What’s Coping And Why Does Your Pool Need It?

Of all the pool terms you may have heard, coping may be the one in most need of explaining. Most people would talk about the pool edge. This is close to what it is, and once you discover its meaning, you will be empowered to take full advantage of it.

What's Coping And Why Does Your Pool Need It?

What Is Coping

At its core, it is the material that extends slightly over the edge of the pool and slopes away from it. It is built over the steel beams and concrete inner structure. Practically speaking, it is there to keep water out from between the shell and the ground and to drain water that gets splashed out of the pool away from the pool’s internal workings. It smooths out the sharp edge of the pool to make it safer for people to walk around, and it is often part of the pool surround.

Coping can be made of concrete that is made into stones and given a porous finish. However, there are many other choices for materials, including tile, brick and natural stone.

Coping comes in many styles these days. Before the 1970’s, the bull nose style, a rounded brick jutting over the edge of the pool, was your only choice. Now there are cantilever styles, which lacks the roundness and don’t go quite over the edge of the pool. These can be poured on site or pre-made.

Decorative Options

In many ways, coping is the biggest decorative flourish an indoor pool can have. It can meld the pool edge seamlessly into the rest of the yard or it can create drama and contrast. You have a wide variety of choices in style just in the bull nose category alone. (You would be surprised how many ways you can make things rounded.) The colors and material choices are endless, and the only caveat is that it has to be safe for people to walk around.

When you are considering installing a new pool, don’t forget the coping. For advice and help installing the pool and the coping, contact us.