Pool tiling in the Potteries, with the right tile for the job.

Pools in the area

Stoke-on-Trent is a federation of six towns, and between them there are public leisure and school pools, pools in hotels and health clubs, and private pools in homes in the Staffordshire villages around the city.

A good-looking tile is not always a pool tile

In a pool, appearance is only part of it. The tile has to cope with permanent immersion, pool water chemistry and cleaning, and on floors and steps it has to be safe underfoot.

We help you weigh up mosaic against larger formats, the contrast needed for lane lines and step edges, and how a new tile will sit next to an old one. Then it has to be fixed with an adhesive and grout that are compatible with it and with each other.

• Suitable for permanent immersion
• Slip resistance on steps, shallow floors and surrounds
• Contrast for nosings and lane lines
• Mosaic or larger format, depending on curves and use

Check what is still sound

Even when a full retile is tempting, it is worth finding out whether targeted repairs and a regrout would do. Tap testing the drained pool gives a first picture. The tiles that come up show the rest.

If the background is sound and the tiles can be matched, repairs often restore a pool well. If not, we explain why a retile is the better spend.

Epoxy or cement grout

Epoxy grout resists chemicals and staining well and suits many pools. It also has a short working time and has to be washed off thoroughly before it sets, or it leaves a haze that is hard to shift. A good cement grout can be the right choice in some pools.

No grout will cure a loose tile or a waterproofing failure, and none comes with a guaranteed life. Whichever is used, the movement joints are left for flexible sealant.