Hi I’m new to the forum I have a question about pool plaster (pebble tec). I’m 7 days into the treating the pool plaster calcium/alkalinity levels and brushing the pool. I know the pool plaster doesn’t cure for 30 days. My pool contractor turned up to collect the 60% deposit to secure my place in line then nothing for months.
I contacted him he then came and drained my pool, left my plaster pool empty for a total of 32 days in temperatures of up to 113 degrees. I contacted him after the first week to say that my original plaster was cracking and my quick google search said it shouldn’t be left empty that long, his response was don’t worry we will be removing it all anyway.
He then sent in a tiling crew speaking no english who took the old 6” tiles down and replaced with a metric tiles from overseas. The issue was that they positioned their baton using the old tile line without measuring the new tile then filed the over half inch gap with coping stone mastic. It was a mess. The contractor attempted to tell me the mastic was the seal, but I produced the dap data sheet showing it was not rated for internal pool use, never for more than 1/2 inch and typically would need replaced every 3 years when correctly applied between the pool deck and coping. He had the tiling re-done.
Then never present sent the plaster crew who coated over all the delaminated plaster with a bonding agent. I reached out to say this needs to come off not get plastered over! He responded that our contract only covered him to remove 30% of voids and I would need to pay him the additional labor and materials for the other 70%. The only plaster removed had been removed by me to the trash as it was falling off in sheets to the bottom of the empty pool. I guess he counted that as his contractual obligation being met. I tried to contact him and left a message with video showing hollow areas all over the pool telling him to cancel the plaster crew as the substrate was not stable. He went ahead and sent a crew at 6am the next morning.
The subcontractor crew said they would removed any voids they came across, everything was ok. The plaster sub-contractor did confirm that he advised the Pool contractor that in his professional opinion 100% of the plaster should be removed. Half way through the day the plaster subcontractor boss got sick and his son left to take him to hospital. The rest of the crew finished acid washing and left 2 garden hoses in the pool and were gone. I got a text message from the pool contractor to say that plaster crew boss and his son had COVID.
He sent me an email on the plaster start up system to begin as the water was being added to the pool. Given the 25,000 gallon pool was half full this was really a mute point, regardless at this point I’m running around on a Sunday trying to find this “system” I couldn’t, it was online order only. I spoke to the local pool store who gave me what I needed to meet the hardiness and alkaline levels. I set up a bucket drip system to dissolve the chemicals and a garden hose. Then I tested positive for COVID.
My husband texted the pool contractor to say you need to postpone any punch list issues as my wife has now also tested positive for COVID. The only response I got was a text message asking me to pay the balance as per the contract it was due when the water went in which was the day before and the crews needed paid. My husband and son took our RV to the local lake to isolate from me which left me behind in the over 100 degree heat for 7 days with COVID to sweep the plaster, drip feed the diluted chemicals etc.., I haven’t heard from the contractor nor did he offer to send anyone to do this process given the situation.
So here I am day 7 with the alkaline and hardiness levels just where they need to be but what now? When do I start introducing chlorine etc.., do I still brush everyday? The pool contractor got paid and has blown in the wind like a tumbleweed so suggesting asking him is not an option.
Any advice other than sue him would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I contacted him he then came and drained my pool, left my plaster pool empty for a total of 32 days in temperatures of up to 113 degrees. I contacted him after the first week to say that my original plaster was cracking and my quick google search said it shouldn’t be left empty that long, his response was don’t worry we will be removing it all anyway.
He then sent in a tiling crew speaking no english who took the old 6” tiles down and replaced with a metric tiles from overseas. The issue was that they positioned their baton using the old tile line without measuring the new tile then filed the over half inch gap with coping stone mastic. It was a mess. The contractor attempted to tell me the mastic was the seal, but I produced the dap data sheet showing it was not rated for internal pool use, never for more than 1/2 inch and typically would need replaced every 3 years when correctly applied between the pool deck and coping. He had the tiling re-done.
Then never present sent the plaster crew who coated over all the delaminated plaster with a bonding agent. I reached out to say this needs to come off not get plastered over! He responded that our contract only covered him to remove 30% of voids and I would need to pay him the additional labor and materials for the other 70%. The only plaster removed had been removed by me to the trash as it was falling off in sheets to the bottom of the empty pool. I guess he counted that as his contractual obligation being met. I tried to contact him and left a message with video showing hollow areas all over the pool telling him to cancel the plaster crew as the substrate was not stable. He went ahead and sent a crew at 6am the next morning.
The subcontractor crew said they would removed any voids they came across, everything was ok. The plaster sub-contractor did confirm that he advised the Pool contractor that in his professional opinion 100% of the plaster should be removed. Half way through the day the plaster subcontractor boss got sick and his son left to take him to hospital. The rest of the crew finished acid washing and left 2 garden hoses in the pool and were gone. I got a text message from the pool contractor to say that plaster crew boss and his son had COVID.
He sent me an email on the plaster start up system to begin as the water was being added to the pool. Given the 25,000 gallon pool was half full this was really a mute point, regardless at this point I’m running around on a Sunday trying to find this “system” I couldn’t, it was online order only. I spoke to the local pool store who gave me what I needed to meet the hardiness and alkaline levels. I set up a bucket drip system to dissolve the chemicals and a garden hose. Then I tested positive for COVID.
My husband texted the pool contractor to say you need to postpone any punch list issues as my wife has now also tested positive for COVID. The only response I got was a text message asking me to pay the balance as per the contract it was due when the water went in which was the day before and the crews needed paid. My husband and son took our RV to the local lake to isolate from me which left me behind in the over 100 degree heat for 7 days with COVID to sweep the plaster, drip feed the diluted chemicals etc.., I haven’t heard from the contractor nor did he offer to send anyone to do this process given the situation.
So here I am day 7 with the alkaline and hardiness levels just where they need to be but what now? When do I start introducing chlorine etc.., do I still brush everyday? The pool contractor got paid and has blown in the wind like a tumbleweed so suggesting asking him is not an option.
Any advice other than sue him would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Last edited by a moderator:
