Various Swimming Pool Tile Designs

Even though human beings are not an aquatic species, people love to swim, and if they’re not out in a lake or ocean, they’re using a swimming pool. Some pools are public, such as indoor or outdoor public pools that can hold many guests at once. These pools may have various depths, marked swimming lanes, and fun additions such as water slides and diving boards. Other swimming pools are smaller and more private, and it’s possible for a homeowner to have a small swimming pool built into his or her own back yard. And other swimming pools may be the most luxurious kind, the kind found at coastal resorts and vacation spots. Any pool, though, needs the right pool tile designs for visual appeal and safety alike. In fact, pool tile designs can include decorative mosaics, such as a mosaic turtle or mermaid mosaics for an appropriate ocean theme. In other cases, pool tile designs are for basic safety and convenience of swimmers.

A Pool Tile and Other Tiles

Most often, tiles today are built out of ceramic, and this is a time-honored material that predates even the written word. Ceramic is known for being durable and smooth, and it can often be made into tiles both in times past and today. Something similar can be said for glass mosaics, which often date back far. Some examples of glass mosaics date back to 300 BC, and a person may recall the exquisite mosaic art of the Byzantine Empire. Tiles of glass and ceramic alike still have their uses in the 20th and 21st centuries in many places, from subway walls to kitchen and bathroom floors to pool tile designs. In fact, in the early 1900s, New York City started using tiles for its walls in subway stations for the first time. This proved effective, as those tiles were easy to clean, durable, and also reflective of light.

Tiles have their uses on kitchen or bathroom floors, too, since they are water-resistant and easy to clean. Most often, ceramic tiles are used in swimming pools and elsewhere with plaster, exposed aggregate, or fiberglass finishes, and may last five to 25 years. Glass tile, meanwhile, is known for retaining its appearance for a very long time, and it can last nearly indefinitely, barring vandalism or other damage. Glass tile might prove more expensive than bulk ceramic tiles (this may vary), and a homeowner looking to build a private swimming pool in the backyard may keep that in mind.

Pool Tile Designs

There’s more than one kind of tile that might be found in a public or a private swimming pool. The default tiles may be simple white square tiles that cover the bulk of the swimming pool walls, and they may be price-friendly when bought in bulk and installed. But they are not alone in a finished swimming pool. Many pools have shallow, wide steps that allow a person to wade into the pool, but these steps may be difficult to see if they do not have visual markers. So, pool step tiles can be placed on the edges of those steps to mark them, and this makes them safer to use and also more attractive to look at.

Something similar can be said about waterline tiles. These are tiles that are indeed found near the waterline, hence the name, and they are most often a different color than the pool’s regular tiles. These darker tiles provide a convenient visual cue about the water height and where the pool’s edges are, and this feature can break up a pool’s appearance and look nice. And finally, for decoration, a person may invest in colorful tiles, whether ceramic or glass, that form fun patterns for swimmers to appreciate. Spas or pools in expensive resorts may have these as a matter of course, and add to the decor.

Pool tile care is important, too. Tiles are tough, but they can certainly become damaged or come loose. Plaster, too, might sometimes get worn out and form harmful sharp points. So, pool repair crews can empty out a pool, then scrape off damaged tiles and worn out plaster and apply new plaster and adhesives. New tiles can be added as needed to fill any gaps in the formation.