Can someone explain “black bottom pools” to me? The pictures I’ve seen of them look a dark blue-green, not black. Are they actually black? I like the idea of how they blend in with a wooded lot but am worried it wouldn’t look as “clean” as a regulre, light-blue pool. How can you tell if there’s “stuff” in the bottom?
IIRC, it’s because black (or a generally dark colour) reflects much less sunlight, which helps heat the water.
They were thought of as a “sexier” choice for a few years- unusual, unique. My MIL has one. They don’t age that well, that’s for sure. We haven’t noticed that the water is warmed by sunlight any more than in a pool with a standard light-colored bottom, though.
If you are going for a cool look, I prefer the pebbled bottoms.
So, to answer your question- strictly cosmetic.
ETA- and since the water is still clear, you can see stuff in the pool and on the bottom.
Why don’t they age well?
dark paints chip, fade and discolour in unpleasant ways. Then again, so do the very light. Just paint it “Discoloured chip fade” and the problem is solved.
Not a bad idea, actually. I bought vinyl flooring for a room that has birds free flying. I asked the salesman for a color/pattern that looks like bird shit. He never asked why, just lead me to the roll. It looks great, and although I keep it clean, I can skip a day and you do not notice.
Do they still paint pools? I would have thought there were better alternatives now.
That’s awesome!
There are much better alternatives, of course. Painted pools are still done, though. My neighbour across the street just finished one about a month ago. He trimmed the edges with small mosaic tiles but left the bottom on painted concrete (light blue) so it would be less slippery for the kids.
Always have been. I’ve never even seen a *painted * black bottom pool. Ordinarily you mix lamp black in with the concrete/gunnite so the color is integrated. Looks fabulous forever, even if it chips.
It’s a matter of personal preference, of course, but the look of a black (actually dark grey) bottom pool surrounded by a garden is much more attractive to me than a aqua-blue pool surrounded by plazas of concrete.
[QUOTE=vetbridge]
Not a bad idea, actually. I bought vinyl flooring for a room that has birds free flying. I asked the salesman for a color/pattern that looks like bird shit. He never asked why, just lead me to the roll…QUOTE]
Now, that’s my kind of salesman. Why can’t there be more like him?
Thanks for the replies. We’re thinking of getting a black-bottom Infinity pool that would overlook a heavily wooded hillside. We want an automatic pool cover to keep out the inevitable leaves. Are Infinity pools incompatible with automatic covers?
Black bottom pools make the rockin’ world go round.
Yes, they are. We are going to do the same thing when we get back to the states.