cword is the original poster of this thread, which was originated and lost during the software blackout.
cword said on: Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:37 pm
HarryH3 said on: Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:09 pm
Titanium said on: Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:25 pm
JasonLion said on: Wed Jun 11, 2008 8:00 pm
billyjoeraybob said on Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:56 am
cword said on: Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:37 pm
The plaster crew showed up this morning. They prepped the pool and plastered the spa. But I am feeling uneasy about his method of (or rather lack thereof) of exposing the quartz in the diamondbrite. I asked him if he was going to use the water method or the acid wash method to expose the aggregates. He said he does not use either. According to him both of these methods make the plaster rough and he thinks it is better to let the crystals expose naturally. He says you just fill the pool with water and brush it every day and in a couple of weeks the crystals start to expose naturally. Is this right? I am wondering it this is just a way to cut out a step and make his job easier. His crew of 6 is coming back tomorrow to do the pool and I am wondering if I need to tell him to do an acid wash exposure before I pay him. I am sick of paying people only to find out after they leave that they did not do their job properly. They will NOT come back to fix it either, I have found that out the hard way. I know what the diamondbrite instillation instructions say. Are there any opinions on here? I will say it looks like he did a very good job in the spa today. He did go ahead and fill it with water. But..... at this point it just looks like dark grey plaster. No sparkles. This is an owner/build. Thank you for any help.
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Owner/Builder- Pool under construction- Started 4/18/08
20X40 freeform 3 1/2" to 8 1/2' deep
elevated 8' spa w/ spillover
Plaster: Undecided
Pentair intelliflo
Pentair intellichlor
Pentair Mastertemp 400,000 BTU gas heater
Pentair Triton II 30" sand filter
LED (probably colorlogic) 3 in main pool and 1 in spa
Polaris 280 w/ booster pump
Control System: Still working on this Intellitouch I guess but don't know all the components I need yet.
HarryH3 said on: Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:09 pm
Tell him that he'll get paid the day that you can see the crystals.
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26,000 Gallon Gunnite IGP
2.5HP Challenger High Head Pump
60sf Nautilus DE filter
Polaris 280
Titanium said on: Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:25 pm
I would never consider letting an installation crew do something contrary to the manufacturer's instructions. The only possible exception would be if the contractor was able to provide a written letter from the manufacturer approving the proposed deviation from instructions.
Tell him to follow DiamondBrite's instructions exactly, or be able to provide a letter from DiamondBrite saying his alternate method is acceptable.
The biggest problem that I see is that DiamondBrite's warranty, ineffectual as it is, will be completely null and void if DiamondBrite's instructions are not followed by the installer.
Titanium
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24,000 gallon inground freeform pool/spa circa 1983 (113 ft perimeter, 625 sq ft)
2007 2 HP, three-phase Hayward TriStar pump which is powered by an Ikeric VS-200 variable speed drive system
1983 Laars XE Pool/Spa Heater Type ES, 400,000 BTU
1998 Hayward Super Star-Clear C-4000 cartridge filter (400 sq ft, 4 separate cartridges) and new pressure gauge
1998 Polaris 380 pressure-side cleaner w/ 3/4 HP booster pump
One skimmer and one PoolSkim
One Supervision Galaxy LED pool lamp
Second story solar panels
350 gallon attached spill-over spa
Hayward/GoldLine AquaLogic PS4 (replaced 1983 vintage dual circuit Intermatic timer)
JasonLion said on: Wed Jun 11, 2008 8:00 pm
I have heard of this before but I never found out what the full story was. I think he is right that the surface will be smoother without the wash, but the color will be noticeably less visible/intense that way. 3M does say to do one or the other kind of wash depending on the series of Diamondbrite and the water conditions.
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20K gal, vinyl, 3/4 HP pump, 18" sand filter, AutoPilot Total Control SWG, Dolphin Dynamic cleaning robot
TFP Moderator. Author of The Pool Calculator. Other handy links: TF Test Kits, The Stickies
billyjoeraybob said on Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:56 am
I have a slightly different view on this being the owner of a pool with a Diamondbrite finish. My builder strongly recommended against the frequent brushing. He indicated that it is very difficult for you to use even pressure on all areas of the finish when you brush it resulting in uneven color exposure. He recommended normal maintenance brushing and patience for the best results. This is what I did and by the second season the color reached its full intensity and was nice and even. Just my experience.
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Bill
18' x 36' Freeform IG Gunite with 7' spa
Super Blue DiamondBrite
Pentair 1.5 hp circulation pump
Pentair 2.0 hp spa booster pump
Pentair Triton II Sand filter
Polaris 280 with booster pump
Pentair Intellichlor IC40 SWCG
Jandy Laars LX 250k btu NG heater
TF-100 test kit from http://www.tftestkits.com/
Taylor K-1766 Salt Water Test Kit