Quartz pool finishes
A quartz aggregate finish is what gives sand pools their look: a continuous mineral layer with no joints, a sandy feel and a water colour that comes from the aggregate itself. Here is what it is, how it compares with mosaic tile and liners, how long it lasts and what drives its price.
What is a seamless quartz pool finish?
It is a factory blend of polymer-modified cement and quartz aggregate, applied over the concrete shell and trowelled on site in a layer of around one centimetre. It is called seamless because it has no joints: floor, walls, steps and beach come out in one piece. It is not paint or a liner: it bonds with the shell.
The material is Premix Marbletite, made in the United States and on the market for more than thirty years. It is applied by crews we have trained, because trowelling, curing times and surface preparation decide the result.
The two series: Marquis and Freestone
- Marquis is quartz aggregate. It gives the water its deep turquoise and a slip-resistant surface that works as well on the floor as on the steps.
- Freestone is made with natural pebbles. It leaves the smoothest surface underfoot, and it is the one we usually recommend for family pools and children's areas.
Between them there are 35 catalogue colours. You can see them with their details in the finishes section.
What is the best pool finish?
It depends on what you want from the pool. If you want a finish with no joints, slip-resistant, natural to the touch and that will not call for building work again —no regrouting every few years and no liner to replace in full—, quartz aggregate does it best. Tile and liners work, until they stop working, and then the builders are back.
| Quartz aggregate | Mosaic tile | Reinforced liner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it attaches | Bonds with the concrete | Glued tile by tile | Laid over the shell |
| Joints | None | Come loose; regrouting every few years | Welded seams |
| Underfoot | Class 3 slip resistance, sandy feel | Slippery when wet; edges that can cut | Smooth |
| Sun, chlorine and salt | Does not fade | The tile holds; the joints come loose | Fades with chlorine and sun |
| Lifespan | Highly durable, no replacement | Visible repairs where tiles fall | 10 to 12 years, then full replacement |
| Free-form shapes and beaches | Adapts to any shape | Many cut pieces | Wrinkles |
Chlorinated rubber paint is the cheapest option at first, but it has to be redone every few seasons and ends up peeling. Many of the pools we renovate started there.
Pros and cons of a quartz finish
What you gain, and still notice ten summers later:
- No joints: nothing to regrout, no tiles to fall off.
- Class 3 slip resistance, the highest, on steps, ramps and beaches.
- Warmer water: the aggregate stores heat and returns it to the water, stretching the swimming season into spring and autumn.
- Fast curing: three days of application on average, and the pool is filled after 48 hours.
- Resistant to chlorine, salt and UV.
- Reasonable cost: cheaper than mosaic tile of comparable quality, without the recurring cost of regrouting.
- Made to measure: any shape, size and depth.
What to know beforehand, so there are no surprises:
- It is not a glass surface. It feels like sand, which is exactly what makes it slip-resistant. For the smoothest feel, choose Freestone.
- Not just any builder can apply it. It needs a trained crew, which is why we work with authorised applicators.
- It sheds a little aggregate in the first days. That is normal for a new finish and brushes away.
- It needs balanced water, like any finish. A low pH kept over time damages it; salt does not.
How long does a quartz pool finish last?
It is a highly durable mineral finish: it bonds with the concrete, has no liner to come away and no paint to redo every few seasons, and the material has been on the market for more than thirty years. What extends its life most is keeping the water balanced.
How to do that, step by step, in how to clean a quartz finish pool.
How much does a quartz pool finish cost?
It costs less than mosaic tile of comparable quality and, unlike tile or a liner, it has no costs afterwards: no regrouting and no replacement. The exact price depends on the area to finish, the series and the state of the shell, and we work it out from the dimensions and a few photos within one working day.
Quartz aggregate is not sold as loose sand to put in the pool: it is supplied as a prepared material applied by a trained crew. So for a homeowner, the figure that makes sense is the cost of the finished pool, and it depends on:
- The area to finish: floor and walls, not the water surface. An 8 × 4 m pool with an average depth of 1.5 m is about 70 m².
- The series and colour chosen.
- The state of the shell, for a renovation.
The sum that really matters is the next twenty summers. Tile needs regrouting every few years and a reinforced liner has to be replaced in full after 10–12. Quartz aggregate, once applied, does not call for building work again.
New builds and renovations
It goes on new pools and on existing ones: stripped tile, peeling chlorinated rubber paint, aged fibreglass or bare concrete. The surface is prepared first and the Bond-Tite bonding coat is applied, which is what secures the grip on the old substrate. There is no need to demolish the shell. The full story is in pool renovation.
Data sheets
Composition, characteristics and application method for each product, as PDFs (in Spanish):
- Marquis data sheet PDF · 2 pages
- Freestone data sheet PDF · 2 pages
- Bond-Tite bonding coat data sheet PDF · 2 pages
See our projects · Beach entry pools
Tell us about your pool
Send us the dimensions and a few photos and we will reply with a material and lead time estimate within one working day, no strings attached.