Latin Accents_pool tileAccent tile can really bring a swimming pool to life.

It delivers vivid, eye-popping color and a unique design that truly exudes your decorative tastes.

Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that not all decorative tiles are created equal. If you are considering tile work in your pool, here are a few expert pointers to ensure that you end up with the best product for your investment.

First, there are two important factors to consider when choosing swimming pool tile:

  • Can it handle the effects of freeze/thaw cycles?
  • Are the glazes capable of withstanding harsh pool chemicals?

Standard manufactured swimming pool tile is engineered for these needs; however, many customers find their available choices relatively boring from a design and aesthetics standpoint.

Latin Accents_pool tileThis is where our Talavera tiles can be particularly useful, as our porcelain body can be used in all climates, making it ideal for use in swimming pool tile work.

The technical definition of porcelain tile is that it absorbs less than 0.5% water when tested. The European bodies that we import at Latin Accents test at even less, with an absorbency of just 0.1%.

Technically speaking, if water freezes after being absorbed into a tile it will expand, potentially causing damage to the swimming pool tile body and glaze.  Thankfully, the full “vitrification” of our porcelain tile prevents this from occurring.

Pool acids and chlorine can also discolor and reduce the brightness of glazes over time. We have tested the base of our glazes and figured out a way to eliminate these problems when our product is used as swimming pool tile.

Our testing revealed only one copper based glaze that is sensitive. To account for this, we offer an alternate green color for that glaze on the porcelain body.

Certainly, hand painted tile can be a stunning but costly undertaking for a project as large as a swimming pool.  There are, however, a number of cost-saving alternative approaches to pool tile design.

Latin Accents_pool talaveraFor instance, it can be more cost effective to find a manufactured solid color mosaic and use Latin Accents decorative tile solely as accent tiles.

Similarly, our solid color field tile can be used effectively around the water line of a pool with periodic accents inset as squares or diamonds.

Our molded porcelain bodies are also ideal for use in water features, such as on the lips of waterfalls and in pool water intakes.

To view some samples of our installed pool tiles, please click here.