Polyurea is available in almost any RAL colour. For swimming pools, blue or natural shades that give the water an attractive look are most common, but light grey, sand and anthracite are also popular for a modern feel.
For roofs and terraces a lighter colour is often chosen because it absorbs less heat, or a shade that matches the house. The top layer can be finished matte or with a slight sheen.
Because the colour is part of the coating itself and not just a thin layer of paint, it stays attractive for years. Want a specific colour? Simply ask when you request your quote.
In practice the colour of the shell decides how your water looks. The pigment sits in the top layer itself, so the shade you choose is the shade you see through the water. A dark colour makes the pool look deeper, while a light colour shows leaves and deposits sooner.
We give a 5-year guarantee on the UV colour stability of the top layer. A gradual change in colour or gloss after years of sun counts as normal wear and falls outside it.
We do this ourselves on the Costa Blanca: polyurea pool waterproofing and roof and terrace waterproofing with polyurea
Where the colour sits: in the top layer, not in the membrane
The sprayed polyurea membrane itself is grey or black and is not there to look good. It is the watertight, elastic layer. That type of polyurea also discolours in the sun: it yellows at the surface without losing any strength.
The colour comes from the top layer that we apply over it in two coats. That layer is UV-stable and pigmented right through, so the colour is not a thin skin of paint but a layer in its own right. Polyurea is not a paint either: paint sits on a surface, this system forms the surface.
That is why the colour choice is the last step of the job. First the shell has to be watertight, then comes the colour. Each layer has its own task and we deliberately keep them apart.
The colour families chosen most often
We work with six colour families, each with a few set shades that work well in practice; blue appears below as a light and a dark row, because the water looks very different. The RAL numbers are the shades from our colour picker. The name of the colour says little; what you see through the water says everything.
| Colour family | How the water looks | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| White (RAL 9010, 9001) | Crystal-clear light blue to aqua blue | Classic pools, shows the floor best |
| Sand and beige (RAL 1001, 1014) | Light to warm turquoise, lagoon effect | Mediterranean villas, natural-stone edges |
| Light blue (RAL 5012, 5015) | Clear azure, the classic pool colour | Chosen most often, suits almost any setting |
| Dark blue (RAL 5009, 5003) | Deep, mirroring ocean blue | Modern architecture, optical depth |
| Turquoise (RAL 5018, 6034) | Caribbean turquoise | Holiday feel, tropical gardens |
| Green (RAL 6019, 6026) | Jade to deep green, spa feel | Natural gardens, a pond-like look |
| Grey (RAL 7035 and darker) | Clear light blue to steel blue, sleek | Modern pools; anthracite makes a mirror |
How the colour of the shell decides the colour of the water
Water itself has hardly any colour. What you see is the colour of the floor and walls, filtered through a layer of water that removes more red and yellow the deeper it gets, and so turns ever bluer, plus the reflection of the sky. A white shell therefore gives light blue water, a sand-coloured shell turquoise and a dark shell a deep, mirroring tone.
Depth plays a part. The same colour looks lighter in the shallow end than at two metres, and a pool with steps and a shelf shows that gradient beautifully. A narrow, deep pool does not become light with a light colour.
The surroundings count too. Many trees add a green cast, a white house a lighter reflection, an overcast day takes the sparkle off. That is why we always judge a colour on site and not only on a sample indoors.
Light or dark: what it means in practice
A light colour shows the floor best. You see a leaf, a child or an object straight away, and besides looking good that is safe. The downside: lime and salt deposits and a touch of algae show sooner, so a light pool asks for well-kept water chemistry.
A dark colour looks deeper and mirrors the garden and the sky. The water warms up sooner in spring and runs a few degrees warmer, which stretches the season. Against that, scratches, lime rings at the waterline and a speck on the floor are more visible, and the floor is harder to see in shade.
Between those two extremes lie sand, grey and turquoise, and it is no coincidence that most choices land there. They give the water colour without the drawbacks of the very light or the very dark pool.
A custom colour and the colour of your sample
If you want a specific shade, we can produce almost any colour from the RAL system. The top layer is tinted with pigment for that. A colour of your own is therefore no problem, but it is a choice you fix in advance, because one shell gets one batch of top layer.
A dry sample looks lighter than the colour under water. So always ask for a wet sample, or better still photos of an earlier pool in the same colour, with water in it. We are happy to show them.
The chosen colour is recorded on your guarantee certificate. If there is damage or an extension years later, we know exactly which shade is on it and can match it without guesswork.
Matte, satin and anti-slip
The top layer can be finished matte or with a slight satin sheen. Under water you hardly notice the difference; on the steps, the edge and a shelf above water you do. Satin reflects a little more and wipes clean more easily, matte is calmer and forgives small scratches.
Where you step out of the water, such as treads, a bench or a shallow shelf, we mix anti-slip grit into the top layer. That does not change the colour, but it does change the feel underfoot. It has to be done during application and cannot be added afterwards.
Colour for roofs and terraces
On a roof or terrace a different logic applies. A light colour reflects sunlight and keeps the roof and the room below noticeably cooler; that saves on air conditioning in summer. On a terrace you walk on barefoot, it is the difference between a floor that is warm and a floor you cannot stand on.
That is why we group terrace colours by heat absorption. Cream, ivory and light grey stay cool; terracotta, sienna and ochre get hot in full sun but suit many Spanish houses. Sand, taupe, stone grey and slate grey sit in between and hide dust and sand best.
In a community of owners or an apartment complex, what the neighbours and the rules allow counts as well. A neutral shade that ties in with the facade then causes the least discussion.
How the colour ages and what the guarantee covers
We give a five-year guarantee on the UV colour stability of the top layer. A slight, even change in shade or sheen after years of strong sun is normal ageing and comes with every outdoor material; patchy or local discolouration does not, and that is what we look at.
What is often taken for discolouration is something else: a lime or salt ring at the waterline, or a haze of algae after neglected maintenance. That sits on the colour, not in it, and comes off again with a soft sponge and a compatible cleaner.
If you want a different colour after years, or the sheen has gone, the top layer can be reapplied without replacing the membrane underneath. The waterproofing stays; only the colour is renewed.
How to choose
Start with how you want the water to look, not with the colour of the coating. Then look at the surroundings: the colour of the coping, the terrace, the facade and the garden. A colour that is beautiful on its own can suddenly clash next to orange natural stone.
On our quote page the colour picker shows roughly what the water becomes for each colour. If you are torn between two shades, the less extreme of the two is almost always the choice you will still be happy with in ten years.
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