Tinting for re-plaster job

[curlytop09]

I'm having pool re-plastered next month. The pool guy recommended that I tint the plaster to help hide any stains that may occur over time. I can't find much info on the pros and cons of tinting plaster. The most I've seen are cons which involve poor mixing resulting in uneven shades when applied, uneven fading over time. The pros are the color appearance it can give water depending on preference.

Can someone provide me with some things to consider and ask before I decide on going with a light grey tint or staying with white?

Are there different types of plaster that I need to ask about. I've read about adding pebbles, quartz, etc for a more durable finish. I'm not going through that added expense because we won't be in this home for more than 5 years. For the standard white re-plaster job (or tinted), are there specific questions I should ask contractor in regards to what material they are using.

He is taking me around to show me some of their previous work so I will get an idea of workmanship but those will be handpicked examples.

I've read the startup after replaster instructions on this website. The one thing I took away from it was let the contractor do their procedure and do what they instruct for followup. My contractor will cover the startup chemicals and two weeks of daily brushing and pool balancing. Is there anything specific I should watch for the balancing. Anything that might be added for balancing that shouldn't. From discussion with various pool providers, and my contractor, they like chlorine tablets, copper algacides, 1 day shock treatment for just daily maintenance. These things are different than what I do to maintain pool. I would like to know if there are off the wall things I might expect when they balance the pool initially that may not be the best idea.

Thanks

 

[JasonLion]

The main thing is to avoid dark colors. The color will always be a bit uneven. With darker colors that usually becomes glaringly obvious, but with lighter colors that can look quite nice.

For re-plastering, as with many pool projects, the most important thing is to get recent referrals from the builder and check them. Good builders make a much bigger difference than good materials, so check them out before you commit.

I would avoid copper anything at all costs.

The PH will usually go up rapidly for the first month or so. Unless the builder is doing a bicarbonate startup you will need to keep the PH under control at all times. That usually means daily checking. Keeping this under control keeps your color looking correct, avoids calcium scaling, and reduces plaster dust.

 

[bmoreswim]

On the topic of tinting plaster, I'll mention that we tinted plain plaster by using Onyx Diamond Brite quartz. The amount used was only about 3 or 4 bags in total so the cost was so minimal our PB didn't even charge us. It was maybe $150 worth of DB.

I'll direct you to our build thread (link in my signature) for the details on that process and pictures if you are interested.

There is no doubt that our tinted plaster will help with hiding light stains due to its mottled nature. If you want a consistent color, don't tint your plaster. We love ours.

Best of luck with the process.

 

[curlytop09]

Thanks for the tips and the links. I'm going tomorrow to look at some of their replaster jobs that were tinted.

 

[RobbieH]

At 5 years old, regular plaster "may" start showing signs of age. A premium finish should still be going strong at that point. It's something to consider, resale of a house with a poor pool finish will probably be impacted if the pool surface looks bad.

Keep in mind, I am saying "may" start showing signs of age. Keep on top of it at all times and it should be good beyond 5 years. Replastering is quite an investment, now is the time to make the decision for an upgrade if you have any thoughts on it at all.

 

[Patrick_B]

+1 on what Robbie said.

It is quite an investment, but not one you'll regret 5+ years down the road. Even a nice upper line quartz or premium quartz finish is a great alternative to plain plaster and is not expensive like pebble or glass bead finishes are. They also come in a wide variety of colors.