As the gunite swimming pool industry finally brings itself into the 21 century, we are seeing some amazing upgrades in the types of finishes that can be applied to the pool to create the final finished surface. For the first 50 years or so of the gunite swimming pool history, the finish on the pool was almost always a marcite finish. This is the typical white finish that most gunite pools have (yes the pool looks blue but the finish is actually white, the blue comes from the sky color). Marcite is a combination of white cement and crushed marble dust. This finish is adequate but very limited. As the pool ages and the consant change in water chemistry happens, the white cement is pulled off the surface exposing the marble dust. This leads to a rough surface that both scraps the flesh (known as Pool Toe) and also allows stains to adhere. These issues finally lead to some improvements and upgrades in material choices. Quartz as a replacement for marble was next. It is stronger, smoother ,more colorful and polishable. Next came pebble finishes; much stronger, more versitale , colorful and a lot more pleasing to the eye.
Enter the era of glass bead finishes; Glass beads as an element of gunite swimming pool finishes. The glass beads bring a whole new life to the look of a gunite swiming pool. The vibrant colors really get the pool surface to come alive. I just can’t wait to see whats next! What do you think it will be?