Where to begin - pool remodel

[Bazodee]

We are three years into owning a pool that was built circa 1985 - complete with red long brick coping.

We have a small crack in the pool plaster for the last year but no measurable leaks.

We have had two contractors come out:

Contractor A: very big fan of the mini pebble crystalstones. He says maintenance will be much easier and that will last a long time and help once the crack is repaired. Hubby likes the sound of that! We have friends with pebble tec and they love their pool - and we do too. Hubby just started taking over pool maintenance and was doing great until all the spring rains and now it seems hard to keep algae off and keep it balanced.

Contractor B: works mostly in straight plaster. Recommends plaster with Quartz - not any name brand product.
He says the pool is so old it doesn't make sense to put a long lasting plaster that may outlive the pool. Also the crack will return and damage the fancy plaster - so stick to basics since it is a repair. He also says flagstone is relatively cheap coping - so just do plaster and flagstone - which seems like a weird combination to me.

This all leaves me completely confused as to the best option for a old pool with some minor cracks.

We are typically middle of the road folks. Nothing super fancy and nothing too basic.

Advice?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

The surface finish really does not impact the methods used to chemically maintain the pool, so I am not sure why they say the pebble is "easier" to maintain. It does tend to last longer though.

I am not sure about the age of the pool argument. There is no reason you pool won't last another 50 years (with future surface replacements of course). Although if the pool does continue to settle if that caused the crack, then there is a point that the plaster would be easier to repair I think.

Beware of flagstone if you think you may ever consider a saltwater chlorine generator (SWG) and the extra salt could damage soft stone.

 

[Bazodee]

Thanks for the welcome! This is a great site- I may hand over my account to my hubby to help with maintenance!!

Dang - so both of my contractors are feeding me questionable data!

The pebble argument was that it would be harder for algae to grow.

We live in Texas and the soil here is terrible and everyone has foundation issues - and that goes for pools too I guess.

Good to know on the flagstone!! I won't rule that out - so I'm not sure I want a limiting choice!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jblizzle]

That pebble argue is not true. Many algae grow in the water and not even on a surface.

I have heard recently of people installing drip irrigation systems around their pools down there to keep the soil around the pool moist and reduce the chance of soil shifting causing pool damage.

 

[kimkats]

LOL algae can grow in a plastic water bottle if it is left out in the sun long enough!

Here is TFP we teach how to keep it from even starting.

I strongly suggest you get at least two more bids.

What finish do you WANT?

Kim

 

[pooldv]

Our pebblesheen has cracked a couple of times. Once in 2012 and we installed a drip irrigation system on a timer. It fixed the problem until last spring when we didn't turn it on soon enough after a ton of rain. The dirt contracted and the pebblesheen cracked again. No issues since then. PB repaired it both times with epoxy.

My flagstone looks pretty much the same as it did when installed, salt doesn't seem to have any impact on our flagstone.

Agreed that the gunite should last many decades. Especially if you maintain even soil moisture levels. Get what you want.

 

[Bazodee]

Okay - good to know on the algae! And the flagstone!

I don't know that drip irrigation will be something we pursue around the pool. Maintaining soil moisture in Dallas is really really hard - but not impossible I know.

Our pool has no shade and in 110 degree weather - gunnite is probably too hot - or does that come in light colors?

Hubby likes the mini pebble from crystal stones and I like the Quartz from the same vendor.

Our neighborhood is older 1960's homes that are small and I'm wary of keeping with what's around us.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[triptyx]

Look into a foundation soaker hose. That's most often what people use to keep the water content under their foundations "normal" during dry spells. You could run it around the perimeter and it would do the job admirably.

 

[Bazodee]

Look into a foundation soaker hose. That's most often what people use to keep the water content under their foundations "normal" during dry spells. You could run it around the perimeter and it would do the job admirably.

That worked well on our slab house - no so much on our pier and beam. And when the water restrictions were really bad even the use of those got restricted.

 

[triptyx]

Wow! I never had those restricted in Frisco over the years.

That's a good heads up.

 

[Bazodee]

Yeah - it was weird how different it is from city to city - within the same county!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk