Smooth or pebble type finish

[randy821]

I gettinng close to agreeing to a price for a 2005 Marquis Reward.  It comes in either a smooth or a pebble type finish.  Any thoughts on each?  Thanks.

[HotTubMan]

The colour and texture can have an impact on how imperfections show and how dirt/water marks show.

Pebble or granite finishes tend to hide everything better. They are more likely to look "new" 5-10 years down the road.

Smooth aka Pearlesent/Marble finishes tend to shine much nicer and reflect lighting better.

Light colours reflect better than dark ones. This is a benefit with LED lighting and for safety, depending on conditions in your yard.

[cflrules]

 The Pearlesent/Marble finishes will also show scratching and "swirling", much like a black vehicle. Fading can also be an issue with the smooth acrylics.
One advantage, as mentioned before is the fact that the lights will reflect better, and they are "eye candy" to look at. Five years down the road, not so much....(from what I've seen).
I would stick to a granite finish, preferably with Microban.

[txwillie]

I chose the silver swirl for mine and have no regrets.  Looks really nice with the LED lights. Even though the textured surfaces might hide scratches, etc. better I did not care for the colors offered with those.

txwillie

[cflrules]

I chose the silver swirl for mine and have no regrets.  Looks really nice with the LED lights. Even though the textured surfaces might hide scratches, etc. better I did not care for the colors offered with those.

txwillie

How long have you had your spa for?

[HotTubMan]

CFL, I should add, I have seen 10-15 year old marble finish tubs that still look great. Someone took good care of it....

[wmccall]

We frequently say "Wet test"  But in this case I don't think a wet test of two new tubs in a store will help. Can you find friends or others with year old tubs to check out?

We went with the "pebbled" finish because my wife wanted it that way.  I have one friend with a smooth finish and I have no trouble with slipperyness, but I haven't checked out his tub in daylight.  As much care as I take with my tub, wiping down a few water spots wouldn't be too big of a problem for me having seen some of the color LEDs on the pearl finishes.

[HotTubMan]

Glad you mentioned slippery Bill. That is a common concern I hear "..isn't that finish more slippery" or "I think that one looks safer..."

Peolple, YOU ARE GOING TO FILL THIS THING WITH WATER!, water makes things slippery......the little bit of texture on a granite style finish makes no difference..IMHO and experience.

[txwillie]

 How long have you had your spa for?

only 4 months, but I think the more important issue is how you use and care for it will determine what it looks like in 5 years. I've seen 2 year old cars that look like junk, and 10 year old cars that look practically new. Maybe my finish will loose some of it's luster over the years, maybe not. One thing though, it wont be ugly from the git go.  My intent here is not to dis anyone's choice of colors or finishes. Everyone's personal tastes and styles differ and I simply did not care for the look of the textured surfaces.


txwillie

[wmccall]

Glad you mentioned slippery Bill. That is a common concern I hear "..isn't that finish more slippery" or "I think that one looks safer..."

I had that in my mind when I was buying too, or my wife put it there and she has the key.  Since we have bought and I have looked around at the fair and home shows, I will put the palm of my hand on the vertical surface, below the waterline, of both types and with clean water they both grip well.  I noticed at the water line both tubs can get slippery if not maintained, but I have not had any problem in the seating area and most people have to stand in a seat to get in and out.  Swim suits make things more slippery than the tub surface IMO

We ended up with this textured surface. and its great, but I would be tempted to go Pearl if and when I buy again.

[empolgation]

IMO the little bit of "pebble" texture (from ground up acrylic) does make a difference.

I tested many Marquis tubs with all of their shell offerings. One difference consistent among all tubs tested was that the granite ("pebble") shells were less slippery than the "smooth" shells. The texture does make a difference. Place a piece of smooth paper and a piece of sand paper in water... feel if there is a difference. Wet testing can help you determine if the texture makes enough difference to you.

[ebirrane]

Peolple, YOU ARE GOING TO FILL THIS THING WITH WATER!, water makes things slippery......the little bit of texture on a granite style finish makes no difference..IMHO and experience.

Not always true., in our experience it did make a difference. I own a HS grandee with a textured surface.  My brother in law owns a HS Envoy (or sovereign, I forget) with a pearl finish.  

At family gatherings the "aunts" (age ranging from 30 to late 50's) get in the tubs.  It is clearly agreed that when getting into the pearl tub "you need to be careful, it is slippery getting in" whereas with the textured tub it isn't an issue.  

I slipped getting into the pearl finish tub myself, and one aunt slipped slightly and knocked her ankle against the shell.

NOW... how one installs the tub, and whether one puts a railing up, or whether the tub steps some up high enough, have enough things around to grab onto, etc... may very well neutralize that extra slipperiness, but it does, indeed, exist.

-Ed

ps. The pearl shell, however, does look stunning.

[HotTubMan]

Ok Emp, Ed, we can agree to disagree.

I have slipped on granite style acrylic too. Perhaps it was the false sense of security I got from knowing it was textured....Conversely I have not slipped on smooth stuff, but maybe I was just being more careful.

Now, I am going to try to "sand" something with some granite style acrylic, I'll let you know how it works out.

[Chas]

Both products are durable and last a long time with proper care. I'm goin with textured next time for two reasons:

The pearl is a bit more slippery, and
HotSpring is now offering a light color in the texture: it's called 'sand' and it's off-white.

I have always had a textured finish - easier to live with in my experience. I tried a Pearl this past year, and loved the way it looked - and it show NO wear, scratches or other problems after 10ish months.

[windsurfdog]

The footwell of my pearl tub has texture molded in which prevents any slipping.  And, after only 6 mos., no wear,  no scratches or other problems as Chas mentioned--time will tell with mine as I'll be keeping it a long time.  And the satin patina of the shell really plays well with natural light, the LED lights and the stainless escutcheons.  I'm very pleased with the decision....