When can you plaster the pool after shooting the shell?

[FloridaRes]

Hi all,

(Im new here).

What is your experience with applying finish/plaster (stonescape) after the concrete has been poured (shot)? I read some different messages times everything from 7 days to 28 days... IS there any considerations reg. coping and water line tiles? I assume these can be applied a week after, right?

https://shotcrete.org/faq-items/what-is-the-recommended-cure-time-for-shotcrete-pools-and-spas-so-that-shrinkage-cracks-in-finished-tile-work-can-be-avoided/#:~:text=Concrete%2C%20when%20applied%20using%20the,method%20(7%20continuous%20days).

Many thanks.

 

[ajw22]

Some builders hardly wait. Others water the shell for a week or more before moving on. It depends.

Watering New Gunite and Concrete - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

@AQUA~HOLICS what do you do?

Why do you ask?

 

[AQUA~HOLICS]

Heavy hydration for a week after Shotcrete. This starts as the crews are still picking up their tools.
Coping installation then tile.
Plaster 28 days after Shotcrete installation.
Plaster installation if possible is installed after all other work in the general area is completed such as patio covers, landscaping, decking, painting, so fewer chances of any other trades dropping any thing into the newly plastered pool.

 

[FloridaRes]

Heavy hydration for a week after Shotcrete. This starts as the crews are still picking up their tools.
Coping installation then tile.
Plaster 28 days after Shotcrete installation.
Plaster installation if possible is installed after all other work in the general area is completed such as patio covers, landscaping, decking, painting, so fewer chances of any other trades dropping any thing into the newly plastered pool.

Thanks for that. I have also been told, that water goes in immediately after plaster (same day), so anything "dropped" will be into water as well..

 

[ajw22]

Thanks for that. I have also been told, that water goes in immediately after plaster (same day), so anything "dropped" will be into water as well..

Best to wait 6 hours after plastering to add water...

New plaster on renovated pool- when to refill? Cement products need a certain amount of time to harden before being submerged in water, because it is very easy to dissolve the surface of fresh unhardened or uncured cement/plaster. I don’t see how anyone can disagree with that. In fact, the NPC's own plaster tests (Cal Poly-NPIRC) provided evidence and results of that fact. Therefore, shouldn’t homeowners try to request waiting a few hours before starting the water and reaching an agreement regarding the warranty?

The key is to wait at least 6 hours before starting to fill the pool, and then fill as rapidly as possible AFTER waiting 6 or more hours (but wait no longer than 24 hours). Submerging plaster in water before it has a chance to sufficiently harden is a mistake. Builders should know that, but some don't. It is a fact that some of the plaster surface dissolves into the fill water when it hasn't hardened sufficiently making a more porous surface. That results in a poor start for the plaster product to last more than 20 years.[1]

The fill water itself should be balanced (actually having a slightly positive CSI) rather than being soft or aggressive according to the CSI.

Plaster Installation and Maintenance - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[AQUA~HOLICS]

Exposed aggregate finishes typically are lightly acid washed the day after application so to remove the fine butter on the surface.

 

[FloridaRes]

Heavy hydration for a week after Shotcrete. This starts as the crews are still picking up their tools.
Coping installation then tile.
Plaster 28 days after Shotcrete installation.
Plaster installation if possible is installed after all other work in the general area is completed such as patio covers, landscaping, decking, painting, so fewer chances of any other trades dropping any thing into the newly plastered pool.

Also, the guide on this page says to do tile first, then coping. Now I am in doubt? Thank you for your input...

 

[AQUA~HOLICS]

Tile/Coping time line differ due to geographic location. West Coast pool construction is typically coping then tile.