Pool Plaster Colors Guide
When it comes to giving the pool a plaster finish, pool owners often pay more attention to things like the texture or the overall finish quality and can easily overlook the color.
However, contrary to the popular misconception, you do not have to stick with the more traditional white plaster finishes as there are almost countless color options.
Furthermore, your pool plaster color serves more purposes than just enhancing the overall appearance of the pool.
Therefore, as you are finishing up your plaster, you should pay enough attention to the color. You need to understand why plaster color matters, how to choose the best one for your pool, and acquaint yourself with some of the most common options.
Why Does Pool Plaster Color Mater?
Your plaster color often has a massive effect on your pool’s overall appearance, whether it is an indoor or outdoor pool. In many instances, it is one of the first things most people will notice before looking at others, like the shape and design of the pool.
Color is what gives the water the feel you want. You can decide whether your water will have a tropical or a more laid-back lake or lagoon feel with your color choice.
Plaster colors can be more functional in helping hide dirt and pool imperfections like cracks and chips. For example, if you have a light color on your plaster, it will make imperfections like fading staining and scaling more noticeable, but a darker one helps mask them.
Also, the color can have a slight effect on the water temperature. Darker colors absorb and retain more heat, which can help raise your water temperature, while light finishes will reflect the heat away from the water. But, the heating effect is often minimal and insignificant most of the time.
Other Factors that Impact Pool Water Color
Besides your choice of plaster color, many other factors can still affect the color of your pool water. It is essential to understand these factors as you decide on the plaster color to ensure you will end up with your preferred pool appearance.
1. Pool Size and Depth
Larger and deeper pools often have more light reflection, and so the water hue will appear richer. For small and shallow pools, the water is relatively light, and it may look almost transparent.
Therefore, if you have a large, deep pool and want the water to be lighter, you should avoid dark colors as they will look richer than they are. On the other hand, you can make your shallow pool have a deeper hue by choosing a darker plaster color.
But, keep in mind that getting a rich and deep color might still not be possible for a tiny pool regardless of your plaster color choice.
2. Water Chemistry
Your water pool chemistry will also affect how the water looks. Failing to balance your water chemistry properly can cloud it and distort the color of the water.
If you have a more traditional blue water tint, it will often look greener when your water chemistry is off balance. Also, if you have a high concentration of minerals from the well or groundwater, your pool water can change to a green hue.
3. Pool Surroundings
Your pool’s surroundings have a massive effect on how your water will look, and so even as you decide on the plaster color to use, you also need to work on the surrounding.
For example, if your pool is in the middle of a large white sandstone yard hardscaping, the water will be lighter regardless of the plaster color. On the other hand, pools surrounded by lush greenery like trees and bushes tend to have a green hue.
4. Sunlight
The sun has one of the most significant effects on your pool water color. The angle and color of the sunlight that hits your pool influence how your water will appear. Moreover, pool water also reflects the sky, which can affect its color even when there is no sunlight.
5 Common Pool Plaster Colors
1. Standard White Plaster
The standard white plaster was the most popular a few decades ago as there were few options, and it is still quite common.
With the white plaster, you will get a more traditional pool feel, and it is a perfect choice when you want to maintain a more classic pool look.
White plaster gives the water a light turquoise hue, but if you have a canopy over the pool or any other shade, the pool water will look richer and darker.
2. Light Blue or Gray
Another common plaster color option is light blue or gray. Many pool owners will opt for this plaster color to break away from the monotony of white plaster.
Besides providing a more unique feel, a light blue or gray plaster color can help give the water some extra color depth.
What’s more, with these plaster colors, your pool also gets an attractive color gradient as the hue gets deeper as you move to the pool’s deep end.
3. Green Plaster
Green plaster is not very common for domestic swimming pools, but many commercial establishments like holiday resorts prefer it over other plaster color options.
The green plasters give the water a light aqua hue that leaves the pool with a more tropical feel which is fantastic for boosting the holiday mood.
Moreover, the green plater is light-colored, meaning it can help create a stunning color contrast as the hue is light on the shallow end and gets richer and deeper towards the deep end.
If you pair the green plaster with the right deck design and pool furniture, it can bring out that relaxing tropical feel better than most other plaster colors.
4. Blue Plaster
Blue plasters are common for both domestic and commercial swimming pools. It is also quite versatile as there are several shades of blue you can use to give the pool a particular feel and appearance.
You can go with light blue shades when you want to maintain a more traditional pool feel without using white plaster or a dark blue when you want your water to have a richer color.
5. Dark Plaster
Dark plaster colors such as black and gray are a good choice for any pool owner looking for a unique, high-end pool feel.
These finishes also give your pool a more natural lake-like appearance as they enhance light reflection.
However, when you opt for dark plasters, you need to be keen with how you implement them, as some can leave the water looking like it is full of oil. A simple trick to work around this is by using dark water accents and complementing the plaster with a dark stone wall or deck.
Other Colorful Finish Options
Plaster might be one of the most popular pool finish options, but if you are looking for ways to enhance your pool’s color, you do not have to stick with it.
Other options like aggregate finishes will provide several texture and color choices and include other elements infused in them like glass and marble to give the pool surface extra sparkle.
Tiles also come in several color choices and add extra elegance to the pool with their different mosaics and patterns. Some tile types have a distinct dark color with a unique sparkle that makes you water dazzle and appear to have diamonds scattered on the surface.
Bottom Line
The appearance of your swimming pool is highly Âdependent on the plaster color you choose as you are finishing it up. A good color choice can leave the water sparkling and with a tropical feel, while a bad one makes it look dull and unkempt.
The good news is that there are more than enough plaster colors to choose from, and it is all about deciding the look you want. You can go for white plaster or light gray/blue when you want a more traditional feel or dark ones like black for a high-end feel.
It is always important to decide the look you want from the onset by considering other things like the pool size and its surroundings. Changing your plaster color later can be quite a hassle and an expensive venture.
