Spotty plaster job

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c0d3t3m935t

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Jun 17, 2012
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We recently had a pool remodel with new piping, plaster, coping, equipment, The whole package. Our contractor told us to brush the pool, but did not tell us it needs to be done every day or even every two days. Now, two weeks in, the plaster doesn't look consistent. There is variation in color (it's a white pool), and it just doesn't look right. The plaster guy says that it is supposed to be like that, so i wanted to get a little feedback

Thanks,
 
The finish will take a few (3-4) weeks to cure. During that time you will notice quite a bit of variation in the finish. Even when fully cured, the pool with have some variations. Your should be brushing 2-4 times per day during the curing period. Keep an eye on your water balance, as the new finish is going to drive the PH up quite a bit. You should also be running your pump 24 hours per day for the first few weeks.
 
It looks like there is quartz in the plaster. That is a good thing. The water looks blue so that supports the presence of quartz. To even out the finish some do an acid wash before filling or even add acid after filling to remove the thin creme layer from troweling. Some would say you can do it now to make it more consistent. I just had mine re-plastered on the 1st and didn't do anything with acid. Too many negative comments about it.

I brushed mine 2x a day for the first week, 1x a day after and even now until I reach 30 days. It seems to look better all the time. I test the water constantly. The first 30 days is crucial. The NPC start up card is good info. http://www.npconline.org/index.php?opti ... icle&id=85
 
Before our re-plaster I did a good bit of reading on which start up method to use since the pool builder wasn't going to do anything. I searched the forum with the terms acid wash, new plaster, etc and found several people who said it is harsh, that it etched the surface, and reduced the life of the plaster. None of that sounded good to me. An in-pool acid wash did seem to be less harsh.

I think of it as if I got a new car and it had some light scratches/swirl marks in the clear coat in some areas. They sell polishing compound that has fine sand that will take down a very thin amount of the clear coat so that the swirl marks are evened out. It is safe, it works, and it will probably make it look great. But I wouldn't do it on the whole car. In my opinion it is a decision between aesthetics vs longevity.

I also called SGM, as we were going to use their Diamond Brite Quartz, and asked the rep which start up they recommend. He said acid wash but I still couldn't get over the negatives. If I bought a house that had a pool that was old and poorly taken care of then I would acid wash the dog out of it. My personal choice was to not do it on the new plaster. I say brush it daily, test the water very often and see what it looks like in a few more weeks. It changes.

Here is one discussion concerning the negatives. still-unable-to-get-rid-of-some-white-spots-on-diamond-brite-t40526.html
 
Ok, well do you think the plaster is ruined? It was brushed the day after we filled it, but then it was not brushed for 7 days straight. Our contracted never mentioned that I needed to be brushed until after 7 days.
 

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Based on the top photo, the color contrast looks fairly normal for new plaster. Can't tell on the second photo. And it doesn't look like you have a quartz finish.
Typical plaster never looks like a single color as in painting a wall.
If the plaster is smooth, give it a couple of months to see if the color contrast gets worse or better. And don't do an acid bath.
 
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