You will need the pump running and a FAT wallet you don't mind being almost empty with how much the heating may cost.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,743
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
What heater will you have?
Will you have a pool cover?
That will probably not work due to corrosive condensation.
Heater Condensation - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
You need the pump running to heat the pool and provide freeze protection.
Thanks for the advice. I’m surprised the plaster company didn’t warn me. I have a gas pentair heater and will have an automatic pool cover but either way it sounds like I should hold off on plaster until spring.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,743
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Really the plaster company does not care about your pool start-up. Whatever problems you have they will blame on your startup and water chemistry being off.
They would rather get it done now and get your money.
In the Spring you want to plaster after night time temperatures will be over 50F so that they do not add calcium accelerant to the plaster mix. Adding calcium when plastering in colder weather is what aggravates mottling in the plaster.
One of the startup instructions says no running heater (for my gas pentair) for 30 days after plastering
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,743
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Plaster Installation and Maintenance - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
Why no heater use for first 30 days? With new plaster there is a lot of plaster dust in the water and the pH is usually very high. When you heat water the potential for scale formation in the heater increases significantly. The actual timeframe for waiting to use the heater has no real merit. As long as the plaster dust is under control and the pH is in range there is no reason not to use it. Your risk of rushing to use the heater is scale clogging up the heater coil.
Why no wheeled cleaner for first 30 days? Plaster is sufficiently hard once the pool is full of water. Pool cleaners can be installed and utilized after about two days if there is no plaster dust forming. The reason that tracks develop is usually from plaster dust being "packed down" by the pool cleaner wheels and then not removed by brushing. So it can look like an "indention" (and discolored) but it is not an indention. Brushing afterwards can help prevent the plaster dust from sticking on the plaster.
Rented some nice coping forms from a local pool builder and poured my coping and cover box. All went well except forms that are stuck in the cover box. Trying to pry, chop and break the forms out now.
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Lots of water from a crazy wet winter here in Utah, lots of ground water that filled up the pool, but put a trash pump in after diving to the bottom and opening the drain in the floor to the ground brr that was cold!! Took about 20 dives with some pliers before I finally got it open.
Still waffling on what to use for my final finish. ~20k for pebbletech or ~10k for plaster or sider crete? or polyurea? or rebound? or ? Pebble guys wont provide any waranty because they have never done icf before. Will pebble really last longer then plaster?
Still waffling on what to use for my final finish. ~20k for pebbletech or ~10k for plaster or sider crete? or polyurea? or rebound? or ? Pebble guys wont provide any waranty because they have never done icf before. Will pebble really last longer then plaster?
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I think the better question is WHAT will stick to the icf? See plaster needs something "rough" to stick to. How does icf feel? Can it be roughed up?
I am going to ping a could of people who might know.
Guys even if you have not done it before please share any ideas you have about his icf and plaster:
@AQUA~HOLICS @onBalance @ajw22
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,743
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
There are no guarantees on how long any pool finish will last. There are many ways a pool finish can be worn prematurely. Some man caused and some acts of god.
I would not go a pebble finish simply for its expected long life. For 1/2 the cost you can do the plaster finish twice and break even. And if you have good luck with the plaster finish you can come out ahead.
Typically a Pebble finish will last longer than standard plaster, the bulk of the finish is pebble and the larger the aggregate the stronger the material.
With standard plaster a draw back is staining and chemical reactions.
With standard plaster a draw back is staining and chemical reactions.
I sprayed and rolled on a bunch of coats of SCRATCH KOTE 2000 and made sure the surface was very rough so I think the bond should be pretty good also after the first coat is a layer of fiberglass mesh that is used for stucco. I think pebble tec can last a little longer but doubt it will last twice as long? This is a DIY pool so a little staining isnt going to bother me with plaster. I probably should have gone with a liner and been done with it last year but its too late to change now. I see some folks using sider crete on icf but not sure it would have the longevity of plaster or pebble.
- Jul 16, 2012
- 7,212
- Pool Size
- 27000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
We went with a gray tinted plaster. It was tinted with some Diamond Brite quartz in Onyx, along with standard Portland cement and Marcite. The result is a non-solid color grey which we love. It is mottled, for whatever the reason, and we love it. Trying to get something perfectly uniform can be an exercise in futility so we went with something that would intentionally not be uniform.
My perspective, now that we've had our pool for 10 years (hard to believe), and now that I see our plaster could easily go to 15 plus years but then be ready, is that with the cheaper option that likely is somewhat shorter lived, is that you get a fantastic looking pool a second time while those who spent more are most likely beginning to see a lot of fading or other potential aesthetic issues but aren't ready to replace. They will want to get their full lifespan of 20 years out of it because they paid more for it. At that time, you also get a chance to replace your tile, which may be starting to crack or fall off anyway. Or maybe I'm just justifying where I'll be in 5 years. And maybe I'll move in 4 years and it will be a great decision because it will still look plenty good to sell.
On a similar note, we paid for 3-tab shingles versus architectural shingles 25 years ago. We just replaced them with a basic architectural, and we subsequently have a brand new look, while most of our neighbors have stained architectural shingles that don't look wonderful but they don't want to replace them because they still have lots of life left. It's a hidden cost to upgrading.
My other perspective is that over time, for many products in our lives, we now have raised our expectations of what is normal (and not just because I'm older and can afford more). Plaster was normal, and although still quite acceptable, is not the norm. So the base cost of every decision has increased. For for another example, consider home appliances today versus 20 years ago.
If you truly value the perceived or real improvement in appearance, go with a mini-pebble or quartz. If not, save money and have the last laugh.
My perspective, now that we've had our pool for 10 years (hard to believe), and now that I see our plaster could easily go to 15 plus years but then be ready, is that with the cheaper option that likely is somewhat shorter lived, is that you get a fantastic looking pool a second time while those who spent more are most likely beginning to see a lot of fading or other potential aesthetic issues but aren't ready to replace. They will want to get their full lifespan of 20 years out of it because they paid more for it. At that time, you also get a chance to replace your tile, which may be starting to crack or fall off anyway. Or maybe I'm just justifying where I'll be in 5 years. And maybe I'll move in 4 years and it will be a great decision because it will still look plenty good to sell.
On a similar note, we paid for 3-tab shingles versus architectural shingles 25 years ago. We just replaced them with a basic architectural, and we subsequently have a brand new look, while most of our neighbors have stained architectural shingles that don't look wonderful but they don't want to replace them because they still have lots of life left. It's a hidden cost to upgrading.
My other perspective is that over time, for many products in our lives, we now have raised our expectations of what is normal (and not just because I'm older and can afford more). Plaster was normal, and although still quite acceptable, is not the norm. So the base cost of every decision has increased. For for another example, consider home appliances today versus 20 years ago.
If you truly value the perceived or real improvement in appearance, go with a mini-pebble or quartz. If not, save money and have the last laugh.
Poured the deck over the weekend with help from my brothers and kids. Mostly 7’ wide but 8’ at the diving board end. Saw cut expansion joints then put a drip line and plastic sheet to slow the cure. Pebble sheen coming Thursday. 
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Do you mean the icf panel? I probably should have but I didn’t. There wasn’t any room between the icf and the dirt wall. As far as sealing the concrete I plan to do that but have to wait for the concrete to cure longer. I have used cure n seal on concrete in the past but the concrete specialty store was out and thought it might make the deck more slick.
- Jul 16, 2012
- 7,212
- Pool Size
- 27000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I sealed once and never again. Any added slickness was not good for us. Mostly in one area that has little texture to it.