Plaster Discoloring?

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TexasPool128

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2019
114
N. Texas
My plaster is being replaced next week due to a crack in it. Even though it’s being replaced (it’s a 1 year old pool) is this plaster discoloring normal? It doesn’t seem to be doing it on the walls or the bottom but where it goes from the bottom to the walls is bad.
is this normal or more to do with a crappy plaster install?
I might add;
The CH kept climbing & climbing for no appearant reason, other than the plaster releasing (if that's correct), & it's now @ ~725. IDK why it kept climbing & climbing.
Thanks. AD18646F-C6C6-4242-8FF6-3EA85603BB00.jpegBD7DF8E9-82FE-4637-9FFD-F1D6434892D7.jpeg8EAE9071-DDFA-43D1-B118-DB0A62C65336.jpeg
 
Last edited:
I think your plaster is being replaced, not the gunite which forms the concrete shell under the plaster.

Hard to say from the pics if it is staining or plaster mottling.

Are they chipping out your old plaster? Information here may help you get a quality plaster job...

Plaster Installation and Maintenance - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
ajw22 said:
I think your plaster is being replaced, not the gunite which forms the concrete shell under the plaster.

Hard to say from the pics if it is staining or plaster mottling.

Are they chipping out your old plaster? Information here may help you get a quality plaster job...

Plaster Installation and Maintenance - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
Click to expand...
Yeah, I just came back to edit this after realizing I was calling the plaster gunite! Thanks.
Supposedly, they're removing all the plaster & replacing it all.
 
After they chip out the existing plaster make sure they paint a bond coat on the entire pool to prevent delamination and calcium nodules.
 
For your rising CH, what is the CH of your fill water? If you have to add fill water due to evaporation, your CH will climb.
 
After they chip out the existing plaster make sure they paint a bond coat on the entire pool to prevent delamination and calcium nodules.
 
mknauss said:
For your rising CH, what is the CH of your fill water? If you have to add fill water due to evaporation, your CH will climb.
Click to expand...
I haven't checked it but I will. I remember the PB telling me my water source is excellent & I should have no problems maintaining it. It was ~350 for the first couple of months then started climbing so I'd imagine it's good.


I know they started filling the pool w/water as soon as they were done troweling the plaster instead of waiting 6 hours. I'll see if I can make them wait this next time.
 
TexasPool128 said:
Also, what caused this area (and some others like it) to turn gray? It’s almost like it’s the gunite beneath. (Please ignore the shadows. No way to take a pic without them.)View attachment 128755
Click to expand...

How White Pool Plaster Can Turn Gray

One would think that when mixing white cement with white limestone aggregate, the final pool plaster product would always be white. But that is not always the case. Unfortunately, white pool plaster sometimes turns gray (or grey) either immediately or a few months after the pool is filled with...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 

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ajw22 said:

How White Pool Plaster Can Turn Gray

One would think that when mixing white cement with white limestone aggregate, the final pool plaster product would always be white. But that is not always the case. Unfortunately, white pool plaster sometimes turns gray (or grey) either immediately or a few months after the pool is filled with...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
Click to expand...
I get it almost uniformly turning gray but only minuscule areas turning gray doesn’t make sense. It looks like these areas were very aggressively scraped, which has not happened. I think there’s more to this than what’s linked in your thread. Thanks.
 
Some demo work. I tried to tell them we have extremely shallow ground water but they couldn’t comprehend. The gunite refilled with water every day, about a foot deep, during the original build. If the pool pops out of the ground, it’s on them!
AFC3EA6D-24CD-4456-AF69-B52C823D5191.jpeg52955AFE-DEE0-4939-9212-C568C25EE5A0.jpeg
 
Do the pictures above, when the pool is drained, look like normal discoloring of the plaster? Looks like trowel marks to me. Could it possibly be from my pool robot? I waited 10 days before using it, after plaster was done. These marks seem to have appeared in the last few months.
Below is a pic of the original issue and why the plaster is being replaced. You can see the patch they did. It’s about 1/2” wide by maybe 7” long.
CDF962F6-318C-44DC-8AB6-11D56702A6A5.jpeg
 
TexasPool128 said:
I waited 10 days before using it, after plaster was done. These marks seem to have appeared in the last few months.
Click to expand...

What start-up guide did you follow? Most start-up guides say to not used wheeled cleaners in new plaster for 28 days.

What start-up guide will you follow with your new plaster?

Plaster Start-Up Guides - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
ajw22 said:
What start-up guide did you follow? Most start-up guides say to not used wheeled cleaners in new plaster for 28 days.

What start-up guide will you follow with your new plaster?

Plaster Start-Up Guides - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
Click to expand...
The PB had a company do the start-up & I believe they used the acid method as I saw them dump 4 gal. of MA in it on about the 3rd or 4th day after it was completed. The PB & the plaster co. both told me to wait 10 days before running robot so that's what I did. The marks were not there, or not obviously there, until 7-8 months after pool was completed.

I will use the traditional method for start-up as long as the PB doesn't send a company again.

Thanks.
 
You are going to get a skim coat. That is bonding agent they put on the original plaster.

This is the cheap way. You will be replastering with a full chip out after a few years. You will need to be very careful how you manage your pool chemistry as you will have a very thin coat of 'good' plaster.
 
mknauss said:
You are going to get a skim coat. That is bonding agent they put on the original plaster.

This is the cheap way. You will be replastering with a full chip out after a few years. You will need to be very careful how you manage your pool chemistry as you will have a very thin coat of 'good' plaster.
Click to expand...
Great. I just informed the PB this as he hasn’t been here and probably is unaware of what they’re doing. I believe they should chip it all out and do it correctly but I don’t know if they will. I’ve tried to stay positive but finding this out has made me lose my patience.
 
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