Swimming Pool Coping Solutions

Coping Types

• Four different types of coping are available for in-ground swimming pools. Bull-nose pool coping is made of cast stone or concrete, has a flat top and a rounded edge. Cantilevered coping has a flat surface and a 90-degree angle for pool edges. Rolled edge and rough-cut coping are two other types of pool coping, with each having its own stone or concrete feel. Rolled edge pool coping offers rounded edges for swimmer grasp.

Coping Materials

• An in-ground swimming pool's coping material should complement and coordinate with the pool's basin and its surrounding decking. There are three major materials used in pool coping; concrete, stone and pavers. Pool coping pavers themselves come in a variety of styles that include brick, slate and flagstone. Typically, paver pool coping is sealed to preserve its finish once it's installed around a swimming pool. Stone pool coping is ground smooth for comfort and imparts a high-end look to any swimming pool.

Bull-Nose Coping

• The Adams Pool Specialty website says that bull-nose pool coping is the most popular coping used for swimming pools in the 21st century. Bull-nose pool coping can even be made of brick or steel in addition to cast stone (concrete) or stone such as granite or marble. It has a rounded edge that moves down and toward the pool's water surface. Thousands of different color varieties are possible when it is made of cast stone.

Considerations

• Precast concrete pool coping offers a great deal of variety at lower cost than its poured concrete or natural stone cousins. Precast concrete pool coping is easier to install than natural stone coping. Natural stone pool coping is durable but it's also pricey. Poured concrete pool coping is seamless along pool decking edges. In 2011, removal and replacement of old coping with precast coping costs about $25 per liner foot. Custom-cut stone pool coping costs $30 or more per linear foot.