If you’re thinking about having a pool in your backyard, you should start thinking about the surrounding surface as well. This means deciding on the materials you plan to use for the coping and the overall esthetics you want to create in the yard. Naturally, safety should be the primary concern (things get slippery when wet). You may also consider hiring a pool service company to conduct regular pool maintenance.
Before you decide, assess your budget and think about the cost and benefits of every option. What do you want to achieve with the pool? Is it just a recreational thing or you want to entertain guests by the pool at some point? Here are a couple of options to choose from, but remember it’s your home and in the end, it’s up to you.
Natural stone
Natural stone is a bit more expensive, but it’s elegant and beautiful. It can give a rustic, retro look to your whole patio. It requires a professional to be installed correctly so you’ll need quality sandstone pavers, and after it’s done there are practically no repairs needed. The stone also has small pores which will help with the heat build up around the pool. It’s as durable as it gets and it comes in all the shapes and sizes, so you can easily incorporate it into the esthetic of your house. Pro tip: if your pool is round you’ll need a bit more material to fit it properly.
Poured concrete
Poured concrete is the least expensive solution for pool coping. This doesn’t mean it doesn’t have other advantages. When you use poured concrete the coping is incorporated with the edges of the pool. It’s easy to install and it makes the patio look larger. Poured concrete is also a good protection against sun exposure and it has clean and simple look. Cracks in the pavement need to be repaired every once in a while, so you might want to add parking lot repavement services to the overall cost as well.
Precast concrete
This is the concrete which comes in a reusable pre-produced form or a mold. There really isn’t much work to be done, if you choose this option. The coping comes in a truck – it’s lifted and assembled around the pool. Making this choice allows you to spend more money and time on other aspects of pool design and construction. It also lets you choose from a variety of designs and patterns beforehand, since the coping comes ready-made.
Paver coping
This is a form of concrete, although it’s not poured around the pool. It’s laid around it using special machines or it can be done by hand (which obviously takes longer). This gives it a less predictable look, meaning that you can create all sorts of different shapes or patterns if you want to. This option offers stunning design solutions, especially for plunge pools. You can also adjust color to the existing concrete or to the surrounding. The only con is that it’s a bit pricier option.
Travertine Coping
Travertine coping is a form of fiberglass. It comes in blocks and then it’s assembled around the pool. It comes in all shapes and sizes and can accommodate any pool. It stays cold when it’s exposed to the sun and doesn’t get very slippery. Because they’re man made it can come in all colors so you can adjust it to your needs (even match it to the patio furniture for instance). If you go for this option, remember that it requires maintenances on fairly regular basis.
There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to aesthetic choices. The same goes for your pool coping. Pick the one that’s the most suited to your needs.