Have you always been fascinated with mosaic tile design for swimming pools? Let this article help you understand what it is and how it is done, and ultimately help you decide if it is best for your pool.

A mosaic is an ancient art form, used since the 4th century BC. Bits of colored glass or stone are glued to a surface to create a larger image. Mosaics can be thought of as large puzzles composed of thousands of pieces. They take months or even years to complete, depending on the complexity of the image. Mosaics reached the height of their popularity during the era of the Byzantine Empire, and became the main form of interior design for Christian cathedrals. A famous cathedral that used mosaics is St. Mark's cathedral in Venice. Both the exterior and interior of the cathedral were covered with mosaics.

Due to its great popularity, the Islamic culture soon adopted this method and used mosaic designs for their architecture. Unlike Christian designs which used mosaics to present images of Christ or the saints, Islam architects used mosaics to created intricate geometric images. Some of these Islamic mosaic designs are still intact and can be seen in Spain.

Despite its difficulty, this method is still used by some architects. Modern day mosaics can be seen in buildings around the world. These include the Museum of Natural History station of the New York subway and Park Güel in Barcelona.  Aside from being used for interior design, home owners have used mosaic tile designs for their swimming pools. These mosaic tile designs for swimming pools are beautiful and stylish.   

The most popular designs for swimming pool tiles are dolphins, coral reefs, turtles, sea horses, and other marine animals. These are not as intricate as early Christian mosaic designs. These mosaic tile designs for swimming pools are usually composed of about 200 tiles, far fewer than the thousands used in early mosaics. Unlike Christian mosaics, which used an ancient adhesive to affix tiles, modern day swimming pool tiles are attached with cement and plaster. These also protect them and keep them in place while submerged in the water. Their colors are pleasing to the eye and will not intensify the glare from the sun on a sunny day. These tiles are about three-eighths of an inch think and their size varies depending on their place in the image. These designs for swimming pool tiles are beautiful and functional.