Shoddy Replaster?

[MD-DanPool]

We just had our pool replastered on Tuesday. Filled with water Tuesday night and got the pump running and water balanced Wednesday morning. I've been following the manufacturer's start-up instructions exactly. Added sequestrant as pool was being filled, got Alkalinity up to 80 ppm, PH to 7.4 and calcium up to 250 ppm. No chlorine yet. Brushing 2x/day with a 50/50 brush. I'm starting to get concerned with a section of plaster in the shallow end that looks a good bit lighter than the rest of the finish (see pics). I noticed after the guys left and before water reached this section, there was more plaster "dust" in this area than there was in the rest of the pool (see pic w/out water). Will this eventually go away as the plaster cures? Am I being too picky? Should the plaster company correct this? It's a Wet Edge Luna Quartz Bermuda finish.

Here's the uneven finish:


Here's what this area looked like after the guys exposed it and before water reached it:


The other thing I'm concerned about is what appears to be pits around different spots in the shallow end. I noticed when brushing, these look like pieces of dirt, except they don't come up with the brush. I can't get close to the ones in the shallow end, but there is one on the top step. When I feel it, it feels like a pit in the plaster. What would cause this? I noticed the guys wearing special boots that limited contact with the plaster. Could they have forgotten to smooth out some of the holes these boots created? If I dig into the picture of the pit below, I can dig the dirt out. Are these imperfections normal? Can this be fixed? This is a close up w/ the pit and the dirt in it. There's probably 6 or 7 more of these (I think) on the bottom of the shallow end only. Can't get close but it looks like a sizeable piece of dirt that the brush has no effect on:

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

The pits are from the spikes on their boots. They can come back and fill them.

The lighter area will not go away on its own. If you talk with the builder they will probably suggest an acid wash.

Don't fall for an (inexpensive) and "mild" acid wash that will still remove some plaster, age the plaster finish, and does not guarantee that it will remove the discoloration or improve the finish.

Instead, a more effective remedy is to perform a sanding and polishing job. That procedure can provide a smooth (and non-etched) surface and finish.

Although I would not do anything and accept it as part of the natural variations in the pool.

 

[bmoreswim]

Agree. Turn on the pump and all of those color variations go away. And also agree, it's an art not a science. Should it be more consistent? Perhaps. Is the expectation for a very consistent finish higher than reasonable, probably in most cases. The indentations should be fixed. Not sure if they will match perfectly but they are small enough that any color variation wouldn't be a big deal.

 

[rlb1414]

I have the same small dark br

We just had our pool replastered on Tuesday. Filled with water Tuesday night and got the pump running and water balanced Wednesday morning. I've been following the manufacturer's start-up instructions exactly. Added sequestrant as pool was being filled, got Alkalinity up to 80 ppm, PH to 7.4 and calcium up to 250 ppm. No chlorine yet. Brushing 2x/day with a 50/50 brush. I'm starting to get concerned with a section of plaster in the shallow end that looks a good bit lighter than the rest of the finish (see pics). I noticed after the guys left and before water reached this section, there was more plaster "dust" in this area than there was in the rest of the pool (see pic w/out water). Will this eventually go away as the plaster cures? Am I being too picky? Should the plaster company correct this? It's a Wet Edge Luna Quartz Bermuda finish.

Here's the uneven finish:
View attachment 325902

Here's what this area looked like after the guys exposed it and before water reached it:
View attachment 325903

The other thing I'm concerned about is what appears to be pits around different spots in the shallow end. I noticed when brushing, these look like pieces of dirt, except they don't come up with the brush. I can't get close to the ones in the shallow end, but there is one on the top step. When I feel it, it feels like a pit in the plaster. What would cause this? I noticed the guys wearing special boots that limited contact with the plaster. Could they have forgotten to smooth out some of the holes these boots created? If I dig into the picture of the pit below, I can dig the dirt out. Are these imperfections normal? Can this be fixed? This is a close up w/ the pit and the dirt in it. There's probably 6 or 7 more of these (I think) on the bottom of the shallow end only. Can't get close but it looks like a sizeable piece of dirt that the brush has no effect on:

We just had our pool replastered on Tuesday. Filled with water Tuesday night and got the pump running and water balanced Wednesday morning. I've been following the manufacturer's start-up instructions exactly. Added sequestrant as pool was being filled, got Alkalinity up to 80 ppm, PH to 7.4 and calcium up to 250 ppm. No chlorine yet. Brushing 2x/day with a 50/50 brush. I'm starting to get concerned with a section of plaster in the shallow end that looks a good bit lighter than the rest of the finish (see pics). I noticed after the guys left and before water reached this section, there was more plaster "dust" in this area than there was in the rest of the pool (see pic w/out water). Will this eventually go away as the plaster cures? Am I being too picky? Should the plaster company correct this? It's a Wet Edge Luna Quartz Bermuda finish.

Here's the uneven finish:
View attachment 325902

Here's what this area looked like after the guys exposed it and before water reached it:
View attachment 325903

The other thing I'm concerned about is what appears to be pits around different spots in the shallow end. I noticed when brushing, these look like pieces of dirt, except they don't come up with the brush. I can't get close to the ones in the shallow end, but there is one on the top step. When I feel it, it feels like a pit in the plaster. What would cause this? I noticed the guys wearing special boots that limited contact with the plaster. Could they have forgotten to smooth out some of the holes these boots created? If I dig into the picture of the pit below, I can dig the dirt out. Are these imperfections normal? Can this be fixed? This is a close up w/ the pit and the dirt in it. There's probably 6 or 7 more of these (I think) on the bottom of the shallow end only. Can't get close but it looks like a sizeable piece of dirt that the brush has no effect on:
View attachment 325904

I also have the same dark brown spots only on the tanning ledge. No amount of scrubbing will lessen the stain. Please let me know what you have done if anything to remedy this issue. Please see photo.

 

[MD-DanPool]

Thanks for the feedback all! I've come to accept the uneven color finish. You can't notice it when the sun is out and shining. You can really only see it when it's cloudy and the water is calm. I have also visited some other pools and noticed the finish is also uneven in color. After some more reading, I think it's just part of getting this type of pool finish.

Regarding the dark spots, it was debris that worked itself out as the pool finish cured. The day they installed was breezy, and I think some debris from a tree near the pool blew into the plaster. I talked with the builder and they said to let the plaster fully cure and then they would evaluate. After it cured they sent out a crew to fix any imperfections in the finish from the debris, and some other spots I identified that needed to be filled in. Can't even notice where these spots were anymore.

I also noticed that there was a a rough finish in the same spot as the uneven color variation. I didn't notice this until we got into the pool to use it. It was very rough, like gritty sand paper. The builder sent out a crew to sand this down and make it smooth (same time they filled in any imperfections). All of this was done without having to drain any water. The sanding got rid of the gritty sandpaper feel but didn't really change any of the uneven color finish.

Overall I'm happy with the finish and have come to accept the spots with more color variation. All other imperfections and roughness were promptly addressed by the builder.

 

[Casey]

Sounds like you had a very attentive builder making sure you were satisfied. All colored plasters have some variations. It's your pools personality. Hope you love your pool for what it is. Nothing is perfect. Enjoy it.

 

[johnmastraci]

I have the same issue.