Expert tips for applying the perfect pebble finish to your oceanfront infinity pool. By Chris Caswell
When building a swimming pool, most home owners would focus on the shape and the depth, on waterfalls and tile and diving boards. But the pool finish itself often got short shrift. That trend has changed, however, and the old plastered pool finish (and its ‘50s-era pale-blue look) has been replaced by the luxurious elegance of pebbled finishes.
“Only one percent of the pools we build or rebuild get the old-style finish. The other 99 percent get a pebbled surface,” says Frank Juliano, a highly respected pool contractor in Florida. “It’s a no-brainer,” adds Juliano, whose Pool Tek of the Palm Beaches has been installing the patented Pebble Tec finish for two decades. “With the usual plaster finish, you have to re-do it every few years. With Pebble Tec, it has a lifetime warranty, comes in 40 colors, and is naturally beautiful.”
“We wanted a reflecting Taj Mahal look with an infinity edge,” says Rhea Harrison, whose waterfront lap pool was finished in dark-blue Pebble Tec (shown above). “It looks great, it’s naturally heated by the sun, and I love the feel of it, too.”
A Pebble Tec finish is just that: lots and lots of tiny pebbles. As many as 40 million for a single pool, in fact, all carefully selected from as far
away as Chile and New Zealand. Sorted by color and then polished, they are applied via a proprietary process; Pebble Technology, which holds the patent, requires that only licensed and trained experts install the finish. Once installed, it requires no special maintenance other than the usual pool cleaning.
Pebbled finishes were first used with beach-entry pools, but for todayÂ’s backyards and patios, the entire pool receives this finish. The stain-resistant stones provide a natural non-slip surface and the texture adds a lustrous look as sunlight plays on the water.
Pebble Technology also offers Pebble Sheen, which uses smaller pebbles for a more finely textured feel, as well as finishing touches such as glass and porcelain waterline tiles, or fire opal accents for steps and spas. Whether youÂ’re building a new pool or giving an older pool a facelift, a pebbled finish is probably in your future.
The get hayward salt chlorination system
The Hayward Aqua Rite Pro Salt Chlorination and Chemistry Automation system takes all the work out of keeping your pool sparkling clean. First, the salt chlorination system turns a small amount of salt into a virtually endless supply of fresh, pure chlorine. ThereÂ’s no taste of either salt or chlorine in the water, no need to measure smelly chlorine or tablets, and no red eyes or itchy skin. Then, in addition to filtration, the system also provides continuous sampling of the water to monitor and dispense the exact chemicals needed to regulate the proper pH and sanitizer levels. From about $1,500, depending on pool size. hayward-pool.com