Pool Landscaping - Swimming Pool Coping
About Swimming Pool Coping
Summary
Indoor and outdoor swimming pool applications will provide the whole family with endless enjoyment all year round. The tremendous variety in many pool designs, sizes, shapes and structural materials are available for your individual tastes. Many home owners choose to have a pool on their property for the convenient aspects and not have to worry about driving to their nearest beach or swimming pool center. Other than that swimming pools are great for entertaining family and friends on a hot summer's day! Swimming pool coping is a must for any type of in-ground or above-ground swimming pools. After the swimming pool has been installed the rough exposed surface outlining the swimming pool perimeter has to be covered with some type of coping which will hence provide safety when entering or exiting the pool. It is also used for enhancement purposes to blend in with the pool design and surrounding landscape features.
Types of Swimming Pool Coping Materials
There are various types of swimming pool coping materials for your personal preference and individual requirements that will provide safety as well as an aesthetic appearance. The following are the most common types of coping materials for you to consider; they are:
- Brick Coping
- Concrete Coping
- Natural Stone Coping
- Cast Stone Coping
- Tile Coping
- Aluminum Coping
Natural stone coping is a very popular choice as a pool coping material. The benefit of natural stone is it has a natural visual appeal, it is slip resistant, rust resistant, all weather tolerant and will last a very long time. It is hence more suitable for in ground swimming pool applications.
Tile coping material is available in a splendid range in tile colors, shapes and sizes that will complement and enhance any pool shapes, design and style. This type of coping material is specially designed with a rough surface of air bubbles to prevent slipperiness. To maintain tiles from algae there are special cleaning formulas that you might need to use from time to time, check with your local swimming pool dealer. Aluminum coping material can be used on above ground or in ground swimming pools. There are many colors, shapes and styles that you can select from to suit your pool structure. The disadvantage with aluminum coping material, is in time it might rust and needs to be replaced.
Swimming Pool Coping Designs, Shapes and Styles
There are many swimming pool coping designs, shapes and styles that will suit any swimming pool you have chosen. They exist of the following:
- Rolled Edge
- Cantilevered
- Bull Nosed
- Rough Cut
- Curves
- Straight
- Right or Left Springing Angles
- Circular
- Diamond
- Square
- Semi Circular
- Inverted Angle
Rolled edge coping designs are made from cast stone, brick or concrete materials. This particular coping option has a smooth surface which is upturned at the edge and allows the swimmer to easily grab onto.
Cantilevered coping design runs straight out from the pool edged then has a 90 degree slope that slightly drops down. This type of coping design is more suitable for swimming pools that are modern in style.
Bull nosed coping option is a design that is flat in surface with a rounded end. The most common materials for this coping option are: cast stone, natural stone and cast concrete.
