Tiled swimming pools have been the premium choice for pool interiors for over 50 years. This is because they look great and also last a very long time. Importantly, this means that the cost of ownership is lower than normal pools if you are planning on keeping the pool for more than 25 years. This is why your local council pools are all tiled.
How much do tiles cost?
Tiled pool interiors generally cost around $18,000 for the average pool. To put that into perspective, a typical pebble pool costs around $6,000. However, these prices change dramatically if you have expensive taste in tiles. If you do, then the cost of tiling the pool can easily double. Also, it is a good idea to ask the tiler how much they have allowed for tiles before you go shopping.
Are tiles pools worth the money
This is a tough question to answer because it depends on how long you plan to own your pool. For example, if you decide to sell your home, potential buyers may not care about the extra money that you spent on a tiled pool. In fact, some buyers may not even want a pool, let alone a tiled one.
However, if you are not in this situation and plan to stay where you are for a decade or more, then a tiled pool may be worth a closer look. Tiles are easy to clean and very resistant to staining and other issues. Quality tiles will often look the same in 30 years as they do today. This means that you will not be replacing pebble pool surfaces that sometimes only last around 12 years.
Finally, the best thing about tiles is that they are inert. This means that they are almost unresponsive to chemicals. Therefore, your pool water chemistry will not move around as much as it does in typical concrete based surfaces such as pebble. This means less money spend on pool supplies and products from the pool shop. Remember, it is not a coincidence that nearly all major city pools are tiled. Councils do this because they know in the long run that tiles will pay for themselves.
Downsides of tiled swimming pools
Remember that quality workmanship is vital during the installation process. This is because the finish of the pool can look terrible if you are a victim of poor installation. Also, besides looking bad, poor workmanship can mean that calcium can build up in the grout will cause the tiles to fall off the walls of your pool.
Also, tiled pools can date your pool over time. So those ultra trendy tiles today, may be off putting in the years ahead. Take a look at some older tiled pools and you will see how times and colour trends change over time.
