Pool and Spa Trends: Selecting the Perfect Stone

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Mar 1, 2016

In the fifth and final part of our Pool and Spa Trends series, we’ll turn our attention to an issue near and dear to all of our hearts here at Richard’s Total Backyard Solutions: selecting the perfect stone for your swimming pool and backyard surface. Choosing the perfect stone is important for a number of reasons: it improves the aesthetics of your swimming pool and backyard area; it offers an inviting environment for your guests; and it helps protect your feet from rough terrain and/or extreme heat.
Though you may not realize it, the type of stone you choose for your pool or backyard area is of the utmost importance. It’s a particularly important matter here in Texas, where the high and bright sun can contribute to even hotter surfaces. As a general rule, the darker the stone, the hotter the surface, just as lighter stones result in cooler surfaces. For this reason, we’d likely recommend a lighter surface color for your Houston-area backyard. Of course, it’s ultimately your prerogative as to what stone surface suits you best and we’d be happy to discuss those issues with you before we begin the installation process.

Here are a few tips for choosing the perfect stone for your swimming pool/backyard area:

1. Determine your budget and stick to it. The cost of installing stone varies according to quality and quantity, not to mention the intricacy of the design. Consider what percentage the cost of stone should account for the total cost of your home installation or repair.

2. Be mindful of safety concerns. Swimming pool safety concerns should be of paramount importance, particularly where young children are involved. To prevent accidents in and around the pool area, invest in stone or tile that’s slip resistant.

3. Look for a lifetime guarantee. Over time, even the most perfect stone is liable to crack, chip and fade—the question is, will you be liable for removing or replacing it? With that in mind, ask your stone installation company whether they offer a lifetime guarantee that insures your stone against certain forms of damage.

4. Consider the overall pool/backyard environment. This is primarily a matter of aesthetics: ideally, you want your swimming pool and backyard area to have a consistent, unified look. For instance, if you’ve laid down some new stone, you may also want to renovate the area surrounding it, particularly if said area is in need of repairs.

5. Choose cheaper stone when possible. If you select stone that’s indigenous to your region, it’ll result in lower costs since the stone won’t have to be imported from another state. At the same time, far it be for us to tell you the type of stone you should use for your swimming pool!

The types of stone and tile surfacing provided by Richard’s TBS include the following: brushed concrete, pavers, flagstone, comfort/spray deck and travertine tile. The last two surfacing options are what we would likely recommend since they will be cooler on your feet during the hot summer months in Houston. If you’re looking for ideas on what type of stone to install, we invite you to check out the swimming pool gallery on our website. Once you’ve settled on an option, contact us to schedule a consultation!

This concludes our Pool and Spa Trends series. If you missed the first four parts of our series, click on the links below. We’ll be back with another installment of the Richard’s TBS blog soon!

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My wife and I bought our pool from Richards a couple years ago and are still even 3 years later remembering why we are so thankful we went with them and not “the other guys”. They are always so friendly and helpful whenever we come in, and are the only ones we go to when we need anything for our backyard, which is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
Marcus

I have a Hot Springs spa purchased from Richard’s. I have been so pleased with the way they have guided me in learning how to take care of it properly. The sales people are very knowledgable and have readily answered all the questions I posed with my limited knowledge of keeping a spa perfect for daily use. My friend has a pool and needed help updating it and updating her backyard, as well. I recommended Richard’s and she told me she was thoroughly satisfied with every step in the process of renewing and redoing her pool and backyard.
Shirley M.

Rodney and David came to clean my pool filters, a job that takes me a whole day to do, they were in and out in a couple of hours, even brushed the pool and ran diagnostics, excellent job guys!

Sue C.

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“Buying a pool these days is like a vacation. It’s a book & plan-ahead process. But unlike a vacation…this investment doesn’t end!”
– Aaron Nease