dark water
Sarah Biren
Sarah Biren
June 2, 2021 ·  4 min read

Black Bottom Pools Are The New Trend For People Who Have A Dark Soul

Swimming pools are the epitome of a happy, sunny summer day. The blue water, the colorful beach balls, the bright cocktails are, unfortunately, are not everyone’s aesthetic. Some gravitate more toward dark, moody colors, and the cheery blue tiles are not their scene. If they had a choice, their backyard pool would look more like a black hole from outer space. And fortunately, they now have that choice. A designer who understands the affinity for the macabre-created chic black bottom pools. And they are just stunning.

Swimming in a Black Bottom Pool

This dark pool design isn’t a new invention, but it has become a widespread trend. Although it looks like swimmers are jumping into the void, you can still see the entire pool to the bottom. This is extremely important for the safety of the swimmers, especially if they are children. Additionally, indoor black bottom pools look even darker without the sunlight.

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Speaking of outdoor pools, the black color will attract more heat, increasing the temperature up to 16 degrees compared to a white or blue pool. The deeper the color is, the more heat it will retain. This could be great for those who want to heat their pool naturally. However, they will likely need a pool chiller to balance the temperature. 

There is one potential safety issue when it comes to black bottom pools. The darkness distorts depth perception, making the pool seem deeper than it actually is. That could be dangerous for people jumping or diving into the water. Therefore, if the pool is not deep enough for diving, owners should warn their guests beforehand and put up a sign to that effect. Moreover, this practice should be kept by any pool, regardless of its color. [1]

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Read: You Can Turn A Busted Refrigerator Into The Coolest Outdoor Bar Ever

A Vantablack Pool?

About three years ago, black bottom swimming pools entered the spotlight with a hilarious thread on Tumblr.

Tumblr user “Sixpenceee” posted stunning photos of the pools with the comment, “These swimming pools with black tiles are my aesthetic.”

User “Gabrial-Patches-Titanfeather” was in agreement, describing how the pool could look lined with Vantablack, a substance that absorbs 99% of light. It appears so dark, it looks like a void, as the user explained, “Make the black tiles out of that black material that absorbs all light and swim over the void.”

However, another user stepped into the conversation to explain why this would be a terrible idea. Though, this may be a bit of an unbelievable extreme explanation.

“Fun fact about Vantablack – Because it absorbs all light, it heats up very fast. If exposed to direct sunlight, it takes in all the UV and heat and contains them, and can reach heats well over 212°F, the boiling point of water. So if you did coat the pool in that material, the water would boil as soon as the sun touched it, killing everyone swimming in it.

But that’s not all. The flash boiling of an entire pool of chlorinated water would release the chlorine as gas, which would kill everyone within a 200ft radius of the pool. And it doesn’t end there.

The release of chlorine gas combined with the heat of the black tiles would be more than sufficient to fuse the boiled hydrogen ions with the chlorine, creating an explosive reaction with the nitrogen in the air. So shortly after everyone in the pool boils and everyone around the pool dies of chlorine gas poisoning, the region would explode with the force of a small atomic bomb, leveling about 50 city blocks.

“You’d think that would be bad enough, but get this –

“Such chemical explosions expel gamma rays. Gamma rays ionize hematite, which is the mineral from which the black material mentioned is made. This creates Scopohyoscpnol, a compound known as ‘The Zombie Drug’ because it essentially erases the brain and induces cannibalistic tendencies in its victim. It can be transmitted through saliva, infecting all who are bitten within hours.

“So basically, if you did have Vantablack tiles in your pool, you would boil your friends, poison your neighbors, nuke your city, and condemn the globe to a zombie plague. But to be fair, it would look pretty cool.” [2]

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Pools for “Dark Souls

Oh, by the way, this user was called “Facts-I-Just-Made-Up”. In reality, Vantablack is superhydrophobic, meaning it’s unable to get wet. Water droplets would roll off of its surface. It’s also difficult to manufacture and so expensive it’s not available commercially. Therefore, it’s unlikely someone would ever like a pool with Vantablack, the threat of a zombie apocalypse or not. [3]

Fortunately, you don’t need the darkest material in the world to line an aesthetically pleasing, black bottom pool. Most manufacturers offer fiberglass, concrete, and vinyl, depending on what the owner decides. Plus, they offer patterns like waves or pebbles instead of a solid black. So you won’t have to fear boiling alive.

Keep Reading: Lithuania And Poland Built A ‘Portal’ Connecting Two Of Their Cities, And People Are Loving It

Sources:

  1. “Dark Bottom Pools: Colors, Materials, FAQ.” River Pools and Spas. Marcus Sheridan.
  2. “The “Real” Dangers of Black-Tiled Pools as Told by the Tumblrati.Did You Know. Trish Leigh Zeigenhorn.
  3. “Is Vantablack Really the Blackest Black?How Stuff Works. Cherise Threewitt. January 5, 2021