White grout for travertine coping? Our PB used grey grout with white coping and looks like pinstripes...

[bankingdom]

Hi everyone.

Is there a white grout/cement for coping? Freeform pool.


Someone told me their travertine coping didn't even need any grout?

We paid extra for Platinum ice travertine and thought it would look more seamless. They never asked what color grout we wanted and guy spent entire day doing the coping, but our eyes are only seeing the grout lines and not the beautiful travertine.

Any suggestions? Or are these grout lines normal?

The last two pictures is what we were actually expecting it would look like.

Thank you!

 

[kimkats]

There is white grout. Not sure why they did not use it. Your pool does need grout due to the bigger pieces of stone as you can see how it goes around the curves of your freeform pool.

You need to have a talk with the PB and get it in writing to cover yourself. Ask him how he is going to fix this and go from there.

 

[bankingdom]

There is white grout. Not sure why they did not use it. Your pool does need grout due to the bigger pieces of stone as you can see how it goes around the curves of your freeform pool.

You need to have a talk with the PB and get it in writing to cover yourself. Ask him how he is going to fix this and go from there.

Thank you kimkats!

Do you think they will damage the pieces when they remove them? Or do they have to buy new slabs and cut everything again?

I'm just shocked they never even asked us about the grout color.

Also, they asked us if we wanted bullnose edge, but we said we like the straight edge better. Then someone told me all free form pools should use bullnose edge to make it look smoother, is that true?

Thanks for your help! I'm not sure what PB is going to say. I'm sure they are not going to want to redo this. What a pain....

 

[Toxophilite]

It is a more light grey, not dark, that gives it a more seamless look, well, as seamless as color variation will allow. Pure white may just do the opposite as well.

 

[bankingdom]

Alao now questioning which tile grout to use. We are using tresrios glass tiles.

 

[Toxophilite]

They actually did a very, very nice job on your straight edge coping!! Leave it alone!!!

 

[kimkats]

Love, love, love your tile pick!!! White grout will make each tile pop where a light to medium gray will help them blend together. BOTH are very pretty. Ask to play with their grout color sticks to see which one you like the best.

 

[B.lu]

Hi, I understand if you want to ask for the grout to change, but I just wanted to share that I was very upset when I saw the grout on my coping initially. It was/is a dark grey and my coping/pavers a lighter grey. My PB didn't give me any options or ask for my opinion on it, either. After the install, he told me they used the color they 'always use with grey pavers' and that the darker grey would fade a bit with the sun and chlorine. I think it did a bit, but beyond that, I ended up loving it once the pavers were down. Good luck whatever you end up doing. Having a pool put in is such a major job and expense. It is easy to feel regret and apprehension along the way

 

[bankingdom]

So spoke to PB today and they said they will just cut out the old grout from in between the travertine and put what ever color we wanted.

Guy is cutting it out as we speak. It looks to me like it is actually making the grout lines slightly bigger and less straight.

Is this an acceptable fix?

 

[kimkats]

It does look wider and not as straight. The only way to get a different colored grout is to cut it out..........not sure if that is the best way to cut it out though.

 

[Newdude]

What is happening with the patio ? Is that getting redone also, or left alone ? If it's staying, my vote is a grout color that ties the two in together. Pretty much exactly what you had. The coping/grout pics shown above all match their patios and are not a good reference.

I agree you want your coping to stand out. but you don't want it to stand out too much either, until the patio gets an upgrade to match.

 

[RetirementFund]

So spoke to PB today and they said they will just cut out the old grout from in between the travertine and put what ever color we wanted.

You have a decent PB that wants to make you happy. Kudos to him. A lot of guys would have just shrugged their shoulders. That being said, you were correct in asking them to cut it out. There are many colored mortars (it's not grout) out there to choose from. We were in the exact situation as you. Our PB did not consult with us on a color, in all fairness to him he honestly thought there was only one color mortar, the one he always used. His guys came back and cut it out just like yours is being done. Once the new mortar goes in it will all blend together so don't feel bad if the lines appear to be not straight right now. It will all look great. Trust me on this, we all sweat the craziest details as these projects are our babies, but once complete, you will ooh and ahh so much you won't even see any of the things driving you crazy. Good Luck, you have a beautiful pool!

 

[Newdude]

+1. I HATED the patio color the CEO picked out. Utterly. Hated. It. A month later it was normal. The following season I thought it was beautiful.

 

[bankingdom]

Thanks for all the responses!

Here is the re done color. I think it blends much better!

We are doing turf over the existing deck. So we wanted the coping to look seamless as possible. Just didn't like the dark gray grout.

We went with grey for the tile and it actually looks great. He showed us white and grey but white stood out too much.

Now onto pebble color! Much harder to choose than I thought.

 

[kimkats]

Oh yeah that looks MUCH better ! Love the gray for the water line tiles too! Have you seen the plaster color show off thread?

 

[Newdude]

We are doing turf over the existing deck.

Ok, this makes a huge difference in final appearance. With this nugget of info I am completely on board with your decision.

So we wanted the coping to look seamless as possible.

It does now, and it's fantabulous.

 

[RetirementFund]

Great job going with your instinct on this. Its looks absolutely beautiful.

 

[Dirk]

Looks like you're getting close to pebble time. This might be the last time your pool is ever 100% empty, so you have a unique opportunity. Just before they fill the pool, and you have to keep your eye on them 'cause it happens immediately after they're done, go out and read your water meter. Take a snap shot of the numbers. When the pool finishes filling (usually when the water reaches midway up the skimmer opening), turn off the hose and go out and read the meter again. The difference between the two readings will be the water volume of your pool. You'll probably find it to be quite different than what they told you it was going to be. Either way, you'll use this now accurate number for calculating pool chemical dosing, so the better the number, the more accurately you'll be able to dose.

You can increase the accuracy of the number by minimizing water use elsewhere while the pool is filling: turn off your irrigation system, take a day off from laundry and dishwashing, minimize showers and flushes, etc. The less water you use in and around the house, the more accurate your pool volume number will be.

You can track the main pool and spa separately, if you care to. You'll just take an extra snapshot of the meter in between filling the two. But it's the total (pool and spa) that you'll use to calculate your chemistry.

Congrats on the new pool!

 

[kimkats]

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