How can I tidy up messy pool coping tiles?

[bethlo19]

Hi everyone,
The previous owners tiled over the original coping around our pool, and it looks quite messy. You can see in the photos that there are grout lines showing, some staining running down onto the pool edge, and even a chipped tile.

I’d like to improve the look without doing a full replacement if possible. Ideally something more cosmetic, DIY-friendly that will make the edge look neat and stop further staining.

Would regrouting or sealing help? Or is there a product I can skim over the coping to make it look like one clean piece? Also open to suggestions like edge trims or fillers for the chipped tile.

Any tips, products, or examples of what others have done would be really appreciated.

Thanks!

[JacobZ]

Hi @bethlo19,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

Unfortunately, I am not aware of a product you could apply over the tiles as a skim coat to make it appear as one piece.

For the staining, I'd suggest giving it a clean with some Glitz 2L Outdoor Cleaner Concentrate with a scrubbing brush. 

Once the staining has been cleaned, sealing the grout with a grout sealer could certainly help prevent further staining, as it seems likely from the location of the staining that the issue is coming through the grout.

Covering the edge could be tricky, as typically you would use a tile trim; however, tile trims are installed alongside the tiles while the adhesive is still wet.

The two solutions I could think of were installing small subway-style tiles along the edge to cover the obvious line between the two layers of tiles or gluing a piece of aluminium flat bar over the seam to act as a pseudo tile trim. They are not perfect solutions, but they could be a simple way to create a tidier finish.

Allow me to tag @Nailbag, @Dave-1 and @AlanM52 to see if they have any ideas.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob

[Dave-1]

Good Afternoon @bethlo19 

Mmmm I was thinking along the lines of removing the grout and redoinging combined with cleaning the area with the product @JacobZ has mentioned. 

I dont know of any sealer that you could skim over the lot either 😕 Are the tiles solid as in stuck solidly? Thats the main reason I am thinking of redoing the grout to tidy it up.

Dave

[Nailbag]

Hi @bethlo19 

I can't think of anything DIY that would cover that edge that itself wouldn't either look out of place, be a non-lasting solution or some form of trip hazard.

However, the edge maybe able to be polished ground to a smoother finish depending on the tiles. I would recommend this being performed by a professional concrete/stone polishing service.

Nailbag