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Help - need input/picts Sunstone Pearl plaster

upsideofdown
13 years ago

Hello,

We are having a hard time finding a pool to look at that has Sunstone Black Pearl finish. ANy pictures out there?

We are deciding between PebbleTec and Sunstone (sunstone Pearl is less expensive than Pebble Sheen, so that is the why looking at both).

Anyone have Sunstone and if so, is it regular, pearl or select? What color is it and do you have picts?

Thanks!

Comments (17)

  • michelle16
    13 years ago

    Yes , I have the sunstone pearl-black pearl, and love it, where are you located??

  • upsideofdown
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Hi Michelle16,
    We are in Austin, TX. My concern was if the water would be too warm w/ a black bottom. We do love the look of it though - at least in picts :) Do you have any picts you can post or send me? Any other tips w/ the darker color?

    Thanks!
    www.UpsideOfDown.org

  • upsideofdown
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    good to know about your neighbor's temp AND it's hotter there than in Texas - how ironic! So does it ever look BLACK so that you can't even see what's at the bottom? What type of coping do you have? Guess I just can't wait to see picts! If need to email me separately you can do that. I saw you in an earlier post re: Cove Blue. Did you ever see picts of that? Thanks!

  • poolguynj
    13 years ago

    WRT the color of the pool and water temperature, the sun's infrared rays that do the heating, don't penetrate beyond a foot. That means the bottom is the same temp as the water. It's not absorbing the sun's warming IR rays because they can't reach it.

    That's not to say that the sun doesn't warm the water. Just that the color has a negligible effect.

    Scott

  • upsideofdown
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Scott -
    Have you done a pool w/ black plaster/pebble and used a darker color of coping/tile? Now that we know we want to use Sunstone Pearl - Black Pearl, I'm worried that a chocolate/gold OK Flagstone will be dark and make water look even darker than it already will be. Any insight? Don't find a whole lot of picts out there of the black bottoms.

    Thanks!

  • michelle16
    13 years ago

    upsideofdown- i promise I will get you those pictures within the next few days, I will have my 15 year old son help me do it! lol, anyway I have techo bloc harvest gold coping, and the patio is techo bloc inca pavers in baja beige. They are a large paver made to look like stone, very nice, I love the contrast with the black pearl pebble, not sure how dark your stone is, but I think it will be fine, the bottom never looks black, it's very speckled and shimmery looking, you can totally see the bottom, it has such a nicer richer look than the light water, my husband was not convinced he was scared our pb sent us to a home with the black pearl pebble, and he loved it! turns out the home was in a few magazines, it was stunning! I will post the pictures probably on Monday, I have a Christening to go to tom, thanks, Michelle

  • upsideofdown
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Michelle 16 - no prob! We pulled the plug today and decided on the Black Pearl!!! Your comments helped us to finally decide - thanks! would still love to see picts thought whenever! We went w/ a taupe/beige coping and a beige-ish tile w/ a dark brown/shimmery trim around each 6x6 piece. Have a new discussion going and will keep adding pictures. Think it's called New pool - picts/progress. We are going into week 4 of digging :( lots of rock and not enough room for a back hoe to fit. Hopefully we'll have a pool in time for a Labor Day party!! Thanks!

  • plasterman2000
    13 years ago

    Black bottom pools reflect, colors do not draw into them
    Like say black brown tan white mixs, which lighter colors draw in color from the surrounding area, (tile, plants flowers, and the sky)

  • poolguynj
    13 years ago

    Black bottoms are generally discouraged for safety concerns. It is often harder to see level changes, such as slopes, benches, etc..

    While high aggregate finishes aren't as prone to it, black cementatious finishes have a history of fading to dark gray. The polished stones aren't the problem, it's the colored cement used to bind any aggregates that fade. The more stones, the less fading is visible.

    WRT to color selections for tile, coping, etc..., that is a very subjective area I stay out of.

    Scott

  • upsideofdown
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    We did it! At least decided on it :) Going with the SUnstone Pearl - Black Pearl. Can't wait! Thank you both for your inputs!

  • gwhite31_tampabay_rr_com
    12 years ago

    How about some feedback on the installed product itself? Anyone have any info on product reviews for this company? We are considering this product vs pebbletec and like products.

  • tnjh
    11 years ago

    Hi upsideofdown,

    We too live in Austin and are considering replastering our pool with Sunstone Pearl - Black Pearl. We want something very dark and so far the PebbleSheen - Black Onyx seems the darkest color, but our plaster company doesn't apply it (and we'd rather not pay the extra $ for it anyway). Do you have any pics of your Black Pearl?? And how do you like it so far?

    Thanks!

  • grottoguy
    9 years ago

    Michelle,

    Could you post a picture of your deck and pool color. I am considering the same Inca tile and still haven't decided on the pool plaster.

    Thanks

  • Rhea Manos
    4 years ago

    Does anyone know if sunstone makes a color comparable to Tahoe Blue? I love that color & my builder doesn’t offer pebble tec, only sunstone

    thank you

  • sudhir kittur
    2 years ago

    @michelle16 Can you please share the link to your pool photos in Sunstone - Black Pearl. Who was your pool Builder? I am Hillsborough NJ and debating between pebble finish and quartz finish mainly from a roughness perspective.

  • Melissa Vernon
    2 years ago

    @Sudhirkittur I’m in Belle Mead and am also deciding between roughness of sunstone select quartz finish and sunstone pearl. What did you find out? My pool project manager told me he finds pearl to be less rough than the quartz sunstone select- less sandpaper like. I wanted to use Hydrazzo but was informed pool builder does not install that. Only the select or pearl