Choosing your pool interior colour

Once you’ve made the decision to build a pool (or renovate your existing pool) with an Aqualux pool finish, the next difficult decision to make is ‘Which colour or pattern do I pick?’.

When we started making pool liners back in the 1970’s, it wasn’t a difficult choice – light blue or dark blue! Now, there is always at least 14 Aqualux colours to choose from- often 16 or even more. Most people will start their decision-making process online – looking at photos of pools. And while that can be a terrific help, it can also be a little overwhelming, as the same colour can look completely different in another pool (and even in the same pool!).

Aqualux in ‘Antique’ looks completely different in each of these pools. Water chemistry, landscaping and lighting are all factors.

How can the same colour look so different?

Once your pool has been filled, you’re not really looking at the liner colour anymore – you’re seeing the water in front of the liner – and this is where physics plays a part.

Clean water has no colour – so when you put it in a glass, it looks clear. But in a large body of water, such as the ocean, a swimming pool or even a spa filled with the same water, it will appear blue or green. This is because light is made up of all the colours in the spectrum, and when it hits an object, the object absorbs some colours, and reflects others. When light hits the water, the water will absorb the red, and reflect back blue. So even in a pure white pool, the water will always appear blue.

There are many other factors that will affect the watercolour too. Size and depth of the pool, landscaping and surrounds, water balance and of course lighting all play a huge part in determining the look of the watercolour – and this is why it can be so hard to select the right liner colour for your pool.

If you’re struggling to decide on a colour, the first step is to decide if you want a light coloured pool or dark.

Benefits of a darker pool interior include a warmer pool, which will look cleaner – even if it’s not. The darker the interior, the harder it is to spot dirt, leaves and other stains in the pool. In contrast, the lighter the pool interior, the more obvious any dirt or leaves are – so if you live in an area with lots of dust or leaves, and you don’t think you’ll be able to keep on top of the cleaning, then you may like to stick with a mid to dark coloured pool – or invest in a leaf and debris cover.

Blue water or Green?

If you are looking for a green, aqua or turquoise pool, you don’t have to pick an obviously green pool liner like Maldive – anything with tan or yellow (such as Aqualux Sandstone and Coral Sand) or black colouring (like Antique and Kiama) also usually throw green.

Viewing distance

If you’re converting over from a plain painted or fibreglass finish, you may initially find some of the patterns of Aqualux a little ‘bold’- however, don’t get too caught up in the print you see on the sample. The patterns are designed this way to give your pool the most vibrant appearance possible, and the more contrast in the pattern, the more depth of colour your pool will give.

The patterned surface also helps to hide any flaws in the pool shell – so the more contrast in the pattern, the better job it will do of disguising imperfections – definitely something to consider if you are resurfacing a pool with Osmosis.

Remember, you’ll generally be looking at your pool interior from at least a couple of metres away, and most of it is underwater (or all of it, if you’re having a waterline tile) – so while a pattern may seem a bit busy when you look at it up close, it will look far more subdued once installed.

Contrast or Blend?

This is another decision that is generally fairly easy. Do you want your pool to blend with your garden, and look like a natural addition, or do you want it to ‘pop’? For a natural, muted appearance, select a colour that tones in with your pavers and surrounds – such as charcoal pavers and an Antique or Kiama interior. But if you want to make those interiors pop, then use a white or sandstone paver. If you really want your interior to pop, you cant go past the vibrance of Bahama or Maui – and there’s a reason why these have been two of our most popular colours for the last few years.

In the end though – the only thing that matters is that you pick a colour that you’re going to like looking at – because chances are, you’re going to be looking at it for about 15 years! To look at some different pools, go to our Liner Gallery – just select the colour you’re thinking of, and it will filter out the others.

Fibreglass Pool Resurfacing

If your Fibreglass pool is over ten (10) years old it is probably starting to show some signs of surface degradation –  both above the water level and below the water level. Fading above the water level is just weathering from the sun constantly beating down on the plastic resin surface of the Fibreglass gel coat. The UV in the sun’s rays attack the plastic and cause it to degrade and fade over time to the point where the surface becomes rougher and may start to attract stains and even develop osmosis.

Often, when a fibreglass pool is being emptied for renovation, as the water level drops, you can see the full extent of the degradation, and the gel coat is often in much better condition above the normal water line than below. This is because the chlorine used to keep the pool clean over all the years is also an “oxidising agent”, and it will speed the aging process as it oxidises the fibreglass gel-coated surface to become bleached and faded looking. The surface also develops a “rough” feeling to the skin, and is no longer smooth like it was when it was new. If your pool has been overchlorinated or kept at incorrect chemical levels, this degradation will occur much faster than it should have. The result is the same though – it means algae and stains cling onto the surface more easily and make the Fibreglass pool surface much harder to keep clean. “What can I do to fix my old fibreglass pool surface?” is a common question.

While we have been manufacturing Aqualux interiors to be fitted into damaged fibreglass shells for many years, in the last 3-5 years, we’ve really perfected the process. ABGAL have patterns for many popular fibreglass pool models on file, so often, there is no need for your fibreglass shell to even be measured. If you know the brand and model, we can make a new Aqualux interior to fit your pool shell perfectly, and it can be delivered ready for installation before your pool has even been emptied – meaning minimum downtime, reducing the risk of your fibreglass pool shell popping out of the ground.

Unlike traditional fibreglass resurfacing methods such as painting, rendering or re-glassing, your new Aqualux interior could have your pool ready for swimming again in just a day and a half – and in some cases, you can even recycle your water. We have portable water storage bladders enabling your water to be pumped out and stored onsite, ready to be pumped straight back in again when the new Aqualux interior is in!

You can see more about resurfacing your fibreglass shell with Aqualux, and see some before and after photos on our main website.

What makes Aqualux better than a regular inground pool liner?

An Aqualux pool finish is a specialist, flexible pool interior which is designed for Australia’s harsh climate, to out-perform other similar pool finishes.

The Aqualux difference starts with the chemistry. Some products perform well under certain conditions, and others just don’t make the grade – and it is all in the chemistry.

First we need to understand a little about the conditions, and that’s why Aqualux was developed here in Australia, specifically for Australian conditions. By studying the environmental conditions, we have been able to see over the years how small adjustments to the chemistry have improved Aqualux, and increased its performance.

The performance is measured by the resistance to the environmental elements like the sun and the chemicals in the pool water (like chlorine and salt). By carefully monitoring the performance of the pool finish, and adjusting the chemistry little by little, Aqualux has become the ultimate flexible pool interior for the Australian environment. It has taken many years of testing and expertise, and the end result remains a closely guarded secret that many try to immitate, but none have sucessfully reproduced.

Australia’s climate punishes standard grade plastics. A standard inground pool liner might work quite adequately in Asia, Europe or the Americas, but bring it to Australia and its a different story alltogether. That’s why the formula is the key and how chemistry makes all the difference to making your pool finish longer lasting. We have our own chemist with almost 40 years’ experience, employed to make sure each manufactured batch of Aqualux is carefully monitored and quality tested to meet our strict standards.

This means you can be assured that your Aqualux pool finish has been expertly manufactured to suit Australia’s harsh climate. But it is still one of the easiest surfaces to keep the pool balanced and looking good ready to swim. It is soft and silky to the touch which means it is more comfortable to swim in for you and your family. No rough edges or scratches or scuffs to worry about.

Don’t just install another pool liner. Choose the finish that’s passed the test of time, and been the choice of thousands of pool owners across Australia since 1976 – an Aqualux pool finish.

Is Aqualux suitable for a Glascon Pool?

A Glascon pool is a little unusual, as it has fibreglass walls and a concrete floor. The construction of this pool is a mix of two styles used for swimming pools – firstly – the wall is made from glass reinforced plastic (commonly known as ‘fibreglass”) and the floor is reinforced concrete.

The fibreglass wall has a smooth gel coat finish and was usually blue in colour, and the concrete floor was either painted or finished with a waterproof marble render. The problem with this system is, there is no chemical bond between the concrete and the fibreglass, so there is a risk of leakage at this joint. If there is some ground movement over time, the joint can open up slightly and pool water will leak out of this join, between the two structural elements.glascon-pool-steps-ready-for-measuring

The simplest and easiest way to fix this leaking, is to install an Aqualux pool finish. The design of the Glascon pool is similar to a prefabricated vinyl pool and therefore it is a very cost effective and straight forward process. The pool has an even wall height all the way around, and the floor slopes down into a bowl sort of shape to make the deep end. Having vertical walls means the vinyl finish will be economical and easy to fit. The pool just needs some simple preparation of new eyeballs fittings suitable for vinyl, a fixing extrusion fitted at the top of the wall and a face plate or under water extrusion around the skimmer opening.

The empty pool is measured for the Aqualux finish, which is made into a one piece waterproof membrane at the factory and then fitted in a day and the pool filled back again with water.

An Aqualux PVC membrane is an excellent solution to a leaking Glascon pool.

glascon-pool-wall-floor-leaking

Can I pebble over a leaking fibreglass walled pool?

At least once a month we hear from someone who has a fibreglass walled pool, who has made the mistake of resurfacing it with pebbles.

This ‘Glascon’ pool in Brisbane is one of them. Glascon pools have a concrete base, and use a rolled fibreglass sheeting for the walls. A common issue with these type of pools which have a separate base and walls, is leaking in the joint where the walls and floor meets.

This leak between the walls and floor joint was precisely the case with this pool. The most effective way to solve these leaks is with the installation of a flexible, waterproof membrane such as a pool liner, or an Aqualux pool finish.

However, when the home owners approached some pool builders for quotes to repair the pool,  one told them resurfacing with pebble would be effective, and add more value than a vinyl liner. As you do, they trusted their pool builder’s advice, and decided to go ahead with the pebble coat.

Costing many thousands of dollars to install, the pebble interior lasted around 12 months before it failed. It leaked, it cracked – and then it literally fell off the walls.

The only thing the pebble added value to was the builders wallet.

pebble over fibreglass
The pebble finish cracked and fell off after 12 months.

Naturally that pool builder has since left the Brisbane area, and not covered by insurance, the homeowners were left to sort out the mess themselves.

Luckily, this time around they found themselves in contact with a reputable pool builder. And rather than just go ahead and build a whole new pool inside the existing one, he suggested installing a pool liner, and put them in touch with Complete Pool Liners.

Complete were able to resurface the existing pool shell with an Aqualux Pool Finish, creating a waterproof membrane which covers the entire surface. The pool was finished and ready to swim within 2 weeks. The owners were happy with the price, and couldn’t be happier with the result.

fibreglass pool resurfaced with Aqualux
The Aqualux pool finish puts a waterproof skin over the entire pool shell.