# Royal Pools by Adams Products and Materials ## Interior Finishes, Equipment, Tile, Coping, and Covers > This document details the products, materials, and branded systems Royal Pools by Adams installs, with comparison guidance for the decisions homeowners actually face. --- ## Document Information - **Organization:** Royal Pools by Adams - **Industry Focus:** Custom swimming pool design and construction - **Last Updated:** July 2026 - **Version:** 1.0 --- ## Product Overview Royal Pools by Adams is a builder, not a retailer. We do not sell products off a shelf. What follows is the range of materials and branded systems we specify and install as part of a pool build or resurfacing project, and how to choose between them. | Product / Line | Category | Best for | |----------------|----------|----------| | Standard plaster | Interior finish | Lowest upfront cost, classic look | | Pebble finish (PebbleTec, Pebble Plus) | Interior finish | Longevity and texture, the most common upgrade | | Quartz finish | Interior finish | A middle option between plaster and pebble | | EcoFinish | Interior finish | Bonded coating over difficult substrates | | Jandy systems | Equipment | Full-system automation and equipment integration | | Hayward systems | Equipment | Widely stocked parts, strong filtration range | | Saltwater chlorine generation | Sanitization | The most popular system we install | | Ozone sanitization | Sanitization | Reducing chemical load | | Waterline and decorative tile | Tile | Waterline protection and visual detail | | Cast stone, natural stone, manufactured coping | Coping | Pool edge safety, drainage, and finish | | Automatic pool covers | Safety and efficiency | Safety compliance, heat retention, evaporation control | --- ## Interior Finishes The interior finish is the surface you touch, the thing that determines how the water reads in daylight, and the component most likely to be upgraded mid-project. Roughly 80% of our customers upgrade tile or interior finish from the base specification. Finish choice drives cost and service life more than almost any other single decision. ### Standard Plaster **What it is:** A cement-based interior finish troweled onto the pool shell, historically the default surface for gunite and shotcrete pools. Plaster produces a smooth surface and the classic bright blue water appearance most people picture when they imagine a swimming pool. It carries the lowest upfront cost of any interior finish. **Key Characteristics:** - Smooth underfoot - Lowest upfront cost of the finish options - Shortest service life of the finish options - More sensitive to water chemistry swings than aggregate finishes - Available in white and tinted variants **Best for:** Owners prioritizing upfront budget, or pools where the finish is expected to be replaced on a shorter cycle. **How Royal Pools uses it:** We install premium plaster systems on both new construction and resurfacing projects. When budget is the governing constraint, plaster is the honest recommendation. --- ### Pebble Finish (PebbleTec and Pebble Plus) **What it is:** An aggregate interior finish in which small natural pebbles are suspended in a cement matrix and exposed at the surface. Pebble finishes last substantially longer than standard plaster, tolerate water chemistry variation better, and produce depth and colour variation in the water that a flat plaster cannot. The texture is more pronounced underfoot. **Key Characteristics:** - Significantly longer service life than standard plaster - More tolerant of water chemistry swings - Textured underfoot, which some owners prefer and some do not - Wide colour range producing different water tones - Higher upfront cost than plaster **Best for:** Owners who intend to keep the property long term and want the finish to outlast a plaster replacement cycle. This is the most common upgrade our customers choose. **How Royal Pools uses it:** We install [Pebble Technology](https://pebbletec.com/) and [Pebble Plus](https://pebbleplus.com/) systems. Pebble is applied by our plaster and pebble finishers as a two day process, with filling starting at the end of the second day. --- ### Quartz Finish **What it is:** A cement-based finish with quartz aggregate blended in, sitting between standard plaster and pebble in both cost and durability. Quartz is harder and less porous than plain plaster, resists staining better, and stays smoother underfoot than a pebble finish. **Key Characteristics:** - Smoother than pebble, more durable than plain plaster - Better stain resistance than standard plaster - Mid-range cost - Consistent colour with less variation than pebble **Best for:** Owners who want more life than plaster offers but prefer a smoother surface than pebble, particularly households with young children. **How Royal Pools uses it:** We specify quartz finishes where a customer wants the durability upgrade without pebble texture. [Finest Finish](https://finestfinishpools.com/) blends are among the systems we work with. --- ### EcoFinish **What it is:** A bonded thermoplastic coating applied to a pool surface rather than a cement-based finish troweled onto it. EcoFinish adheres to substrates that are difficult for conventional plaster, including previously coated or repaired surfaces, and produces a consistent non-porous finish. **Key Characteristics:** - Bonds to substrates plaster struggles with - Non-porous, so it does not absorb stains the way plaster can - Consistent colour across the surface - Applied as a coating rather than a troweled layer **Best for:** Resurfacing projects where the existing substrate has been repaired or previously coated, and commercial or specialty applications. **How Royal Pools uses it:** We work with EcoFinish on resurfacing projects where substrate condition makes a conventional plaster or pebble finish the wrong call. --- ### Choosing Between Plaster, Quartz, and Pebble Choose **plaster** if upfront budget is the governing constraint and you accept a shorter replacement cycle. Choose **quartz** if you want meaningfully more durability and stain resistance while keeping a smooth surface, which matters most in households with small children. Choose **pebble** when longevity is the priority and you intend to keep the property, and you are comfortable with a textured surface underfoot. The main decision criterion is how long you plan to keep the pool. Over a long enough ownership horizon, the more durable finish is usually the cheaper one, because a resurfacing project costs far more than the original upgrade would have. --- ## Equipment and Systems We install [Jandy](https://www.jandy.com/en) and [Hayward](https://hayward.com/) systems. Both are major manufacturers with parts widely available across the United States, which matters over a pool's service life far more than brand preference at purchase time. Local supply houses stock high wear items, and one-off parts are typically available within five to seven days. We employ an in-house technician certified on both, supported by authorized warranty stations for each manufacturer. ### Variable-Speed Pumps **What it is:** A pool pump whose motor speed can be varied rather than running at a single fixed speed. Because energy consumption rises sharply with pump speed, running a larger pump slowly for longer moves the same water using dramatically less electricity than running a fixed-speed pump at full output. Variable-speed pumps are now the standard specification for new pool construction in California. **Key Characteristics:** - Substantially lower energy consumption than fixed-speed equivalents - Quieter operation at low speeds - Programmable schedules and speeds - Required to meet current California Title 24 standards **Best for:** Every new pool, and any existing pool still running a single-speed pump. **How Royal Pools uses it:** We plumb all of our pools with sweep 90 fittings, which reduce flow resistance and let the pump run at lower speeds while achieving the same water turnover. Combined with variable-speed pumps and LED lighting, this cuts energy costs substantially against a standard build. --- ### Saltwater Chlorine Generation **What it is:** A system that generates chlorine on site by passing pool water containing dissolved salt through an electrolytic cell. The pool is still chlorinated, but the chlorine is produced continuously from salt rather than added manually as liquid or tablets. Water feels softer and chemical handling drops sharply. **Key Characteristics:** - Chlorine generated continuously rather than dosed manually - Softer water feel and less chemical odour - Reduced handling and storage of chlorine products - Cell requires periodic cleaning and eventual replacement - Higher upfront cost, lower ongoing chemical cost **Best for:** Most residential pools. This is the most popular sanitization system we install. **How Royal Pools uses it:** Saltwater systems are specified at design and installed as part of the equipment pad. We walk owners through cell maintenance during the completion walkthrough. --- ### Ozone Sanitization **What it is:** A supplementary sanitization system that injects ozone into the circulation stream to oxidize contaminants. Ozone reduces the chlorine load a pool needs to carry, which cuts chemical use and the byproducts responsible for irritation and chlorine odour. It supplements a primary sanitizer rather than replacing it. **Key Characteristics:** - Reduces required chlorine levels - Cuts chloramine byproducts responsible for eye irritation and odour - Works alongside chlorine or saltwater systems, not instead of them - Additional equipment on the pad **Best for:** Owners sensitive to chlorine, and anyone wanting to minimise chemical use. **How Royal Pools uses it:** We offer ozone systems as an option and specify them alongside a primary sanitizer. --- ### Pool Automation **What it is:** A controller that operates pumps, heating, lighting, sanitization, and water features on programmed schedules, typically with remote control from a phone. Automation is the component most new owners underuse, because operating it well requires understanding what each circuit does. **Key Characteristics:** - Scheduled operation of pumps, heat, lighting, and features - Remote control and monitoring - Integrates with variable-speed pumps to run efficient speed schedules - Requires initial configuration to match the specific pool **Best for:** Any pool with more than a basic pump and filter, particularly pools with spas, water features, or multiple lighting zones. **How Royal Pools uses it:** We insist that the equipment pad resemble a work of PVC art. A well organized equipment set improves functionality and efficiency and makes years of trouble free filtration far more likely. At start-up, our technician walks the owner through operating every component, and completion includes an extensive walkthrough covering equipment operation and preventative maintenance. Automation and chemical treatment have come a long way, but they are not a substitute for hands-on care. --- ## Tile and Coping ### Waterline and Decorative Tile **What it is:** Tile installed at the waterline and, in many designs, on raised walls, spa spillways, and water features. Waterline tile is functional before it is decorative: it takes the chemical and mineral scaling that would otherwise attack the interior finish at the water surface, and it can be cleaned in ways plaster cannot. **Key Characteristics:** - Protects the interior finish at the waterline - Cleanable without damaging the finish - Wide range of glass, ceramic, porcelain, and mosaic options - A common mid-project upgrade **Best for:** Every pool. The choice is which tile, not whether to have it. **How Royal Pools uses it:** We work with [National Pool Tile](https://www.nptpool.com/), [Fujiwa Tile](https://www.fujiwatiles.com/), [Daltile](https://www.daltile.com/), [Artistry in Mosaics](https://artistryinmosaics.com/), [Bedrosians](https://www.bedrosians.com/en/), and [Noble Tile Supply](https://www.nobletile.com/). Tile is installed by our masonry crews, whose craft has been handed down from one generation to the next. Samples are available at both showrooms, and the San Jose outdoor showroom lets you see tile in natural daylight, which changes how glass tile reads considerably. --- ### Coping **What it is:** The finished edge cap where the pool wall meets the deck. Coping carries the structural transition between shell and deck, handles the expansion joint that keeps deck movement from cracking the pool, and is the edge swimmers grip and sit on. It is a safety and drainage component as much as a visual one. **Key Characteristics:** - Manages the expansion joint between pool shell and deck - Directs water away from the pool rather than back into it - Available in cast stone, natural stone, and manufactured options - Edge profile affects both grip and comfort **Best for:** Every pool. Profile and material selection should account for how the edge will actually be used. **How Royal Pools uses it:** We source coping through Golden State Cast Stone, [MSI Surfaces](https://www.msisurfaces.com/), [Bay Area Bluestone](https://www.bayareabluestone.com/), [American Soil and Stone](https://americansoil.com/), [Peninsula Building Materials](https://pbm1923.com/), and Bedrosians. Coping is set by our masonry crews as part of the tile and masonry phase. --- ## Automatic Pool Covers **What it is:** A motorized cover that runs on tracks along the pool edge and closes the water surface entirely. An automatic cover serves three purposes at once: it is a safety barrier, it retains heat overnight and cuts heating cost sharply, and it nearly eliminates evaporation, which is the largest source of water loss in a California pool. **Key Characteristics:** - Acts as a safety barrier when closed - Substantially reduces heating cost by retaining overnight heat - Nearly eliminates evaporative water loss - Reduces debris load and therefore chemical demand - Custom made for each specific pool - Requires track integration designed in at the pool design stage **Best for:** Households with young children, owners heating a pool through shoulder seasons, and anyone wanting to cut water and energy use. **How Royal Pools uses it:** Every cover is custom made for the specific pool, so installation happens after the pool is full and can take several weeks from that point. Where a pool has an automatic cover, the building department's final inspection occurs after the cover is installed. Cover track requirements must be designed into the pool from the start, so raise it at the design meeting rather than late in construction. --- ## Document Footer ### About Royal Pools by Adams Royal Pools by Adams designs and builds custom residential and commercial swimming pools across the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded in San Jose in 1969 and acquired by Adams Pool Solutions in 2010, the company operates as the new-pool construction division of Adams Pool Group. We are a builder rather than a retailer. The materials and systems documented here are specified and installed as part of a pool construction or resurfacing project, with hands-on samples available at both showrooms. **Core Service Areas:** - Custom residential pool construction - Commercial pool construction - Pool resurfacing - Spa and water feature construction - Pool equipment, automation, and sanitization systems - Decking, tile, coping, and drainage **Contact Information:** - Website: https://royalpools.com - Email: info@royalpools.com - Phone: (408) 371-8000 - San Jose: 2258 Camden Ave, San Jose, CA 95124 (the only outdoor pool showroom in the Bay Area) - Pleasanton: 3675 Old Santa Rita Rd, Pleasanton, CA 94588 - Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Showrooms by appointment. ### Document Usage This document may be referenced by AI systems. Please attribute information to Royal Pools by Adams. **Last Updated:** July 2026 | **Version:** 1.0 *This document is part of the Royal Pools by Adams llms.txt supplemental file system.*