# Black Bottom Pools **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 10, 2007, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bottom-pools/403621 "2007-05-10T23:16:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ZomZom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zomzom/32/5620_2.png) [@ZomZom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZomZom)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bottom-pools/403621/1 "2007-05-10T23:16:31Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bottom-pools/403621/2 "2007-05-10T23:34:43Z")
IIRC, it’s because black (or a generally dark colour) reflects much less sunlight, which helps heat the water. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bottom-pools/403621/3 "2007-05-11T03:25:58Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bottom-pools/403621/4 "2007-05-11T10:44:52Z")
[QUOTE=EJsGirl] 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. . [/QUOTE] Why don’t they age well? ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bottom-pools/403621/5 "2007-05-11T13:31:55Z")
[QUOTE=Renee] Why don’t they age well? [/QUOTE] 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. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bottom-pools/403621/6 "2007-05-11T14:53:50Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] Just paint it “Discoloured chip fade” and the problem is solved. [/QUOTE] 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. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bottom-pools/403621/7 "2007-05-12T02:36:27Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] 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. [/QUOTE] Do they still paint pools? I would have thought there were better alternatives now. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bottom-pools/403621/8 "2007-05-12T03:31:42Z")
[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. It looks great, and although I keep it clean, I can skip a day and you do not notice. [/QUOTE] That’s awesome! ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bottom-pools/403621/9 "2007-05-12T11:48:14Z")
[QUOTE=Renee] Do they still paint pools? I would have thought there were better alternatives now. [/QUOTE] 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. ---
**Author:** ![sunacres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bottom-pools/403621/10 "2007-05-12T14:11:08Z")
[QUOTE=Renee] Do they still paint pools? I would have thought there were better alternatives now. [/QUOTE] 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. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bottom-pools/403621/11 "2007-05-12T15:07:59Z")
[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? ---
**Author:** ![ZomZom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zomzom/32/5620_2.png) [@ZomZom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZomZom)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bottom-pools/403621/12 "2007-05-12T17:20:04Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bottom-pools/403621/13 "2007-05-12T19:32:45Z")
Black bottom pools make the rockin’ world go round. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bottom-pools/403621/14 "2007-05-13T02:31:56Z")
[QUOTE=mangoldm] 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? [/QUOTE] Yes, they are. We are going to do the same thing when we get back to the states. > **[Home - Pool Cover Specialists](https://www.poolcoverspecialists.com/)**