and other problems, so it’s important to know which abrasive cleaner or chemicals will work best without damaging the tiles.

Final Words

If you go through these steps before deciding to buy the tiles for your swimming pool, you are sure to get the best ones that will suit your needs and preferences really well.