Dark vs. Light Bottom Pools in Northern Virginia: What to Know Before You Choose

Swimming pool designs have evolved in so many different ways over the years. One thing that means for you is that you have more choices than ever. You can create a pool that fits your exact wants and needs. However, it also means that you have a lot of decisions to make—and that can feel daunting.

One of those decisions is the pool bottom color.

You might be thinking that the only choice is “blue” or at least some variation of blue. That’s no longer the case. Today, there is a wide variety of pool bottom colors ranging from light to dark shades, and your choice has a major impact on the final look of your Northern Virginia swimming pool.

While many decisions come down to personal preference, we can offer some advice to help you narrow down the option of a dark vs. light pool bottom.

When your swimming pool is finished, you want to feel confident that you’ve made the wisest choice. 

Considering Pool Bottom Colors: Why Swimming Pools Look Blue

Whether you’re beginning your swimming pool design and build journey or already in the process, you might be shocked by just how many decisions are involved in adding a swimming pool.

This is especially true with a custom gunite pool where you aren’t limited in any way.

But the pool bottom color might have seemed like the simplest decision. You just want blue, right? Well, it’s not quite that simple. 

First and foremost, you should know that there is science behind the reason that swimming pools always look blue, even when the bottom is white.

That has to do with the fact that with a larger volume of water, like a swimming pool, water molecules slightly absorb sunlight. While sunlight is made up of all the colors of the spectrum, water absorbs more light from the red end of the spectrum, leaving the blue wavelengths to be reflected, creating the blue appearance we see.

Swimming pool designers capitalize on the already-blue look of the water with blue tile and plaster.

But even within that “blue” spectrum, there is so much variety. Do you want a pool bottom color that is aqua or such light blue that it resembles the waters of a tropical beach? Or, do you want such a deep and dark shade of blue—or even black—that it looks like a lake?

While some Northern Virginia homeowners know immediately what they want, others really have trouble making that decision. The way pool water color changes based on your pool bottom can be surprisingly dramatic, so it’s important to choose carefully. Nobody wants to second-guess their decision once the pool is done. Taking the time to weigh your options now helps ensure you’ll be happy with the result for years to come. At Rock Water Farm, we help homeowners make these decisions with confidence from the start.  

Dark vs. Light Bottom Pool Colors in Northern Virginia

As with any choice that you make for your Northern Virginia swimming pool, there are different factors to consider.

In the decision between a dark vs. light bottom pool, one of the biggest considerations is the surrounding space. Ultimately, you want your new swimming pool to fit seamlessly into your existing landscape. 

One of the best examples that we can provide is this Warrenton, VA swimming pool, which was designed and built using black plaster that better fits the countryside landscape around it. A pool with bright turquoise blue waters that looked like it had tropical flair just would not have fit the rural scenery.
 
When you choose a darker pool finish, it looks more like a natural lagoon or a lake, and that might fit better with your surroundings.

Of course, dark bottom pools also have quite a bit of variation in terms of how dark you go. Perhaps you aren’t going for a lagoon-style look, but you just don’t want something too light. Many deeper shades of blue might give you that more sophisticated look that you want to achieve. 

 Homeowners in Northern Virginia with dark bottom pools have also said that their pool seems to stay warm a little bit longer since the darker color absorbs more sunlight (and retains more heat). While we would not advise this to be the reason that you choose a dark bottom, it might be an added benefit.

When considering the surrounding area, for many homeowners, a light-bottom pool makes sense. Lighter-bottomed pools have a crisp, clean, and refreshing look to them that might fit right in with the entire “look and feel” that you are trying to create in your backyard living area.

Light-bottomed swimming pool designs have that inviting feel on a hot summer day and can definitely exude more of a “tropical feel” than dark-bottom pools. Ultimately, there is a “feeling” or experience that comes from spending time at your swimming pool. You’ll want to consider what you’re aiming to achieve when choosing your pool bottom color. 

Additional Factors That Affect Pool Bottom Colors 

Of course, it’s not just the pool construction materials that ultimately impact your pool bottom color. You might be surprised by the way in which other factors (some in your control and others not) also come into play.

One major factor is the amount of sunlight your pool receives on any given day. You’ll quickly notice that your pool looks different on a bright and sunny day than it does on a cloudy day, when your pool isn’t getting much sun. 

While the weather in Northern Virginia is out of your control and shouldn’t necessarily be a consideration, you may want to think about what structures or objects are in your yard that could shade your pool and impact its color.

Pools in heavily shaded areas will naturally look darker, which is an important factor to keep in mind when choosing your pool bottom color. 

The depth of your pool will also impact its color. The deeper that your pool is, the darker (or deeper) the color will be. This is also why a pool color looks different in the deep versus the shallow end.

The flow of the water can also impact its color. If you have pool features like fountains, jets, or waterfalls, the color might appear more vivid in these areas, with variation in the overall pool color. 

Create Your Perfect Pool in Northern Virginia

At the end of the day, the pool bottom color is just one of many choices that you’ll make for your swimming pool design. By choosing a custom gunite pool, you can think outside of the box and create something truly your own. Everything from the color to the style, shape, depth, and so much more is all up to you.

With so many decisions to make, we have written a comprehensive swimming pool planning guide that addresses other factors you’ll need to consider (and facts you should know) as you begin the process of bringing your custom swimming pool to life. It may seem like a lot, but it’s also a really exciting time and one that should be fun for you.

As far as pool bottom colors go, hopefully, this article has given you some considerations to keep in mind as you weigh the choices of dark bottom pools vs light bottom pools.

We understand it’s a big choice and that you might have more questions. If there is anything else that we can answer, we’re always here to help.

As you move closer and closer to making your pool dreams a reality, we are available to be your guide. With a knowledgeable swimming pool designer leading your pool creation experience, you’ll be able to feel confident that your dream will come to fruition exactly as you’ve dreamed—or perhaps even better. 

Plan Your Dream Pool in Northern Virginia with Rock Water Farm

If you’d like to get started on planning a dream pool for your Gainesville, Haymarket, or Bristow, VA property, the experts at Rock Water Farm are here to assist. Whether you know exactly what color you want for your pool or are still exploring your options, choose a solution that rocks, and then get ready to enjoy your property to the fullest. Contact Rock Water Farm today to get started!