What is pool coping?
Pool coping is the row of stone that runs along the top of the pool wall, between the water and the deck. It finishes the edge of the pool shell, gives swimmers a place to sit or hold on, and frames the water. Travertine coping is usually paired with travertine pavers on the deck, so the edge and the surrounding floor read as one surface. The coping pieces are cut with a shaped front edge on the water side, while the back edge meets the deck.
Bullnose, double bullnose and modern edges
Travertine pool coping comes in four edge profiles: bullnose, double bullnose, modern edge, and round top and bottom. A bullnose edge is rounded over on the waterside, the classic coping profile that is comfortable to sit on and easy on hands and feet, and it comes on most of the range in 12x12, 12x24, 16x24, 6x12 and 4x12. A double bullnose carries the rounding further down the face for a softer edge, in 16x24 at both 3 cm and 5 cm. A modern edge keeps a crisper, squarer profile in 12x24, 14x24 and 16x24 for a contemporary pool, made at 5 cm, and a round top and bottom edge comes in Silver at 5 cm, which suits a raised wall seen from the side.
3 cm or 5 cm thick coping
Travertine coping comes in two thicknesses. The 3 cm coping, 1 1/4 inch, matches the 1 1/4 inch thickness of standard travertine pavers. The 5 cm coping, 2 inch, is heavier and shows a thicker edge from the water, which gives the pool a more substantial, built-up look, especially with a bullnose or double bullnose profile. Most colors come in both thicknesses with a bullnose edge, while the modern edge and round top and bottom profiles are made at 5 cm only and Chiaro comes at 3 cm only.
Tumbled or honed travertine
Most travertine coping is tumbled, which softens the edges and corners and gives the stone an aged, rustic surface that suits a Mediterranean or classic pool. Honed coping has a smooth, matte face, and on these pieces the natural holes of the travertine are left open instead of filled. Honed coping comes in Ivory, Silver, Walnut, Mocha Noce and Scabos, and it suits a cleaner, more modern pool deck.
Travertine coping colors
Travertine coping colors run from light to dark. Ivory, Latte, Chiaro and Country Classic are the light, warm creams and beiges that stay cooler in full sun. Silver is a cool gray that suits a modern pool with gray or white surroundings. Walnut, Noce and Mocha Noce are the browns, warm and earthy, and Scabos blends cream, gold and rust tones for a more varied edge. The coping is usually chosen in the same color as the deck pavers, or a shade darker to outline the pool.
Matching coping and pavers
Travertine coping and travertine pavers in the same color give a pool deck one continuous stone. Many of the coping colors have matching pieces in the travertine pavers collection. Coping in marble, limestone, porcelain and bluestone is in the full pool coping range.
