New Pool: Stonescape startup

[barco]

Ok, our Stonescape is done and the pool is filling. Yippee!! Its a milestone...the money pit is filling.
Ok, the startup folks the Stonescape plaster recommended is $850 to do the startup. SHEESH...thats a lot of $$$$.

I have had my own pool before. Is there anything else that I need to do for the startup to try and save on the $850?? My understanding is that its an acid startup with a PH of 6 and a sequestering agent to bind any metals from staining and lots of brushing. I need the exercise. Balance the pool and add normal startup chemicals like Cyanuric Acid.

Am I missing anything? Do I need a Chealating agent.

The manufacturer suggests Jacks magic but Leslies pools says its high in phosphoric acid which will create phosphates that I will just have to get rid of later assuming I don't get an algae bloom....so he suggested a different pink sequestering agent.
Thanks.

 

[JasonLion]

Just completely ignore anything that Leslie's says about phosphates. They are having a campaign to sell phosphate remover, which almost no one actually needs. Jack's Magic products are some of the best sequestrants you can get. There are others that do about the same thing and cost less, but I personally prefer to use Jack's.

The crucial thing on a new plaster pool startup is to test the PH frequently and never allow it to go above 8.0. Ideally you should lower it when it gets to 7.8. There may well be a very rapid PH rise for the first few weeks and you need to keep ahead of it. TA and CH will also be coming up from the plaster curing for several weeks, so wait to adjust them.

 

[barco]

So your not telling me anything special....the guy insisted I should use the guy that charges $850 because he does some "secret" stuff of some kind.

 

[Butterfly]

Hi barco and welcome to TFP

We had our pool re-plastered last year. PB dumped in the start-up acid and we did everything else No secret stuff. Like Jason said, you have to keep an eye on your pH and brush, brush, brush

Save yourself the $$$$$$

 

[barco]

Hi barco and welcome to TFP

We had our pool re-plastered last year. PB dumped in the start-up acid and we did everything else No secret stuff. Like Jason said, you have to keep an eye on your pH and brush, brush, brush

Save yourself the $$$$$$

Good!! Thats what I thought and $850 is a lot of $ to save. I'm a chemist by degree as well and I'm thinking what secret stuff is he talking about....there only a few chemical parameters that I was aware of that are maintained.

In my first pebble tec pool, the PB didn't even pour the acid...he gave me 4 bottles and showed me how to pour the first one, then left and told me that my new pool brush would soon become my best friend.

Thanks....I just pocketed $800 assuming the startup guy was going to buy the chemicals.

 

[uwimage]

Hi barco and welcome to TFP

We had our pool re-plastered last year. PB dumped in the start-up acid and we did everything else No secret stuff. Like Jason said, you have to keep an eye on your pH and brush, brush, brush

Save yourself the $$$$$$

Good!! Thats what I thought and $850 is a lot of $ to save. I'm a chemist by degree as well and I'm thinking what secret stuff is he talking about....there only a few chemical parameters that I was aware of that are maintained.

In my first pebble tec pool, the PB didn't even poor the acid...he gave me 4 bottles and showed me how to pour the first one, then left and told me that my new pool brush would soon become my best friend.

Thanks....I just pocketed $800 assuming the startup guy was going to buy the chemicals.

Chemist by degree? We should have you writing some 'inside info' for the rest of us soon

I think pebble tec is even easier than plaster, less brushing, etc...

Our pool remodler screwed up and paid for the start up, $350 here in N. Texas, but I paid $0 The first week was running the filter, keeping the Ph low and 1 day a week sweeping. Then balance...this is my experience with pebble tec (we're actually pebble sheen).

Keep us posted!

-Thomas

 

[barco]

I hardly see any plaster dust at all. Pool is clear down to the bottom and I can see all the plaster aggregate imperfections. My neighbor has plaster and their entire pool was cloudy and they had about an inch of plaster dust at the bottom of their pool.

PH is 6, just added CYA, bringing the chlorine up now from tap, added Jacks Blue. Just finished installing the Ozonator, pump is running. Kids want to go swimming and so do I.

 

[mchristisen]

Brush, Brush, Brush and Brush some more.

We had our pool refinished last year with Stonescapes. We brushed the pool twice a day for a month and Most of
the pool is smooth to the touch but there are a few areas that are rough. Brushing will remove all the loose pebble
before it cures and give you a nice smooth feel when you run your hand over it. After the first week get in there with a vacuum and get all the loose pebble off the bottom of the pool. If you dont get it out of the pool, the areas under the
loose pebble will be rough.

If you dont already have one, go get a Wall Whale. It is the brush with the huge fin on the backside. It will make your
life much easier with the amount of brushing you have ahead of you. And be careful with the edges of the brush. Dont
let it rub against stairs or anything. It will dig a grove into you new finish.

Also, our PB told us it would be ok to put the Kreepy Krauly in the pool after two weeks. It wasnt. The rough surface
of the new pebble would stop the cleaner in its tracks and it would sit in one spot all day pounding away. We now have
two circular puck marks in the deep end. Nobody else has noticed, but I know they are there.

Hope you enjoy your new finish! We sure love ours. (We were in ours as soon as it was full)

 

[barco]

Did they acid wash yours? They did ours. I'm brushing...and not seeing any significant plaster dust at all. I have the wall whale and it works good on the wall but it tends to want to gouge on the transition from wall to floor....I think I've got to go get a regular brush as well.

The finish is pretty hard already with the acid startup.

 

[mchristisen]

Yeah, they acid washed ours and we started filling it right after. I did an acid start and we had no plaster dust.
Ours felt very hard from the start as well. It was amazing how brushing smoothed out the surface.

 

[bbrock]

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