Wrong pebble tec installed

[MAPR-Austin]

In my experience, that stain from the fill line will not be able to be removed. Maybe slightly improved, but that part of the finish has cured differently from the rest.

OrlandoBull is right, it looks like they did not do a water wash/compact pebble/acid wash process - it looks like they just installed it and then acid washed it. I think the surface would still last a long time as is though. Did they wash the surface the same day as installation or the day after?

Dirk is pointing you in the right direction for sure. There is a resolution out there where it only costs you aggravation instead of more money, but you need to navigate it correctly. Well worth involving an attorney and having them draft up your demand letter on their letterhead and have it delivered by certified mail.

The GOOD news is your pool can be used while you sort this all out and have the surface redone. It could be worse...

 

[Jdyer1960]

So far you've been getting excellent advice! The standouts:

- My experience is exclusively in CA, so you need to make sure any advice you get here actually applies in FL.

- You can't yet bring in another company. You have to write a demand letter first. That letter will likely need to include certain components to make it a true demand letter. In CA, that is a description of the facts, your demands, a deadline to perform, and a statement that non-performance will result in another contractor finishing the job and that you are going to sue for the cost of the repair should the PB not pay for the repair. FL may differ.

- In CA, once the demand letter is delivered, you would be entering a "Good Faith Dispute." While in a GFD you do not need to make any further payments until the dispute is resolved. If you are found to be in the wrong, you might be on the hook for some interest, but that will be negligible. Best not to pay any more until you're satisfied. So you might check to see if FL has a similar GFD statute.

- Before you go down that road, ideally you can get a meet with the PB. Be sure you have a witness present for all future meetings, ideally not a relative. Follow up all meetings with an email that recaps what was said. Your witness might take notes for you during the meeting, to capture the conversation.

- You somehow need to determine if this was actually PebbleTec and if the PB is an authorized PebbleTec installer. That is going to make a huge difference. I helped someone else here that got their finish replaced under the PebbleTec warranty, and was able to avoid all the legal falderal. That's what you want. Even if the PB continues to ignore you, you might be able to get a PebbleTec rep to your pool to assess the install and perhaps help you pressure the PB to perform.

The reason I mention that last point is that I agree with post #10. I came to the same conclusion before reading it, just by looking at your pics. The color issue aside, you've got a stained finish and it wasn't installed correctly in the first place. IMO, "learning to live with the color" is not an option, as your finish installation is substandard. If it is PebbleTec, they should recognize that and either make the PB fix it, or arrange to have another authorized installer fix or replace it. It is entirely possible that your finish was not properly acid washed, and that the true color is still under there somewhere. Acid washing will also likely fix the stain. So that is the best case scenario. Worst case: complete replacement, which won't compromise your shell unduly. In fact, it will improve not only the appearance but also the longevity of the finish.

So first steps:
- demand letter (after determining FL's format requirements)
- continue to try to meet with PB (step up the requests, squeaky wheel and all that)
- determine if PB is an authorized PebbleTec installer (PebbleTec might be able to tell you, so call them if you have to)

We'll continue to track your progress and offer help when we can.

Thank you very much, I will take all that advice. I really appreciate all the details, snd the time you r taken to help me

 

[Jdyer1960]

In my experience, that stain from the fill line will not be able to be removed. Maybe slightly improved, but that part of the finish has cured differently from the rest.

OrlandoBull is right, it looks like they did not do a water wash/compact pebble/acid wash process - it looks like they just installed it and then acid washed it. I think the surface would still last a long time as is though. Did they wash the surface the same day as installation or the day after?

Dirk is pointing you in the right direction for sure. There is a resolution out there where it only costs you aggravation instead of more money, but you need to navigate it correctly. Well worth involving an attorney and having them draft up your demand letter on their letterhead and have it delivered by certified mail.

The GOOD news is your pool can be used while you sort this all out and have the surface redone. It could be worse...

From what I remember, they put the plaster on, left it over night, then acid washed it following day and put several
Oh my hoses in the pool to fill it. Then came back 5 days later to put chemicals in it, brushed the walls, and started the filtration. So my pool was green for 5 days .

 

[Dirk]

Green? IMO, they neglected the fill and the startup.

 

[Jdyer1960]

I just thought I'd fill you all in. I had a representative come look at my pool. It's not stone scapes at all. It's Florida stucco company which is a brush application. So now this makes everything even worse. I've also just been notified that no permit was pulled for the new hot tub. I'm starting my demand letter now .

 

[ajw22]

That is bordering on fraud. Demand a full chipout and replaster with the proper materials or see you in court.

Can you get something is writing saying what you got was Florida stucco company ?

 

[Dirk]

So now this makes everything even worse.

Maybe, maybe not. If they installed something that breeches the contract, it would remove the sticky business of anyone having to prove one way or another about the quality of the work. It just means it gets replaced. Now who does the work, and who ultimately pays for it, is still up in the air, but at least the ambiguity of the necessity for a redo would be removed.

 

[OrlandoBull]

That makes sense, definitely looks more like that product from photos I have seen online. I don't know that there is anything inherently wrong with the product, but if you were contracted for something else and they swapped without notifying you, they are in breach.

The permitting is a whole other issue, that could be even more expensive for the contractor to deal with... honestly at this point, I would have an attorney write your demand letter. I suspect that you could pay a couple hundred dollars to have them do it, then if you have to get into litigation, they will probably work on contingency fee, so you wouldn't have anything out of pocket unless you prevail.

 

[Jdyer1960]

That makes sense, definitely looks more like that product from photos I have seen online. I don't know that there is anything inherently wrong with the product, but if you were contracted for something else and they swapped without notifying you, they are in breach.

The permitting is a whole other issue, that could be even more expensive for the contractor to deal with... honestly at this point, I would have an attorney write your demand letter. I suspect that you could pay a couple hundred dollars to have them do it, then if you have to get into litigation, they will probably work on contingency fee, so you wouldn't have anything out of pocket unless you prevail.

I started writing my own demand letter, and realized quite quickly I was allowing too much emotion into it, so I'm hiring a lawyer to write it. NPT is sending another representative out, snd will give me a full report. 1st person said it was one of the worst jobs he's seen. He said at this point I need a full redo with chip out, and my brand new tile will more than likely need replacing. He said now that it's been a month, that an acid wash would not fix the imperfections.

 

[setsailsoon]

Make sure the attorney knows where you are on progress payments vs your contract and what he advises on this.

 

[Dirk]

NPT is sending another representative out, snd will give me a full report. 1st person said it was one of the worst jobs he's seen. He said at this point I need a full redo with chip out, and my brand new tile will more than likely need replacing. He said now that it's been a month, that an acid wash would not fix the imperfections.

Again, bad news but good as well. Having an expert of that stature siding with your take will go a long way. If you get all that in a report from him, that will be some good leverage, and even better evidence if it comes to that.

I started writing my own demand letter, and realized quite quickly I was allowing too much emotion into it, so I'm hiring a lawyer to write it.

Ha! Sounds familiar. I would send drafts of my demand letter and subsequent communications to my friend. A writer, not a lawyer. He would typically redline about 75%!

And I'd be all "Yah, but I really wanna make the point that..."

"Nope," he'd say: