Standard plaster is eight years old - what to upgrade to?

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squirk

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Sep 9, 2016
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Southeast Louisiana
My pool was installed in 2013 with plain old dove-grey marcite plaster. Over the years, the plaster color has become mottled and streaky, though I don’t know if it’s due to my water chemistry, or if the plaster hadn’t cured properly before the pool was filled or what. Regardless, it doesn’t look awesome.

That said, the plaster doesn’t have any cracks or appear to be crumbling anywhere, so I’m in no immediate rush to get the pool resurfaced. However, from what I’ve read, the plaster is approaching the end of its lifespan, so I’m starting to think about what to resurface with when the time comes.

I don’t think I want plaster again. And I don’t think I want tile, either. So that leaves aggregate, basically?

If so, is there any particular type of aggregate that’s currently in-favor? PebbleTec? Beadcrete? DiamondBrite? I really don’t know where to begin.

Any suggestions on where to start would be most appreciated. Please and thank you.
 
sktn77a said:
Eight years isn't old for a pool surface. Have you considered an acid wash? Not popular on this site (for some good reasons) but a lot less expensive than replastering and may give you another 5+ years of useful life.
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Thanks, I know of it, but haven't really looked at it closely. I am in a position where I can handle the upgrade cost to some form of aggregate, and I know I am going to do it eventually. I figure why not just do it now and get it squared away vs. kicking the can down the road, y'know?

It seems like PebbleTec and Beadcrete are kind of the Coke and Pepsi in this regard, maybe? On my preliminary reading, Beadcrete is more expensive, but maybe easier on the feet. I just don't know if there are other options out there that compete with those two.
 
The best advice I can give you is to try out the surface before hand. Several builders have test areas or builds you can walk on or try out. There are different levels of aggregate within the PebbleTech family. The other thing that is very important is the skill of the installer. Good luck with your decision.
 
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PoolGate said:
Plaster can easily last 15-20 years. You are looking at $20k-$30k for a re-plaster.
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I think a replaster runs half that amount. Depending on the area and how busy the plaster crews are it should be $8k for standard white plaster to $15K for a premium finish. Add a few K more if you want a full chipout.

I agree with the suggestion to find some pebble pools to try before you buy. Pebble finishes are too rough for me to enjoy. There are smooth quartz finishes that last as long as pebble.
 
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I have PebbleTec. It's a bit rough on the feet if you're playing basketball or volleyball. If you do more floating than sports, pebble is fine.

Some people call mottling and fading "character." If "character" is not for you, steer away from dark finishes. I have Black Marble PebbleTec. If I had it to do over again, I would go with a light color.
 
squirk said:
Thanks. All of the browsing I'd been doing suggested 8-10 years for standard plaster. If I knew it was going to give up the ghost in a few years, I'd resurface. But if I know it has a decent chance of lasting another 8-10 years, yeah, I'd go a different route.
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My neighbor's pool is coming up on 20 years with the original plaster. It is pitted in places but still solid, no cracks or delaminations. He is planning on selling his house in a couple years and will replace the plaster just before it sells to enhance the pool.
 
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