There are moments when physics and nature conspire to create remarkable scenes in our everyday surroundings, as is the case with Sukabumi pool tile. This natural stone has the power to produce a tropical, lagoon-like effect every day in your own backyard. In addition to creating a beautiful space, using natural stone is shown to promote lower stress markers than synthetic materials. When using a volcanic stone like Sukabumi, you’re investing in your total wellbeing.
This remarkable stone has a calm, granite-like quality when viewed dry and in the light of day, but once underwater, Sukabumi pool tile transforms into the essence of a Balinese oasis.
“When Sukabumi is submerged, it comes alive,” Island Stone & Tile Director of Product Management David Tovar said. “There’s a sense like it’s inviting you in and communicating its depth. It’s organic, like a living organism. No one else can replicate something like that but Mother Nature.”
The Origins Of Sukabumi Stone
Sukabumi is an igneous (volcanic) stone formed beneath the earth’s crust in Indonesia, and is most commonly quarried in Bali and Java. It takes its name from the West Java region of Sukabumi, which is derived from the Indonesian words “suka” (to like) and “bumi” (the earth). It is sometimes referred to as Bali stone, Indonesia stone, or pedra hijau verde — a combination of Portuguese and Indonesian/Malay words that translate to “green stone.”
With its strong roots in the region, Sukabumi has been a go-to tile for luxury resorts across Southeast Asia. However, you no longer need to travel across the globe to enjoy this material's wondrous radiance. Now, Island Stone & Tile is leading the charge to bring this five-star hotel material to your backyard.
Our online Sukabumi Select catalog includes a full range of tile styles for your pool and outdoor needs. Options include:
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Large tiles that are excellent for pool decking
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Mosaics that add eye-capturing detail along stacked stone pool walls
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Bullnose trim and coping options that provide you and your guests with a comfortable and safe grip around a pool’s perimeter.
Dry Sukabumi tiles tend to have a grey base interspersed with green speckles and veins. Used as the decking and coping that surround your pool, it provides an elegant transition to the gleaming green stones underwater.
Enhancing sealer intensifies Sukabumi's signature green; penetrating sealer preserves its dry, natural grey appearance.
“It has a lot of beauty in its natural state, but once it’s wet or submerged, there’s so much depth to it. That depth gives it more dimensions and tones,” Island Stone & Tile Lead Designer of New Product Development and Marketing, Cathy Aroz said. “It’s a stone that’s widely used throughout Indonesia, and its natural beauty makes you feel like you’re in a lagoon.”
The Selection Process: Only The Best Sukabumi Tiles
Like all natural stone, Sukabumi inherently contains variations in its appearance, strength, and performance due its geological formation. This is one of the great appeals of natural stone, as no two pieces will ever be alike, giving each finished project an individual, nature-created aesthetic. However, these variations can sometimes be structurally or visually challenging, which is why Island Stone & Tile works closely with its skilled network of stone workers to make sure that only the highest quality pieces of Sukabumi are delivered to customers.
The name Sukabumi Select refers to our process of weeding out stone pieces that aren’t right for pool applications. Our process looks specifically for Sukabumi stone that will underperform, ensuring it never reaches your home. The volcanic cooling process that forms Sukabumi can occasionally create pockets that impact durability, or iron deposits that leave rust-like spots after prolonged exposure to water. Stone with composition issues like these are removed at the quarries in Indonesia, and the supplies are then checked again once they reach the Island Stone & Tile plant in California. As a result of this rigorous inspection, grading, and quality control process, Island Stone can offer Sukabumi tiles that are suitable for long-lasting interior and exterior walls, floors, and submerged applications.
“We are very careful when we’re sorting, packaging, manufacturing, and doing the whole shebang, and that’s what sets us apart,” Tovar said. “It translates to the production floor, to the quarries, out to the people, and to the company culture as well.”
Preserving The Color Of Your Sukabumi Pool Tiles
Color is where Sukabumi pool tiles really shine, and to control and maintain their lagoon-like glow, we recommend sealing your tiles in any place where they’ll be exposed to water. In our recent Q&A, Island Stone & Tile Director of Technical Services David Fatula explained in depth how Sukabumi’s color actually becomes richer and more vibrant when it absorbs water.
If you desire the full-on green color shift that Sukabumi is famous for, Fatula recommends using an enhancing sealer, which will simulate the stone’s appearance when wet while protecting it. If your preference is for your Sukabumi pool tiles to maintain their dry appearance underwater, a penetrating sealer (also known as a “natural look sealer”) that reduces moisture absorption will deliver the results you want.
Like all natural stone, Sukabumi’s color may fade slightly after years of direct sun and moisture exposure, but by using an enhancing or penetrating sealer and periodically resealing the stone when you need to drain your pool and then refill it, you can protect it and slow that process down.
Let Island Stone & Tile Help
If you have questions about what Sukabumi Select products would be right for your project, contact a member of our expert staff today. You can also use our interactive Dealer Locator map to find a local showroom where you can see Sukabumi for yourself.
