1. Whole pool or just the waterline?
The first decision is how much of the pool you tile. Many concrete pools have a rendered or pebble interior with a band of tile along the waterline, usually 150 to 300mm high, where it hides the scum line and frames the water. A fully tiled pool, walls and floor, costs more but gives the cleanest, brightest colour and the longest-lasting surface.
Every product page has a pool calculator with both options, so you can compare the quantities before you decide.
2. Pick the water colour, then the tile
The tile sets the colour of the water. White and pale tiles give bright, clear, sky-coloured water, blues give the classic pool, greens give a lagoon, and dark greys and blacks give deep, reflective water. Our pool colour guide goes through each one. Start there, then shop by colour: blue, green, white, grey or black.
3. Mosaic or tile?
Mosaics come on mesh-backed sheets of small chips, so they bend around curved walls, rounded steps and spa seats without cutting. They are the natural choice for freeform and kidney pools and for any pool with a lot of curves.
Larger tiles, such as 100x300mm, 150x150mm or 200x200mm, suit rectangular pools with straight walls, where they give a modern look with fewer grout lines. Many pools use both: a tile on the long straight walls and a mosaic in the same colour on the steps. The Color2 range is made for exactly that, with every colour in several mosaic and tile sizes.
4. Glass or porcelain?
Glass mosaic has a translucent shimmer and usually comes in blends of several shades, which gives the water movement. Porcelain gives one solid, even colour and a choice of gloss or matt. See glass vs porcelain pool mosaics for the full comparison.
5. Finish and slip resistance
Gloss tiles reflect more light and make the colour look richer under water. Matt tiles give a softer, more natural look. Where people walk or stand, on steps, ledges and a shallow beach entry, choose a tile with a textured or anti-slip finish. The Tahiti range, for example, comes in glossy and matching anti-slip versions of each colour. Ask your pool builder or tiler what your project needs.
6. Always test a sample in water
A tile looks different dry, wet and under a metre of water. Order a sample, drop it in a bucket of water outside in daylight, and look at it at different times of day before you order a whole pool.