What You Need to Know About Pool Fading

Fading is a common problem plaguing swimming pools. Just like any other outdoor item, all pools lose some of their color and vibrance over time. That can’t be avoided.

What you have to consider, though, is which pools tend to fade the worst and the fastest. Knowing that information can help you to decide which pool type is the best fit for you.

Vinyl Liner Pools

Unfortunately, vinyl liner pools tend to fare the worst when it comes to fading. These liners- even the high-quality ones- tend to be quite thin, which makes it easy for both chlorine and sunlight to penetrate the liner and speed up the fading process.

These liners can sometimes become completely bleached-out once they hit the five year mark or so. Obviously, the effect can be quite unattractive, but some people just deal with it due to the low price of vinyl liner pools.

Fiberglass Pools

These days, fiberglass pools can be made with lots of different finishes. And, really, it’s the finish that determines how badly your pool will fade.   

A high-quality finish will likely experience very little fading, and it may not even show up until the pool is close to a decade old! Lower-quality finishes, on the other hand, will fade a lot more quickly.

Thus, if you go with a fiberglass pool and want to avoid fading, you’ll just have to put in the research to ensure you get the highest quality finish possible.

Concrete Pools

Plain concrete pools are probably the most resistant to fading.

However, a lot of people apply different colors and finishes to their concrete pools these days. If you do that, then you’ll need to take the fiberglass approach and choose the highest quality finish possible. Even then, some fading will occur, but it should be minimal and likely won’t show up for several years.

Ultimately, every pool will fade. But, if you choose with care, it won’t be quite as noticeable. Remember, too, that you do have options for making your pool look new again, such as refinishing it. However, it’s much better to choose a pool that will allow you to make this kind of upgrade years down the road, instead of months!