Considering Pebble Tec but have concerns

Jump to latest Follow Reply
P

Plazaglass

0
Bronze Supporter
Sep 24, 2015
72
Atlantic Beach, FL
I've searched the archives, but didn't find any discussions of this particular question in the last year or so, and we're very close to nailing down our specs:

Is Pebble Tec too rough?

I understand the longevity advantages of Pebble Tec, but have read enough stories about how it's too rough on skin. That's a big concern.

I also have read that plaster can last quite a long time if the pool's chemistry is kept in proper balance. Appearance-wise, I would probably be fine with either finish.

So, experienced pool people, has the original Pebble Tec product been improved in the last few years, as far as its smoothness?

If you recommend a different Pebble Tec product (Fina or Sheen), does it cost a great deal more than the original?

Thanks in advance!
 
Plaza, it really is just a personal preference and what you consider rough. If you are someone who always wears shoes, then you may find it all too rough.

PT comes in Tec, Sheen, Fina, Beadcrete and now Brillance (a mix of glass and pebble) with different size pebbles in each. Fina is supposed to be the smoothest pebble with the smallest pebbles. I have Sheen and don't think it's too rough although on occasion I have scraped the bottom of my toe. Tec has the larger Pebbles and I would figure it would be roughest. Beadcrete is all glass so I'm guessing would be super smooth.

The best way to judge is to go visit pools with each of the finishes. Sorry I couldn't be much more help.
 
We have fina it's less expensive than the original large aggregate Pebble Tec and supposedly won't last quite as long 10 to 15 years avg vs 20+ from what we were told. As for the feel when walking laying or touching it I wold say not rough but not glass smooth either. No adults have complained or hurt themselves on and I spend hours at a time in the pool. One of the kids kicked the side while swimming it removed a few layers of skin of the top of a toe but I suspect that would have happened with any finish.

I like Marlahoutex's suggestion though try to go feel a few.
 
Thanks for the replies.

I'll ask our builder if he can direct us to some existing pools that we can check out.

Our pool will be tiny, so no one will be playing volleyball in it for hours :) and no small kids here, so it's really just a concern about how rough it feels even without running around on it.

These choices with long-term consequences are getting to me!
 
I went through the same thought process. I also had a local PB we were getting a quote from that had both Pebbletec and Pebblesheen in their display pools. We also tested out Pebblesheen on 2 other local pools.

In the end we decided on Pebblesheen for a number of reasons.
1. We loved the look of the pebbles and water color. We chose Blue Granite.
2. It has a longer warranty
3. It was not too rough. IMO, PebbleTec was too rough but not Pebblesheen. Now that we have had it for over a month, it actually seems like the perfect compromise. I have evaluated this in my mind heavily as I am playing with the kids, swimming, etc. and I have no reason to believe that we should have chosen something else.

I have been in really smooth plaster pools and there is not enough grip. I have been in rough plaster pools and it can hurt your feel after a little while or even blister if in it a long time.

Time will tell if it holds up but I never could find anything but the odd scenario where there might have been a install issue.

One thing to know is that on the edges of the steps, it is rougher where there is a 90 degree angle. If you run into it hard, you may be scraped. This could happen when regular plaster too though but maybe not as often.

Hope this helps. At this point, if I were to do it all over again, we would choose the same finish and color.

On my build thread you can see pictures of the PebbleTec install in process and the final with water at the end. New Build Design, Equipment Plan Advice - Florida
 
Agree with everything mgmoore7 said. I looked at Pebbletec and Pebblesheen and went with Pebblesheen. We have kids so comfort was definitely something we considered and Pebblesheen provides the right amount of traction without being too rough. It's a great looking finish but my main reason for going with Pebblesheen was the quality of the installers and the durability of the finish.
 
We had pebble fina on our last pool and are doing it again on this one. Yes, it looks a lot like regular plaster, but it has the aggregate crushed up in it and what you can't see from photos on the web is that some of the aggregate has quartz and stuff that sparkles in the sun. It's smooth and although you can get the occasional scrape, we've played basketball and volleyball for hours without trashing our feet.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
I have NPT mini-pebble, which is the equivalent of PebbleSheen. I've scraped my foot/toe and hand on it a couple times enough to draw blood. I wish it was a bit smoother. My neighbor has regular Pebbletec and it's definitely too rough for me. I've had kids get blisters and scrapes on our plaster. With all that being said, I would get the same finish cuz I love the look of my midnight blue and the durability. If money was no object, I would get the whole pool plastered with glass beads or tile.
 
We actually considered going with BeadCrete, but we heard that it can have issues as well. It was going to be substantially more expensive...buy pay once and enjoy, right? We heard: a) some of the beads break and can be sharp, b) it doesn't shimmer as much installed as it does on the little sample that the PB has.
 
Well, we met with the PB today to start setting things into motion and it turns out he doesn't do Pebble Tec. I think I saw "pebble" in his rough estimate and my brain added "tec."

So, he's speccing Premix Marbletite's Marquis or Freestone series. We now have the address of a local showroom we can visit. Don't know anything about this product yet, but I know I'll be looking for the smoothest finish they offer!

Thanks, everyone, for your help. Apologize for the goose chase, but I'm sure this conversation will help others who search the site for Pebble Tec opinions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cgtx
Pebble Tec is the main brand of quartz pool finish most everyone knows like Tempur Pedic is to memory foam So the exercise was not a total waist for the most part every manufacture has a product line that is comparable to the others both in texture and color palette offered.
 
mrwiggles said:
We had pebble fina on our last pool and are doing it again on this one. Yes, it looks a lot like regular plaster, but it has the aggregate crushed up in it and what you can't see from photos on the web is that some of the aggregate has quartz and stuff that sparkles in the sun. It's smooth and although you can get the occasional scrape, we've played basketball and volleyball for hours without trashing our feet.
Click to expand...

How long did you have the pebble fina installed in your last pool? And when you moved (I am assuming) did you notice any issues with durability, changes, etc? Thanks!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply