Plaster suggestion

[CARSON]

Hello everyone,
I am building my pool now and will need to make a decision on what plaster to have applied soon.
I like the lagoon look with the dark colored plaster but have a few concerns. I was told that if color is added to regular plaster it will void the warranty so I am looking at the other options available. I am considering the quartz product but don't know much about it. Also, if the color of the plaster is dark, how much will it affect the temperature of the pool? The pool will have no shade on it in the summer months and I am in south Texas. What other options are recommended? I think the pebble product is a little out of my budget. Thank you for any comments or suggestions.

 

[AP]

Sorry for that late suggestion. Any plaster or quartz finish is is, by nature, highly reactive and therefore it is important that the water balance is kept in check - especially on start up. Darker colors will by nature show up calcium staining more than lighter colors so I would consider that as well.
Also consider getting a test of the water done prior to filling up the pool water is different in its chemical make up and it would be important to get a recommendation for start up chemicals.

Your answer for darker colours is a good one as there is thermal advantage in darker coloured pools (especially black). Consider that darker coloured pools are also harder to light!

 

[JasonLion]

Quartz is a great choice for many people. It costs more than simple colored plaster, but less than pebble. It adds significantly to the lifetime of the plaster and most people love the way it looks.

Dark pools absorb more light and get hotter. In your area that could add several degrees to the water temperature.

 

[CARSON]

Thank you for the responses. The pool was plastered yesterday 10-21-11. We decided on sparkle quartz, laguna is the name of the color. It is a medium blue. I am new at this and am trying to balance the water according to the start-up instructions. I contracted the pool myself so there is no pool company to assist me. Ant pointers are greatly appreciated.
So far I have added two gallons of muriatic acid and some "metal free"
The PH is a little below 6.8.
No chlorine has been added (the pool was finished filling at 3 p.m. today)
CH is about 240
TA is 60
Circulating and brushing...

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to fresh plaster! The first month is very different than the entire rest of the pools lifetime. During the first month the PH will go up quickly and the TA and CH levels will go up more slowly. Check out the NPC Startup card for some basic guidelines. Starting on day three use trichlor in the skimmers, run the pump 24/7, and lower the PH to 7.2 any time it gets to 7.8 and try to make sure it never goes above 8.0.

 

[CARSON]

Thank you again. So far I have been able to keep the PH well below 8 (still just the first day). I have some trichlor tablets ready for day three. Once I get chlorine, cya, ch, ta and ph to the desired levels, I assume it will be safe to swim?

 

[JasonLion]

Don't adjust TA or CH during the first two or three weeks. Both will come up on their own. If you adjust them now they will end up too high. Also, you don't want to add any chlorine or CYA, beyond what the trichlor tablets add, during the first couple of weeks.

You can swim as soon as there is a measurable FC level and the PH is between 7.2 and 8.0.

 

[CARSON]

Thanks again, I appreciate your help.

 

[chuckndi]

Hi! I just saw your post from last year in regards to plaster color. How is Laguna working out for you? That is the color I want, but I'm hesitant having not seen a good picture of a pool with Laguna. We are concerned about how the darker bottom will affect the water temp, we have many low 100* days in summer in Central California. Also, does the pool color make it difficult to light up the pool at night? Would you please share some pictures of your pool? I can't find any pictures online of a pool with the Laguna color. Hope to hear from you.

Diane