The Finish That Changes Everything.
The interior finish covers more visible surface area than almost anything else in your swimming pool. It influences the color of the water, the texture beneath your feet, the overall character of the pool, and how the finished design works with the rest of your backyard. Payne Pool Professionals helps Florida homeowners explore pool plaster, aggregate, pebble, and quartz finish options for new gunite pools and existing pool remodeling projects.
Your Pool Finish Does More Than Cover the Concrete.
The interior surface of a gunite swimming pool creates the finished barrier between the pool structure and the water. But that's only part of its job. Your finish can influence water color and appearance, surface texture, visual depth, overall pool style, how the pool complements surrounding materials, long-term maintenance considerations, and the character of the entire backyard.
That's why the finish shouldn't be treated as the last box to check before construction begins. It should be part of the design.
Explore the PebbleTec Family of Pool Finishes.
Payne Pool Professionals offers available finishes from the PebbleTec family of pool products, giving homeowners several different approaches to color, texture, and overall appearance.
The right choice isn't simply about which sample looks best sitting on a table. Different finishes can produce very different results once they're underwater, exposed to Florida sunlight, and surrounded by the tile, coping, decking, landscaping, and architecture of your home.
A more refined pebble texture.
PebbleSheen uses smaller natural pebbles to create a smoother, more refined exposed aggregate finish while retaining the visual character associated with pebble surfaces. It's a popular option for homeowners who like the appearance of aggregate but prefer a finer texture. Different color selections can produce everything from bright tropical water to deeper, more dramatic tones.
The original pebble pool finish.
PebbleTec uses natural pebbles to create a distinctive exposed aggregate swimming pool surface. Its textured appearance works particularly well for homeowners looking for a natural, resort-inspired pool environment. Available colors can create water appearances ranging from lighter blues to deeper blue and green tones depending on the finish, pool depth, lighting, and surrounding environment.
Quartz color and texture with a refined appearance.
PebbleQuartz combines quartz aggregate with the interior finish to create a surface offering color variation, visual depth, and a different texture from traditional plaster or exposed pebble. It's another option for homeowners looking to move beyond a basic plaster finish while maintaining a refined pool appearance.
You're Not Just Choosing a Finish. You're Choosing the Water.
This is one of the most misunderstood parts of selecting a pool interior. The finish color contributes to the appearance of the water, but the sample color isn't necessarily the color your finished pool water will appear.
Water appearance can be influenced by:
- Interior finish color
- Pool depth
- Amount of sunlight
- Time of day
- Cloud cover
- Surrounding landscaping
- Nearby structures
- Decking and coping colors
- Sky reflection
- Water chemistry
A light finish can help create a bright, clear appearance. Medium and darker finishes can create richer blues, deeper tones, or more natural-looking water. The same finish can even appear different in two separate backyards. That's why looking at completed pools can be much more useful than relying on a small material sample alone.
Explore Finish ColorsSmooth, Refined or Natural?
Appearance isn't the only thing to consider. You'll also interact physically with the pool finish every time you swim. Traditional plaster tends to provide a smoother surface. Refined aggregate finishes can offer a balance between smoothness and visual texture. Exposed pebble finishes create a more pronounced natural texture.
There isn't one surface that's automatically right for everyone. Think about:
- How the pool will be used
- Surface feel
- Children and family use
- Steps and benches
- Tanning ledges
- Desired appearance
- Maintenance expectations
- Overall backyard style
Payne can help you compare finish options based on more than a photograph.
Design the Finish Into Your New Pool.
For a new custom gunite pool, interior finish selection is part of the overall design process. The finish should work with the shape of the pool, waterline tile, coping, decking, home, landscaping, and other backyard features.
A modern geometric pool may call for an entirely different finish palette than a natural freeform design surrounded by stone and tropical landscaping. Thinking about these materials together creates a more cohesive finished project.
Explore Custom Gunite PoolsGive an Existing Pool an Entirely New Look.
An aging pool doesn't necessarily need to be rebuilt to look dramatically different. Replacing the interior surface can change the color, texture, and overall appearance of an existing gunite swimming pool. Signs that it may be time to evaluate your pool surface can include:
- Visible surface deterioration
- Rough or uncomfortable areas
- Staining or discoloration
- Cracking that requires evaluation
- An outdated finish
- A planned larger renovation
A replastering project can also be combined with new waterline tile, coping, decking, lighting, equipment, and other improvements.
Explore Pool Remodeling & ReplasteringDon't Choose the Interior in Isolation.
The best material selections work together. Your interior finish meets the waterline tile. The tile meets the coping. The coping transitions into the deck. Those materials also sit beside your home, landscaping, outdoor living areas, and other backyard features. Instead of treating each choice as a separate decision, Payne helps homeowners think about the complete material palette.
Interior Finish
Establishes much of the water color and underwater character.
Waterline Tile
Creates contrast or continuity between the water and pool edge.
Coping
Frames the pool and helps transition the structure into the surrounding deck.
Decking
Connects the swimming pool with the rest of the outdoor environment.
See the Finish Where It Actually Matters.
A two-inch material sample can only tell you so much. Seeing finishes installed in completed swimming pools provides better context for understanding water color, texture, depth, and how different materials work together.
Pool Finishes for Florida Backyards.
Payne Pool Professionals provides pool finish selection and installation as part of eligible new pool construction and remodeling projects across multiple Florida markets. Product and finish availability can vary by market and individual project.
Florida Gulf Coast
Explore pool construction and remodeling services through Payne's Gulf Coast team.
Florida Gulf CoastGreater Orlando
Pool finishes for new gunite construction and eligible pool remodeling projects throughout Greater Orlando.
OrlandoTampa Bay
Explore available pool construction, remodeling, and finish options throughout Tampa Bay.
TampaJacksonville
Pool construction and remodeling options throughout Jacksonville and Northeast Florida.
JacksonvilleQuestions About Swimming Pool Finishes
There isn't one pool finish that's best for every homeowner. The right choice depends on the desired appearance, texture, budget, pool design, maintenance considerations, and other project requirements. Payne can help homeowners compare plaster, quartz, and pebble-based finish options.
Traditional pool plaster creates a relatively smooth interior surface. Pebble finishes incorporate exposed aggregate to produce more texture and a natural appearance. Different products can also vary in aggregate size, color, and surface characteristics.
PebbleTec is a family of aggregate swimming pool finishes. Available product lines include PebbleTec, PebbleSheen, and PebbleQuartz, each offering different surface characteristics and visual styles.
Both are aggregate pool finishes. PebbleSheen uses smaller pebbles to create a more refined texture, while the original PebbleTec finish has a more pronounced exposed aggregate appearance.
Yes, the interior finish influences how pool water appears. However, water color is also affected by pool depth, sunlight, sky reflection, landscaping, surrounding materials, weather conditions, and other environmental factors.
Yes. Replastering provides an opportunity to select a new interior finish and can significantly change the appearance of an existing swimming pool.
Visible deterioration, rough areas, persistent staining, discoloration, surface damage, or an aging interior can indicate that the pool surface should be professionally evaluated.
Yes. Waterline tile is commonly evaluated during a larger pool remodeling or replastering project and can be replaced when appropriate.
Payne offers available PebbleTec family finish options for eligible projects in its Florida service markets. Specific products, colors, and availability can vary by regional operation and project.
Plaster and aggregate interior finishes are primarily associated with concrete and gunite swimming pools. Fiberglass pools use a manufactured gelcoat surface, while vinyl liner pools use a fitted vinyl interior liner.
See What the Right Surface Can Do for Your Pool.
Whether you're designing a new gunite swimming pool or giving an existing pool a completely new appearance, the interior finish is one decision you'll see every time you walk into the backyard. Explore colors, textures, and finish options with Payne Pool Professionals and find the surface that brings your pool design together.
Explore Your Pool Finish Options