Through the Looking Glass

Glass bead pool finishes have been around for nearly 15 years. When they were first introduced to the market, the glass in the finish was perfectly round and looked like colored BB’s. The early manufacturers combined glass bead with standard pool finish ingredients; white portland cement, dyes, and additives. As you can imagine, the combination of perfectly round glass and cement didn’t create a tight bond. While the finishes were beautiful, smooth and shiny, they didn’t hold up for very long and consumers were left with a very expensive mess. The beads would fall out, and the cement/plaster would begin to chip away.

Over the years, manufacturers tested different formulas and eventually found that using an irregular shaped glass bead led to a stronger bond. In our R&D department at CL Industries, we tested the original round glass bead as well as the irregular bead. We were not thrilled with the results, and decided not to release a glass bead finish until we found a formula combination that exceeded our quality control standards.

Recently, we were informed that some other manufacturers were having some success mixing the irregular shaped glass bead with other aggregates. We decided it was time to head back in to R&D. We sourced a suitable supplier for a high quality irregular glass bead and began testing different aggregate and glass bead blends. After several formula mixes failed testing by our CL Industries’ test applicator, we found one that worked. We combined our Sunstone Pearl pebble finish with irregular shaped, iridescent glass bead. After finding the right ratio of pebble to glass bead, we’re happy to announce we have a new product!

Sunstone Pearl Ice combines the durability, stain resistance, and longevity of our pebble finishes with the added glimmer of iridescent glass bead. We are releasing 8 beautiful new colors blended with a 70 to 30 % pebble to glass bead ratio. If you’re looking for a finish that has the wow factor, look no further than Sunstone Pearl Ice!