Edge of Perfection: Pool Coping That Combines Safety and Beauty

While a pool coping may seem like a small piece of an otherwise large project, it’s still a critical part of an install. No matter what type of pool material you use, and no matter what type of decking material you use, each pool project must include a coping.

From a functional standpoint, a well-designed pool coping serves several key purposes. It acts as a splash return edge, is a safety grab for those in the pool, and can provide a visual separation of space between the pool deck and the waters edge to help avoid potential falls.

From a decorative standpoint, its possibilities are nearly endless.

“I like to think of it as a picture frame,” says Scott Cohen, President of The Green Scene in Chatsworth, Calif. “You might choose a color from a decorative standpoint with a color that’s lighter, darker or keep it the same as the decking so it’s more seamless. When the coping is a different material or color than the decking it does add a safety element because you can more easily see where the water starts.”

Pool copings can be made from natural stone, tile, or concrete. The type of material you use will largely depend on your client but concrete does offer a couple of key advantages over the others – mainly time and expense.

Why Concrete Coping is a Popular Choice

“Concrete is more affordable than natural stone,” says Dario Baldoni, Vice President of Technology and Marketing at Concrete Countertop Solutions. “It’s way faster to install but looks just as nice. The decorative edges allow you to unlock the full potential of the concrete.”

“Concrete is much more durable than any other options,” says Bill Kanter, Managing Partner at Benchmark Fiberglass Pools in Berrien Springs, Mich. “We’ve been using it almost exclusively for about 20 years.”

For those looking to install a concrete pool coping, you and your client will first need to decide if you want to go with a precast material or cast-in-place. Each offers their own benefits and potential disadvantages.

Precast Coping: Speed and Simplicity with a Few Tradeoffs

For precast pool copings, they can offer consistency with color and finish and a manufacturer warranty. Using precast can also improve construction timelines, as well as avoid some logistical headaches if the pool is not located on a ground floor.

“We have been using precast copings for podium pools that are standard shapes,” says Mike Strickland, Project Manager at Colorado Hardscapes. “The benefit is that there are no logistics of pumping concrete to a higher floor. The pieces are made off site. It can be a little bit quicker since you don’t have forms, setting or curing.”

The potential downside, Strickland says, is that the joint lines require annual or semi-annual maintenance to keep them looking pristine and to avoid water seeping in. They can also be difficult to install on custom pool shapes.

Cast-in-Place Coping: Flexibility for Custom Pools

For cast-in-place concrete pool copings there is a lot more customization and flexibility. It’s the method of choice for custom shaped pools. However, it does require a skilled masonry crew to ensure success.
“We do a lot of cast-in-place for walls and decks, so we’re really familiar with finishing concrete,” says Strickland. “We do it a lot, so for us we know we can make it look good and match the deck surrounding the pool.”

Cast-in-place can also offer a more streamlined time frame.

“There’s no measuring or ordering stones. Once you walk off the job that day, the deck is done. That’s a huge advantage,” says Neil Gudgel, Sales Advisor at Stegmeier LLC.

Like any choice, cast-in-place does have its potential downsides.

“The problem with pour-in-place is some modelling, discoloration or cracks can occur. Not every client is ok with that,” says Cohen.

Form Liners: Disposable vs. Reusable Systems

For those opting for cast-in-place, there are several options for premade pool form liners to use. Some, like Mortex Mfg. Co. Inc and Stegmeier, offer disposable foam options while others like Concrete Countertop Solutions offer a reusable pool form liner. While they generally offer similar looking shapes and designs, the key difference between the manufacturers is how they are installed.

Mortex was one of the first manufacturers of disposable foam cantilever pool copings in the late 1960’s. While the forms themselves have not changed much since their inception, Mark Deason, Vice President of Mortex, says they have improved upon the traditional fastening system of using aluminum tie wires.

Mortex offers what they call a Spear and Button anchoring system. A plastic Spear is inserted into the foam liner and nailed onto one end into the bond beam. The Spear is then secured into place with a Button. From there, contractors can either choose to use a double-faced tape to adhere the foam to a tiled bond beam, or use Mortex’s Brackit system which uses physical statics and leverage to essentially pin the form to the bond beam.

“Brackit is the best of both worlds,” says Deason. “In some applications there’s no tile face for the tape to adhere to. It’s also popular with vinyl and fiberglass installers because of not needing to use tape.”

Regardless of if the installer uses the tape or Brackit system, after the coping is poured the Button is removed by twisting the Spear, severing it behind the concrete face.

Flexible and Reusable Form Systems for All Pool Types

Stegmeier, founded in 1968 was another key pioneer in the early days of concrete pool copings and other cast-on-site forming systems. Part of their lineup today includes polystyrene forming systems for concrete, vinyl and fiberglass pools. The flexible forms can conform to any custom shape of pool.

For those installing a concrete or fiberglass pool, Stegmeier forms are typically connected with adhesive and a secondary mechanical attachment with tie wire. For liner pools, Gudgel says most contractors prefer to use their Clip-Loc form that clips into the liner receiver track. The forms are then removed while the concrete is still green and any imperfections can be smoothed out.

“Ours are easy to use,” says Gudgel. “We know what works. We’ve all been contractors at one time.”

Some installers prefer to use a reusable form, such as the one from Concrete Countertop Solutions. Their Z Poolform system offers different track options allowing them to be used with vinyl, fiberglass or concrete pools.

After installing the necessary receiver track, a rubber form liner is then placed along the track. Each liner contains a notch to essentially allow the form to lock into place, eliminating the need for other time-consuming securing methods.

Edge Profiles, Maintenance, and Safety Considerations

The forms are durable, which means contractors can screed, float or even stamp directly over the form without concern. Most notable for those in cold climates is that all of the work can be done from the deck side, so you don’t need to get in the water if the pool is already filled.

“They offer a lot of benefits over traditional styrofoam,” says Baldoni. “The forms go on very fast and come off very fast, but the biggest time saving is you’re not needing to go back and finish the edge. The forms can be left on overnight and you don’t have to pull it off the same day while the concrete is still green.”

Regardless of which form liner type you choose, you’ll also need to decide the what type of edge profile your client wants. While each manufacturer offers a roughly a dozen options, both manufacturers and installers alike generally agreed that a simple cantilever edge profile was the most popular.

“The basic shapes have won out over time,” Deason says.

Kanter agrees.

“We keep it pretty simple,” he says.

Durability, Movement, and Climate-Specific Considerations

Baldoni says their Chiseled Stone is their best-selling profile.

“It looks really nice especially if you’re doing a stamped deck,” he says. “By pairing a stone edge with a stamped deck you get one of the highest end looks.”

As with any project, there are technical considerations to factor in based on your specific geographic location. Regardless of whether earthquakes are a concern, or freeze/thaw concerns, a pool coping can be a line of defense for keeping your decking and pool structure from cracking.

“Most of the time the coping is separate so it’s independent of the decking, which means the pool shell can move independently,” says Cohen, who lives in earthquake prone California. “One of the problems we have is when people don’t isolate the coping from the deck and it can actually cause the pool to crack. We like to see a soft silicone joint rather than cement grout so it can flex and move more.”

Glenn Harris is a world-renowned pool builder, and is part of America’s first licensed swimming pool building family, he says. He claims to have supervised over 35,000 pool builds, including the copings. He says, regardless of whether you use tile, concrete or stone, it’s critical to have an expansion joint between the coping and the decking.

Expansion Joints and Long-Term Performance

“The coping should cap the bond beam with an expansion joint between the deck and the coping so they are independent from each other. Otherwise, you can get cracking,” he says.

For Strickland and Colorado Hardscapes, one of their main objectives is to avoid water penetration.
“We have a lot of expansive soils in Colorado. The deck can heave and settle, primarily through winter during the freeze/thaw cycles,” Strickland says.

By creating separation between the coping and the decking, it allows for independent movement. They fill the seam between the two areas with an expansion board between 1/4- and 3/4 -inch thick and then apply Deck-O-Seal from W.R. Meadows Inc. over that to prevent water infiltration at the joint.

Choosing the Right Texture and Finish for Safety and Maintenance

When establishing what type of coping style and texture you want, it’s important to keep maintenance needs in mind. Stamped concrete or precast concrete tend to have the most required maintenance.

“With a stamped coping we recommend sealing once a year to maintain color. Stamped concrete also tends to be a little more slippery, so we add a traction grip every time we add sealer. For precast, you need to maintain the grout joints and patchy anything that is loose or falling out,” says Strickland.

Because the pools will be filled with water, most installers have found the average clients prefer more simple copings to avoid maintenance requirements.

“We used to do much more of the coloring and artistic stuff, but the customers didn’t like the maintenance,” says Kanter. “Now we don’t try to bring the stamp face to the coping. We kind of simplified it and everybody seems to be happy.”

For those looking for a more decorative element without the need for sealers, some outfits add different textures or specialized aggregates.

The Finishing Touch: Texture, Safety, and Comfort

“We’ve done a cast concrete coping where we’ve embedded it with sea shells and then polished it,” says Cohen.

“We prefer to use a finish called sandscape on our copings,” says Strickland. “It’s basically an exposed aggregate finish. We like that because it’s non-slip in every direction. It wears well so it looks the same for the life of the pool.”

However, Harris emphasized not over texturing the coping.

“There is a fine line on slip-resistance,” he says. “I think it’s important that the coping has a friendly surface. It needs to be slip-resistant but not catch on bathing suits or wear on fingers and toes.”

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