Swimming Pool Bullnose Coping

by Frank
(Texas)

Swimming Pool Coping

How is bullnose coping that is not mortared attached and held in place to a vinyl liner pool with a paver deck? If the bullnose hangs off a little into the pool and the pavers are set in stone, what keeps the bullnose attached to the small little metal edge of the side of the pool?

ANSWER

Hi Frank,
Even though a pool is the vinyl liner type and pavers are set in stone and not mortared, the bullnose coping must be mortared. This is the way it is done.

Susan

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Replacing Pool Coping With Concrete Pavers

We have a vinyl liner pool with cantilever coping. The pool is 30 yrs old but has a new liner. We want to install pavers all the way to the edge of the pool having a slight overhang(1/2 inch). What do you recommend to install the pavers right at the edge? I have heard to use a concrete base, epoxy glue... Any suggestions?

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Brick Pool Coping Choice

by Chris
(West Virginia)

I have a 30 by 50 foot in-ground concrete and plaster pool we installed ourselves on top of a mountaintop in WV. Is there any brick coping that will not absorb water and eventually crack from freeze-thaw?

Thanks,
Chris

Comments for Brick Pool Coping Choice

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changing pool coping on a liner pool
by: Anonymous

Is there a way I can renovate my coping by screwing a different coping onto existing crack coping on a vinyl ingrown pool

ANSWER
Regarding adding coping to a cracked vinyl liner pool coping, the answer is now. You would have to remove the coping and start over again with a new coping. However, this has to be done carefully as the liner can loosen....Susan

Thanks for sharing.
by: Anonymous

Nice article!

Effloressence on Brick Coping
by: Charlese

I have been in the pool business for 40 years and have recently been vexed by a problem that I cannot solve. We installed a clay brick coping on a pool that continues to have white deposits that develop on the surface. We have had many experiences with raised walls, and raised spas that have this problem, and have just learned to live with it, but, I have never had problems with the coping above the water-line tile. Can anyone give me an explanation and a possible remedy?

Precast Pool Coping vs. Brick
by: David

Brick is a bad choice for "coping" around the pool. Bricks are meant to be "weathered" NOT subterranean! You must explore the function of the coping. Once you have- you'll learn that the job of "coping" is to protect the sub-straight that it's sitting on. The pool beam is made of fairly porous material and vulnerable to freeze damage. So- on a typical 20x40 pool, would you rather have 30 joints OR 205???!!! If the joints were the only problem you'd pick less joints, right?!. Why then are bricks even considered? So-you couple the increase in joints WITH the fact that bricks don't like being WET, then you've got to ask WHAT ARE WE THINKING!!! OMG- why would you ever put a brick on for coping! For other options you may want to visit www.federalstone.com

Marion Coping
by: Anonymous

We have had our pool for only 8 years and the Marion coping needs to be replaced.
Our pool company, carlton pools in PA, never made us aware of the poor quality of this brick. After doing research I have now concluded that Carlton should have told us and advised us regarding this product. To my knowledge this company is still using this coping !

Marion Ceramics Does Not Stand Behind Their Products
by: Anna

I work for a swimming pool renovation company in Pennsylvania and we have had to replace defective Marion Ceramics coping on 7 pools in the last few years. The coping cracked and sheeted, this was not due to winter maintenance; just poor materials. Marion offered to give the homeowners new brick, but would not cover the labor or the cost to replace the pool's coping and tile. Tile has to be replaced when replacing coping. Pool coping sits on a bed of mortar approx 2-3 inches thick; therefore, the top 2-3 inches of a pool's 6" border tile is attached to that mortar. Our local distributor - SCP was selling Marion Ceramics junk coping buy 1 pallate get 3 free in the Academy Gray color last fall (2008). (That is about $3,360 worth of materials for $840.00) If you want brick coping,or pavers for that matter, go with Pacific Clay.

Swimming Pool Coping
by: Susan

I have been involved in numerous swimming pool designs where brick pool coping was used. To the best of my knowledge, there are not problems using brick coping. Much of the brick of today is manufactured with high PSI, which is the relative strength of a material in the industry. Brick is used for streetscapes with heavy vehicular traffic.

Although I have not used their coping, I have used brick from Pine Hall Brick. They have a very good reputation and they re-sell a brick pool coping, made by Marion Ceramics. There are specific installation procedures to follow for this material. If you would like to take a look and get further information, you can go to www.marionceramics.com.

If you want to use brick because you like natural materials rather than those that are man-made, I understand. However, you might also consider a concrete paver coping which looks like brick. There is a project that I designed where clay brick was specified. In the end, the Client decided to go with concrete pavers. If you were to look at the project, you can hardly tell the difference.

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