POLL: Light or Dark Bottom Pools?

6 years ago

So many pools and so little time! There are so many gorgeous pools to look at here, and it's hard to pick a favorite. If you were to choose between a light or dark bottom pool, what would you prefer?

VOTE and tell us about it in the comments!

Light

Dark

Other - Tell us below!

Featured Answer

wfink94

6 years ago

I guess it depends on where you live. I live in Phoenix where there's an overabundance of sunlight. Dark bottom pools here tend to look more cool and welcoming; not so hard on the eyes. Whereas in a less sunny place you might want the extra light the light bottomed ones attract.

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Comments (223)

jcampb576
6 years ago
jcampb576
6 years ago
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jcampb576
6 years ago
Go with the light - it changes color during the day , depending on shade or cloud cover- also much easier to clean- you can see any debris
Andree Flemming
6 years ago
In Florida it's very important to know what's in the water, because alligators have been found in the pool. Nobody wants to jump in the pool and find a gator or a snake.
M. AGEMA
6 years ago
We’re in Michigan and installed a 12-person spa using a dark grey gunite bottom to blend with the house ledge stone. Instead of the eye drawn to the pool, the eye is drawn to Lake Michigan instead. We use pool lights at night to bring emphasis back to the patio. We’re pleased with the decision.
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Studio NOO Design
6 years ago
Light !
dragonfly44
6 years ago
Definitely light. I live in New Mexico. With a dark surface you can't see if you are swimming with rattlesnakes in the pool.
Carol Catlin
6 years ago
Light. White, or pale turquoise, it feels like vacation.
Simon Strauss
6 years ago
We have a "green" pool. It looks fantastic in the evening and good during our bright sunny days here in Queensland Australia.

http://www.hamptonsonharcourt.com/gallery.html
denisemfreund
6 years ago
I am so sorry, Lori. ❤
Roberta Millman-Ide
6 years ago
I live on the intracoastal Waters in Florida. Those who have dark pool bottoms have a unique problem....since the pool looks more like a pond than a pool...birds often land on the water and stay for a while. I personally do not want to swim where birds poop. Nicely lit dark bottom pools can look beautiful in an indoor pool..but keep the outdoor ones light and less inviting to the wildlife.
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Urban Upkeep LLC
6 years ago
What if you painted it to look like a coral reef?
Robin Harvey
6 years ago
Too many small children get "lost" in the bottom of dark pools. Take it from an anesthesia professional - Don't do it.
1956bg
6 years ago
White plaster gives the beautiful traditional light bright blue look. That’s what a pool should look like. My Dad liked the light blue, and my Dad was never wrong. I like the light blue and I’m not wrong either. Never go against tradition.
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Hrivnak Associates, LLC
6 years ago
Robin Harvey - sincere thanks for your insights. (and I happen to agree) I also believe that painting swimmer's stripes with the "T" at each end help to avoid painful crashes into the walls. Just saw photos of a pool on a house while shopping - rectangular with stairs full width across one of the shorter sides - ruined for anyone wanting to actually "swim" in a "swimming" pool. Alas...
blacherciv
6 years ago
Show an image of a dark-bottom pool, please!
venniefrancis
6 years ago
I live in tropical Queensland, Australia, where the choice of a light pool is a necessity to avoid swimming with venomous snakes. At the time our pool was being recoated, I was nearing the end of a house renovation and was persuaded by the pool company to opt for a white quartz finish which would result in pale blue water. They also suggested that a green light in the pool would look beautiful. I was preoccupied by the house renovations and simply went with the flow on the issue of the pool light. I had my doubts, concerned that a green light might be a bit kitsch, but was tired and completely worn down by the constant decision-making process. I figured that I would only be using the pool during the heat of the day and never at night, so the colour of the light was not really relevant. How wrong I was. The green light under the blue water luminesces and the pool looks like a fabulous big opal at night. Such a simple thing, but sometimes the professionals know best. The first thing we do in the evenings before retreating to the porch with a glass of wine is turn on the pool light that we never actually intended using.
camillabryce
6 years ago
I live in the PNW where most outdoor pools have a limited yearly use. I grew up swimming in streams and lakes and to me, dark bottoms mean cold water. Just a bit of Pavlovian response, I guess. Light bottomed pools read warmer, more like the ideal tropical vacation photos a la Travel & Leisure.
beautifulquebec
6 years ago
I never actually thought about it. Mine is light. If I had to choose I am not sure what I would go for. Dark looks more natural to me, but I think it depends on the look you want to have, the atmosphere you want and the style of your backyard.
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True Radiance
6 years ago
Have pools and would never have dark as if something dead in bottom you can't see it. Also with algae you can't see it. Never put dark because to many unseen things. Not nearly as pretty as light pool. May be somewhat warmer but solar is great. When you go to resorts you don't see dark pools don't do it scary if you ask me.
Bev
6 years ago
I love a light bottomed pool! It's much easier to see the bottom when you dive in and you can avoid anything nasty as well!
atoledoh
6 years ago
Light
Terry Benes
6 years ago
I prefer light so I can see if there is anything in the pool that shouldn't be there; snakes, etc.
Daryl G
6 years ago
I prefer a light colored pool anyday!!! However, if money were no object I would run straight to Mr. Cipriano for this custom Stradivaris pool with copper tiles!!
trieste50
6 years ago
We built (hired!) an in-ground cement pool, and had it painted black because we wanted it to reflect the sky, and to absorb heat from the sun. We loved it! Rarely did we need to use the pool heater (in Minnesota!), and it was really lovely. The water looked a rich blue - reflected from the sky. It was a fresh water pool (no chlorine) so the color was natural. We would do it again without hesitation.
Christine Elwood
6 years ago
I love the look of a dark pool. IMO, very serene. Lighter pools just made me feel like it was nothing special..... may as well be at a public pool. I completely changed my mind when a friend with a dark pool said they find themselves swimming with snakes because they can't see them until they're in the pool. No thank you. I have since put in a light colored pool and love it. We put our focus on tile color and pool amenities.
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Urban Upkeep LLC
6 years ago
funny
Windy Chime
5 years ago
Wanted modern look. Went light :) however everything shows, EVERYTHING!!! lol! I’d choose it again though, not a fan of dark water.
Windy Chime
5 years ago
Wanted modern look. Went light :) however everything shows, EVERYTHING!!! lol! I’d choose it again though, not a fan of dark water.
chavezlrc
5 years ago
Light colored! Don't regret it one bit…
summersrhythm_z6a
5 years ago
I love dark blue pools! It’s just a personal taste, it looks more dramatic than a light colored one.
tenamarie123
5 years ago
Definitely Caribbean-esque light! To me they just look so much more bright and clean and just overall way more inviting.
User
5 years ago
I’m in Texas and we are going to choose a light color for the bottom of the pool so we can see if snakes or rats get in it. Yikes!
hallsandra9746
5 years ago
Texas?? I am in Mississippi and the first thing to do is get the baby snakes and frogs out of the skimmers before anyone jumps in. Oh, and a dead possum and a very mad snapping turtle. Dark bottom? No way.
Jordan Rapoud
5 years ago
Light bottom pools bring more power to the sun and summer vibes. If dark, the water will not reflect what we perceive as a clean water, and pleasure to swim might lower.
kulrn
5 years ago
I read this poll before installing my pool this summer. I'm in Texas also and went with white. Does not look like a hotel pool as some think. And learning they stay cooler was a big plus. I can see everything, but I like to see what's in the pool so I can get the dirt out!
New home · More Info
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Ultimate Water Creations Inc.
5 years ago
You can have a light and dark swimming pool floor just like these photo of our client's swimming pool! The baja ledge starts shallow with a light colored bottom then gradually gets darker the deeper it gets!

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Naturalistic Pools with Grotto · More Info
Arian Sadeghi
4 years ago
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DePew Designs LLC
3 years ago
Hi there! We recently installed an in ground pool with Diamond Brite Black Onyx. We absolutely love it, but unfortunately the pool company did not tell us that the steps and bench would be virtually impossible to see! Is there anyway to increase visibility of these edges (waterproof tape or stick on tile) without tearing out the finish?!
ImagineThat!
3 years ago
Hi. Let me suggest something that will avoid tearing out your beautiful finish. Get some small colorful weighted bean bags like those used in underwater retrieval games. Place these at both sides of the stairs and benches. Slowly remove some bean bags until only one remains on the edge of each step. After awhile you will have learned where the structures are in relation to the rest of the pool bottom. You might eventually wonder why you ever thought you couldn’t see it. Forgive me if this sounds juvenile, I am a nurse, I believe this will work. It’s inexpensive and worth a try. I HAVE had a dark bottom pool and plan do it again with the one we are building now In a new location.
feyenjudy
3 years ago
Lisa, your suggestion may work for the home owners , but what about all of their guests who may never have been in their pool before? They need to contact their pool company for a solution.
Sal Conti
3 years ago
Just add a lite that has multiple colors
ImagineThat!
3 years ago
Feyenjudy - I would never suggest that they shouldn’t first consult their pool company. Perhaps that solution involved the replacement of the finish they were seeking to avoid. As for pool guests, I suppose they could replace the temporary markers during those events. I thought their goal was to avoid a permanent alteration of a pool they are otherwise happy with. My suggestion was intended to help them see if they can get a better sense of the layout. If it helps them to focus on the nuances of contours that exist, they may not need more aggressive changes.
Melissa Olson
3 years ago
Does anyone know what the plaster and color is of the pool in the top photo of the post?
flavus72
3 years ago
Of course, light! Reminds me Paradise...
Sal Conti
3 years ago
Ty so much
Rose Nichols (Student)
3 years ago
I like it
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Tipton Spires Design|Build
3 years ago
Dark bottom pools appear more 'elegant' than light bottom pools but it all depends on your city/county building codes. Some cities/counties will not allow dark bottom pools for "safety reasons"...if someone (or a child) falls in it would be difficult to see them on the bottom with a dark pool especially at night in deeper pools...or be able to see those snakes and frogs.
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Hrivnak Associates, LLC
3 years ago
Pros and cons for light or dark bottom pools - not so much for "swimming" pools (a nomenclature that should be reserved for pools in which one can actually swim). As a swim team kid from age 8 to now 68 still swimming laps every morning - lap swimmers are accustomed to light bottoms with appropriately painted lines for lanes and turns. So... if you have a "jump up and down" pool, do whatever pleases you aesthetically. If you have a "swimming" pool, a light bottom.
Lars
3 years ago
Light bottom for a pool; dark bottom for a goldfish/lily pond.

POLL: Light or Dark Bottom Pools?

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