I am building a new house with an in-ground pool in Charlotte, NC and am trying to figure out what material to use to line the inside of it. I have ruled out PebbleTec due to a large amount of negative feedback about it tearing up your feet. I have also personally felt it in a pool and thought it was rough. My pool guy is now recommending a product called Hydrazzo, though he has never installed it, and doesn't know of anyone in the area who has used it and can let me check it out. I am having a hard time finding information about whether it is a good product. I'm looking for first-hand experience, not just the information they have on their website. I want a smooth finish that isn't slippery and that is very durable and long-lasting. What kind of maintenance is required? I would like to have a non-chlorine pool. I'm looking at ozone. I'm not very knowledgeable in this field so any information would help. Any recommendations other than Hydrazzo are welcome as well. Thank you!
Information on Hydrazzo pool coating?
- Thread starter Larissa
- Start date
First let me be the first to say hi and welcome to the board. 
Pebble makes a few different products. We also didn't like the rough texture of Pebble Tec. Pebble also makes a Pebble Sheen which is quite a bit smoother than the Tec but in the end we chose Pebble Fina which is very smooth but is advertised to last longer than straight plaster.
You can NOT use ozone by itself. You must use an approved sanitizer. Most people with outdoor pools use chlorine. Do a search for sanitizers and you will find lots of information.
Good luck and give us pictures along the way.
Pebble makes a few different products. We also didn't like the rough texture of Pebble Tec. Pebble also makes a Pebble Sheen which is quite a bit smoother than the Tec but in the end we chose Pebble Fina which is very smooth but is advertised to last longer than straight plaster.
You can NOT use ozone by itself. You must use an approved sanitizer. Most people with outdoor pools use chlorine. Do a search for sanitizers and you will find lots of information.
Good luck and give us pictures along the way.
Sorry I can't give you any information on the pool surface you are interested in. Here is alink for the hydrazzo manufacturer that might be helpful.
The Wet Edge Primera Stone is a super hard durable smooth pool surface. It is polished like hydrazzo but is much stronger. It looks like a pebble pool surface because it is done with the large stones. I highly recommend it.
We had the same concerns about PebbleTec being too rough when we built our pool in 1998. We chose Hydrazzo and have been very satisfied. It is basically a high quality plaster made with marble, quartz and white portland cement. Built to last it is very durable and smooth, yet not slippery. Many people have complemented us on it. At that time it was priced similar to PebbleTec. Not sure how they compare now. We also did not like the dark colors that were common then. Part of our decision was the bright blue color available (Gulfstream). It has kept our pool cooler in the summer (high of about 84 when 115 out) than our neighbors. The color just looks more inviting and refreshing.
For surface maintenance we acid washed it three years ago. There was discoloration that was removed with the wash. We deal with very hard water in Arizona so I replace the pool water every other year(30,000gal). And there has always been a salt cholorinator, but I am not sure if that really had much effect on the surface (nice on the skin and eyes,though!).
I would use Hydrazzo again.
For surface maintenance we acid washed it three years ago. There was discoloration that was removed with the wash. We deal with very hard water in Arizona so I replace the pool water every other year(30,000gal). And there has always been a salt cholorinator, but I am not sure if that really had much effect on the surface (nice on the skin and eyes,though!).
I would use Hydrazzo again.
Hi there! I’m looking at putting gulfstream in my new pool. Could you post a photo of your pool color? Thanks!!
@Melissa0 The post you are replying to is very old so don't expect a response from that poster who only posted one time on the forum.
Anyhow, FWIW only one of the PB's I have met with offers Hydrazzo and the sample i looked at was amazingly smooth. Honestly, I wish more of the PB's would offer the product. Also, interstingly this particular PB is offering it a very slight up charge to Quartz (yet he is higher on other items). When asking for the Wet Edge version of a polished finish I was quoted over 6K higher than Quartz (from a different PB) while Hydrazzo was only 1k higher than Quartz.
Anyhow, FWIW only one of the PB's I have met with offers Hydrazzo and the sample i looked at was amazingly smooth. Honestly, I wish more of the PB's would offer the product. Also, interstingly this particular PB is offering it a very slight up charge to Quartz (yet he is higher on other items). When asking for the Wet Edge version of a polished finish I was quoted over 6K higher than Quartz (from a different PB) while Hydrazzo was only 1k higher than Quartz.