Any hope for our plaster...?

[lizard41]

We are on Day 40 of having water in our pool and still see major discoloration and spots in our plaster(especially when our pump isn’t running). I am wondering if this will get better on it’s own? Or what are the options to fix this? I will attach pics and a vid below for reference. Notice the wet areas on the plaster before it was filled with water, those areas appear to have white staining now. Also the deep end looks the worst and most obvious. I have been lurking this website for any answers and have not seen anything similar to our situation. I would appreciate the honesty and transparency on this. Thanks so much.

 

[ManiacalMama]

So my NON expert opinion is NO, it won't get better and it won't change much if at all. We had diamond brite installed last summer. It is a blue color like yours. And we have several areas of discoloration. My understanding is that a mottled appearance is quite common (though not desired) and that your options are acid wash, acid bath, or full chipout and re-do. In the end I look at it as purely cosmetic. I'm not willing to compromise the integrity and/or longevity of the surface with acid and didn't want to go through the hassle of trying to get the plasterer to redo the plaster and risk it happening all over again and lose valuable pool time. I hope to get 15 to 20 years out of my replaster and don't see that happening if I use acid to correct the cosmetic issue. Overall I think your pool looks gorgeous. But if you want it perfect, I think the only thing that will work is a chip out and replaster.

 

[Flying Tivo]

How long did does wet areas remain before filling? Its always recommended to fill immediately so you dont get those marks. If it was the builder that left the water like that, you should take it up with them.

 

[Texas Splash]

This will require some experts eyes like @bdavis466. He may ask you for some additional details about how the job was done. Not sure what, if anything, can be done at this point, but Brian will give it to you straight.

 

[lizard41]

This will require some experts eyes like @bdavis466. He may ask you for some additional details about how the job was done. Not sure what, if anything, can be done at this point, but Brian will give it to you straight.

@Texas Splash thanks so much for your reply! Ok, yea Im not hopeful at this point that anything can be done. I would just like to understand how it even got like this? We had the head of PebbleTec come out and he mentioned that he wants to wait 90 days and then re look at it. He proposed to my PB that he wants to do an acid treatment. My question is would an acid treatment even be effective with what I have? Its just been very frustrating and hope to get some clarity on all of this.

 

[lizard41]

So my NON expert opinion is NO, it won't get better and it won't change much if at all. We had diamond brite installed last summer. It is a blue color like yours. And we have several areas of discoloration. My understanding is that a mottled appearance is quite common (though not desired) and that your options are acid wash, acid bath, or full chipout and re-do. In the end I look at it as purely cosmetic. I'm not willing to compromise the integrity and/or longevity of the surface with acid and didn't want to go through the hassle of trying to get the plasterer to redo the plaster and risk it happening all over again and lose valuable pool time. I hope to get 15 to 20 years out of my replaster and don't see that happening if I use acid to correct the cosmetic issue. Overall I think your pool looks gorgeous. But if you want it perfect, I think the only thing that will work is a chip out and replaster.

Thanks a lot for your response. Yea that definitely is a bummer to hear but I see where you're coming from. That's the dilemma I guess, cosmetic vs structure. I am just old school I guess and I expect to get what I paid for. I didn't short change them on payment so I wouldn't expect to have to settle and be short changed on my plaster. Is it pretty much a certainty if an acid treatment is used than it will shorten the lifespan of the plaster? Thanks again for your reply

 

[Rich D]

Is all the white spotting only where the gunite was wet before they put on the plaster? I have read in several different places that it's very important The entire shell equally hydrated before plaster. Perhaps @onBalance could chime in on this one..

 

[lizard41]

Is all the white spotting only where the gunite was wet before they put on the plaster? I have read in several different places that it's very important The entire shell equally hydrated before plaster. Perhaps @onBalance could chime in on this one..

Thanks a lot for your reply. Yes, those spots were where the gunite was wet before plaster but I think I saw them drain the water before the plaster was shot. I think they drained it 30 mins-hr before they shot the plaster. I have tons of pics of the entire plaster process so whatever I can provide I am willing to do.

 

[onBalance]

Unfortunately, the photos do not provide a clear distinction of the white discoloration and is not pronounced enough to be able to offer an strong opinion. I am pretty sure it is cosmetic and not structural. You should contact the contractor asap and document that you made this plaster problem known to him. Ask him what and why the plaster is discoloring.

It is more likely that the white discoloration gets worse rather than better. Keep all records on water testing because the contractor may suggest that the discoloring problem is water chemistry involved.

Check this link as to what may be the issue with some of the whitening areas around the pool. White Spotting of New Plaster Pools

However, where water was seeping into the pool prior to filling is a more serious and different plaster issue. Make sure you mention that to the contractor. I hope he will acknowledge that and deal with it appropriately. @bdavis466 may have some experience in this regard.

btw, you should ask the TFP Mods to remove your other thread about your pool. Just stay with one thread. (Done!)

 

[bdavis466]

Is this an NPT finish?

The deep end discoloration was probably either from the acid wash or the washing the cream off the surface to expose the pebble. I've seen that happen when the water was allowed to pool for an extended time with a high concentration of the cement paste in it.

It's common to add an additive to the acid during the acid wash so it clings to the walls and doesn't just run off...who knows what they may have used.

Unfortunately I don't see any simple fix for this since that discoloration is probably the entire thickness of the plaster. Does brushing with a wire brush aggressively do anything to those areas?

 

[lizard41]

Thanks for all the feedback. To answer your question, our plaster is Pebble Tech Sheen *blue surf. We expressed our issues with the builder who had the installer come out and take a look at the pool. He acknowledged the staining and suggested we reconnect in 90 days so we could see if the startup and regular maintenance would help. We are on day 45/90 and like I stated...no positive changes. Our builder contacted the installer again and he said they would do an acid wash treatment with a diver. Have you heard of this being done? I am worried that will not be the solution. I would rather tackle the issue head on rather than beat around the bush doing these "acid treatments" that will ultimately age the plaster. What do you think? Should I push for a complete plaster re-do? Is that out of line based on the condition on the plaster? @bdavis466 @onBalance