HELP -- New Plaster, white streaking

[ride525]

Sunday November 3, 6:30pm
Help out brand new pool (well refinished pool) has white streaking
Pool replastered Friday, and refill with water started.
Water finished filling late Saturday morning.
Builder had his pool guy come by, but it wasn't quite full yet.
So pool guy added a small bit of chlorine without testing, and said he could not come back Saturday, nor Sunday.

My tests show virtually no chlorine, maybe 0.5. pH is off the charts, over 8.2. TA is 110.s
Been brooming and vacuumming up the dust. Cleaned out filter today.
Lower pH to actual about 8.2 .

Is the white streaking caused from the new plaster and high pH? What can be done?

Thanks so much, I'm really frustrated.

 

[PoolStored]

What startup guide is your pool re-plasterer using?

Plaster Start-Up Guides - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[ajw22]

You and your pool guy should be following a Plaster Start-Up Guides - Further Reading for the first 28 days of plaster curing.

White Spotting of New Plaster Pools The problem of plaster spotting has been an ongoing puzzle and controversy in the swimming pool industry for over three decades. The generally round, smooth-yet-unsightly white soft spots in new plaster pools have long been a source of contention among pool plasterers, and pool chemical service firms or pool owners, each blaming the other for the phenomenon

Plaster Installation and Maintenance - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[sktn77a]

The pool guy will probably tell you "Give it a couple of months, the streaks will disappear."
Tell him you'll pay him the balance in a couple of months.

 

[ride525]

First , i want to really thank those that respoded. I was really tired last night and felt abdoned by the pool builder. Saturday, he did not return to help after visiting me a couple of hours before pool fill was completed. His pool guy stopped by, is very nice, but Spanish was his main language. He called a friend and we chatted some through his translator. But, I've read NOT to use a vacuum with wheels, and he wanted to us what I think is normally a very good vacuum, one of those like I own, similar to this Amazon.com . Except the pool guys is bigger and more wheels. I freaked out a bit with it having wheels, for new plaster. But pool guys flex was missing one front wheel on the outside. I would think that would be hard to avoid scratches on corners.

Pool guy didn't stay long on Saturday, as my pool wasn't yet filled, and said he could come back two days later. He put in a small amount of chlorine without testing, less than 1/2 gallon, perhaps a quart or so. He directed me to keep acid about 3 and pH around 7.5. No mention of chorine stabilizer or sequestrat. I don't think I've ever used sequestrat, so am clueless about what to get there, and even how necessary it is.

Last night I finally got pH down to about 7.4, it had been off the chart purple, well ABOVE 8.2. Chlorine is about 3. Oh, the plan. I think the plan is some form of the standard plan.

The white is not, for the most part spots of white, it more like a white haze over the sky blue plaster. Pool looked good Sunday morning, but, over the day Sunday, developed a haze in places. Especially noticable in swimout and stairs (both shallow areas. The Spa is hard to sweep and vacuum, it's bacially a small half circle.

Anyway, is this haze fixable?

Note, the builder has been wonderful up this point, he has gone out of his way to make things right.

Thanks reading and helping!

 

[ajw22]

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.

Go through the the startup process and let the plaster cure and then evaluate what you have in about 8 weeks.

Are you brushing the pool daily?

 

[ride525]

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.

Go through the the startup process and let the plaster cure and then evaluate what you have in about 8 weeks.

Are you brushing the pool daily?

So, I could use my "The Pool Cleaner"? What about my smaller model of Maytronics Dolphin? Crud, this could have been easier. It feels like I've been brushing constantly. But there are some white streaks now.

It feels like I've been brushing constantly last two days.

Oh, the plaster finish feels pretty hard. I tried a very small test with fingernail, and could not see any surface change.

Thanks for writing , I really want to get rid of the white streaks.

But "8 weeks"? To quote Veruca Salt from Willie Wonka, "I want it now", I want my pool surface to look good now.

 

[ajw22]

You are not going to get rid of the white streaks by yourself.

Show us pictures of the white streaks.

 

[ride525]

You are not going to get rid of the white streaks by yourself.

Show us pictures of the white streaks.

Picture with tiles is a swimout. Other pictures are at 5 feet depth, same area with one picture zoomed in some. The pool has to be really still to see the white blotches.

 

[ajw22]

First of all, give the plaster a few weeks to cure.

In a few weeks sand some of the white areas with 80/100 grit sandpaper or a diamond sanding pad and see what color is exposed.

That type of mottling is within the normal range for colored plaster.

I think that is white spotting from late troweling and maybe too much calcium added. Let's see what @onBalance thinks.

 

[ride525]

First of all, give the plaster a few weeks to cure.

In a few weeks sand some of the white areas with 80/100 grit sandpaper or a diamond sanding pad and see what color is exposed.

That type of mottling is within the normal range for colored plaster.

I think that is white spotting from late troweling and maybe too much calcium added. Let's see what @onBalance thinks.

Thank you so much for your replies. The water here is pretty hard.
I just wanted to do everthing I could before it was too late.

 

[ajw22]

The water here is pretty hard.

Hard water has nothing to do with why calcium may be added to the plaster mix. Plasters add calcium chloride and water to the mix to expend workability of the plaster as it is trowled on. That can create the mottling.

I just wanted to do everthing I could before it was too late.

The plaster is done and in. You are not going to change what is in your pool.

Ten Guidelines for Quality Pool Plaster

There are proper steps to follow for the making of durable pool plaster. There are also improper practices that can lead to early deterioration or discoloration. Following is a ten-point checklist that will help achieve a lasting and discoloration free plaster. 1. The best cement/aggregate...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[onBalance]

Please test your tap water and post what the pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness is of your tap water that was used to fill the pool. And then test the pool water for the same things and post. The "whiteness" isn't too bad, therefore perhaps an easy fix later.

 

[ride525]

Please test your tap water and post what the pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness is of your tap water that was used to fill the pool. And then test the pool water for the same things and post. The "whiteness" isn't too bad, therefore perhaps an easy fix later.

Tap water -- pH 8.2 : TA 140 : Hardness 140
Pool water -- pH 7.6 : TA 80 : Hardness 140

 

[onBalance]

The calcium hardness should be increased to 250 ppm.
Keep brushing, especially after any chemicals are added.
If there are white streaks, make sure the PB is aware of that asap.
Make sure the acid and chlorine is diluted before adding.
It is unlikely that the chemistry of the water has anything to do with the streaks.
We should wait about a month and then take some photos. Perhaps we will have a better idea on how to proceed.

 

[ride525]

Sound's like 17.8 pounds for my 17,500 gallon pool.

 

[ride525]

I haven't been diluting the acid or the chlorine when I put it in the pool, but normally it's small amounts of each. I slowly pour the amounts where a return pushes water over a swimout, and the acid or chlorine gets pushed out and over the the very deep end of the pool. Is this a crummy practice, and should I be diluting the chlorine and the acid during this "startup" of the new plaster? How about dilution after the start-up time?

So far, the chlorine and acid have been brought to stable levels. Sequestrant was added yesterday, on Day 3. Calcium was not added yesterday, but I was told today, Tuesday Day 4. No stabilizer added yet.

First Pool Guy showed up on Saturday morning Day 1. He added a very small amount of chlorine, maybe a quart or two without a test. Nor does he know the size of my pool. The pool was about an hour from complete fill, so did nothing more, and said he could not come back that afternoon, nor on Sunday. But he said someone would come on Monday, a different guy came, but also did not speak English. So I was left with brushing and vacuuming. I'm 73 had admit, I did a less than perfect job of brushing with a large brush. I didn't even have a acceptable vacuum until early Sunday morning. Perhaps this contributted to what I consider a less than perfect finish. (With any kind of surface disturbance, what I consider flaws in the finish, are not noticeable.)

Any more suggestions at this point about next steps.

Thanks, this has been really frustrating to me, with otherwise was a very supported pool rebuild.

 

[ajw22]

I haven't been diluting the acid or the chlorine when I put it in the pool, but normally it's small amounts of each. I slowly pour the amounts where a return pushes water over a swimout, and the acid or chlorine gets pushed out and over the the very deep end of the pool.

That is fine. Keep doing that.

Is this a crummy practice, and should I be diluting the chlorine and the acid during this "startup" of the new plaster? How about dilution after the start-up time?

Confirm you are using muriatic acid and not dry acid?

Dilution is not necessary and we recommend not handling acid more then necessary.

Use your pool brush to mix the water in the area you add the chemicals.

So far, the chlorine and acid have been brought to stable levels. Sequestrant was added yesterday, on Day 3. Calcium was not added yesterday, but I was told today, Tuesday Day 4. No stabilizer added yet.

All sounds fine. Maintain the pool following the startup process.

First Pool Guy showed up on Saturday morning Day 1. He added a very small amount of chlorine, maybe a quart or two without a test. Nor does he know the size of my pool. The pool was about an hour from complete fill, so did nothing more, and said he could not come back that afternoon, nor on Sunday. But he said someone would come on Monday, a different guy came, but also did not speak English. So I was left with brushing and vacuuming. I'm 73 had admit, I did a less than perfect job of brushing with a large brush. I didn't even have a acceptable vacuum until early Sunday morning. Perhaps this contributted to what I consider a less than perfect finish. (With any kind of surface disturbance, what I consider flaws in the finish, are not noticeable.)

Plaster is a hand applied finish and is rarely perfect. It all depends on the crew you get and the way the stars align. Your finish does not look bad. All that was done was backed in by the application crew.

 

[ride525]

Confirm you are using muriatic acid and not dry acid?

Yes, muriatic acid.

 

[ride525]

Took some pictures this morning. Color actually looks more aqua that blue. Is this normal three days since pool was filled. Picture 1 is swimout, Picture 2 and 3 are small spa, 4, 5 are bottom mid depth, 6 is the drain, about 9 or 10 feet.
Thoughts? Am I expecting too much? Will pool get looking better with time? Thanks so much.