Tiling a swimming pool
Pools are hostile environments for tile due to constant water immersion, chemical exposure, and freeze-thaw cycles. Correct estimation and proper material selection are critical.
Waterline tile
A waterline tile band is installed at the top edge of the pool to protect the plaster finish from the sun and make it easier to clean the "bathtub ring" of body oils and sunscreen that floats on the surface. The standard waterline band is 6 inches tall (0.5 feet). To calculate, simply multiply your pool perimeter by 0.5 to get the square footage.
Fully tiled pools
Fully tiling a pool is a luxury finish that lasts longer than plaster but requires significantly more material. The calculator estimates the total surface area by treating the pool as an open box: (width × length) + (perimeter × average depth). Note that freeform pools and curved bottoms make this an estimate rather than an exact geometric calculation.
Material requirements
You cannot use standard bathroom tile in a pool. You must use pool-rated tile (usually porcelain or glass) that is impervious to water. Grout must be epoxy or high-performance cementitious grout designed for continuous submersion. Standard thinset mortar will fail; use a highly modified thinset specifically rated for submerged applications.