What You Should Know Before You Get a Black Bottom Pool

In a sea of bright-colored pools, a black pool will surely stand out. A black pool looks clean and leaves a memorable impression for being less common, especially if complimented nicely with coping stones or a deck or patio to bring out the color of the pool.

This article is intended to be a guide to whether or not a black colored pool is right for you.

What's Different about a Black-Bottom Pool

Black-bottomed pools have certain characteristics that are slightly different than lighter-colored pools. A black pool will keep the water warmer leading to lower heating bills and an extended swim season. However, black pools, unlike pools with lighter-colored plaster, will show imperfections in the workmanship of the finish a lot sooner and easier.

Advantages of a Black Bottom Pool

Stays Warmer for Longer

Black naturally absorbs sunlight, so a black bottom pool will be be warmer for longer. This is especially advantageous if you live somewhere where winter is noticeably colder.

Saves Money

A warmer pool means that it will take less fuel to heat the pool up if you have a heater, saving money for you while also extending your pool season—it’s a win-win.

Easier to Keep Clean

The black bottom color masks dirt better than a light pool color. That means less vacuuming for you if you live in an area where there are a lot of messy overhanging trees.

Lagoon-Like Appearance

Aesthetically, black plaster creates a certain ambiance that a lighter-colored finish can't in certain settings, like if you want your pool to look like a lagoon.

Disadvantages of a Black Bottom Pool

Harder to Detect Dirt and Algae

Though a black bottom pool will hide dirt better, it will also hide algae better. This is a downside because when your pool has algae, you need to take care of it to keep your pool clean to swim in and in good condition.

Shows Workmanship Imperfections

Black pool plaster will show imperfections in the workmanship of the finish much faster. You will see the stroke marks and footprints of the workers a lot sooner in a black-bottomed pool than if it were a lighter color.

Fading Is More Noticeable

Just like a painting left in the sunlight for too long, the black plaster will begin to fade and the fading will happen sooner than it would on a light-colored plaster pool. Because it's a dark color it's more noticeable when the finish fades.

Pool Scale Is More Noticeable

Pool scale will also show much sooner than it would in a lighter color pool where it could blend in. Maintaining the chemistry of your pool also becomes more important because of this.

Potentially Not Allowed

Some cities and municipalities have bans on black-bottomed pools. This is because the black or darker color of the plaster is harder for people to see and can interfere with swimmers' depth perception, potentially raising the risk of a safety incident.

Pros and Cons of Black Bottom Pools

Other Types of Black-Bottomed Pools

There are other pool finishes to get the look of a black-bottomed pool besides plaster. You can get a black color in your pool using finishes made of concrete, vinyl, tile, PebbleTec, fiberglass, or aggregate.