Pool craftsmen install coping around the perimeter of your pool. You can choose optional coping such as brick, stone or other material. Then colorful tile is placed, leveled and finished to add a beautiful accent to your pool.

Pool Tile is extremely versatile. The most common application is to put standard 6" ceramic tile at the top of the bond beam and have it descend 6" down into the pool. Since the water line is about 3 inches below the top of the bond beam, this would insure that the waterline would always be in contact with the tile instead of the Pebble-Tec or plaster. Be sure your company is using tile that is frost proof and recommended for swimming pools.

An infinite selection of waterline tiles can add dramatic beauty and serenity to your pool and spa. You can select from hundreds of color combinations in lush colors with rich textures.
Since waterline tile defines your pool’s interior shape and is visible at the waterline, you'll want to select a tile that reflects your sense of taste and imagination. You may want to choose a waterline tile that maintains a harmonious color scheme, or matches architectural features of your home, even creates a certain whimsical expression with patterned graphic designs in your tile.

Tile murals, individual accent tiles or mosaics in the form of seashells, starfish, dolphins, whales, seals, fish, turtles or southwestern designs can be used in your pool to add a touch of flair or make a powerful statement.

Solid-colored waterline tiles mixed with other patterned tiles and colors can make your Pacific pool a show piece that shines and shimmers.   

You need to be careful here with sequencing the subcontractors for the finishing components. If you have a pool, which has a tile line around the top at water level or you are doing a fully tiled pool, you will need to arrange for the subcontractor to do the plastering for these first & then to apply the water line tile or the first row of the tile if fully tiled.

Again as with the concrete, it is good to cure the plaster for a number of days if you are going to fully tile the pool.
If it is just a water line tile row application then this is normally done the day after the plaster has been applied to provide a flat surface for the tiles.
Unlike a bathroom a pool is tiled from the top down as the tile has to be perfectly level at water line. Therefore it is better to get a pool tiler to do the pool, not a normal house tiler.

Once the top level tile is in place, then the coping can be applied as there is now a level to work to.

You may consider it it is correct to have the tiler finish a fully tiled pool at this point as the tiles have to be protected when the top surround coping is applied, some times it is better to hold after the first row, then apply the coping & then come back to a clean shell & tile that.

After the coping has been applied, then you can have the rest of the interior finish applied.

If you are having fully tiled, then the subcontractor can go straight on with that. Note be careful to use a good quality cement based tile adhesive, it is not necessary to use an epoxy glue or a modifier with the glue unless you expect to get a lot of ground movement.

If you are having a marcite (marble dust & white cement ) finish, then this should only be applied when all the area around the pool is cleaned & the pump & filter connected & if necessary a safety fence installed as you will have to begin & continue to fill from a few hours after the marcite is applied.

Also if there is any dust blowing around, the applicators can not help but get some of of it into the white finish.

If you are having a pebble interior finish, then this can be applied as soon as the water line tile is finished or if it is to go to the top, then it is applied once the coping is in place.

Finishes such as Fibreglaze have to wait for a 28 day curing period for the plaster before application.