Pool Surface, Plaster Advice... with Pic

[jshbkr]

Hello, hoping for some help.

To summarize: after draining pool, surface delaminated/bubbled in spots BUT I do not see concrete. Can the pool be refilled for a few more seasons until have $$ for replastering? See pic.

Details
- pool was drained to replace water and few delaminated spots patched with "hydraulic cement"
- After some rain more spots delaminated or bubbled (likely other spots are weak but not noticed yet)
- plaster is old, maybe >15yrs
- Each spot, cannot see concrete, so seems there's still a good barrier.
Since funds are limited, can the pool be refilled to be resurface at a later date? Cheapest and best option... looks are minor concern.
- Should bubbled spots be filled?
- How about painting the surface instead of plaster?

**In the pic, can see delaminated spot and patch spot using hydraulic cement**

Thanks for any help!

 

[Dirk]

I have only limited experience with this, but I'll share what I know. The blistering can continue even after the pool is filled, mine did. The longer you take to get the water back in (the weight of it back onto the plaster, the "wet" of it, too, etc), the worse it might get. So stalling the fill to fix what blisters there are might end up creating even more blisters!

Where do you live? Got any ground water table issues? Empty pools can float right out of the ground.

After the fill, you can do a leak test to determine if the plaster is holding water. It sounds like you know: it's the plaster that makes a pool "waterproof," not the underlying gunite, which is porous. If the plaster is leaking, you run the risk of water seeping into the concrete and reacting with the rebar. Something I wouldn't allow to go on for much time, if it were my pool... If the plaster holds water, and you can live with the blemishes, I don't see why you can't go as long as you want. Just do a leak test periodically...

 

[jshbkr]

Thanks for the reply, this is my thinking also. The pool's in Phoenix and we don't have to be concerned with a water table to my knowledge.

How do you perform a leak test? Only way in my thinking is reference to your normal evaporation and water fill, which would be a difficult calc without some type of history #s.

Is it normal for only portion of the plaster to blister, leaving another "solid" layer underneath?

 

[Dirk]

When mine blistered, it looked just like yours. It appeared to be just the "cream" of the plaster bubbling off, leaving the underlying aggregate layer of the plaster intact. The gunite is deeper, maybe another half inch down (not dead sure about that dimension, probably varies around the pool and by who installed it).

When I had my stone guy look at my blisters (not a pool guy), he did say something concerning. That once the surface is compromised, then water does what water does. Implying that the damage to the affected area(s) will worsen with time. I don't know if that applies to plaster blisters or not, it was just something he said.

The leak test is performed with a bucket somehow. Hang on... yep, here it is:

Pool School - Leak Detection

 

[jshbkr]

Ahh, so simple... Thanks again! I wanna say I would have thought of that, cause duh... but I know that would be a lie.

 

[Dirk]

TFP is just loaded with things like that, that you and I would never figure out on our own. That's why it's such a great resource. Not only for any immediate issues, but also for things we didn't even know that we didn't know!!