New Pool Build - Little Elm TX

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The Quartzscape did not turn out like I thought it would. There are different shades, and in some spots just looks like plaster, where you dont see the tiny pebbles/quartz or whatever.
The quartzscape is a LOT smoother than stonescapes which is why I picked it, but expected it to come out more.
I have not started brushing it yet.
They did acid wash it yesterday.
Tomorrow they put the acid in and I start brushing.
I will bring this up as a warranty though. The supervisor said this is how it normally looks.
Honestly I am fine with it, as you can't tell now that the water is in, but I was expecting more stones to come through like in the brochure.

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Acid washing and brushing will change the appearance significantly. I very much doubt this is your end product. As you say though you can’t tell once water is in.


Just re read that it’s already had it’s acid wash. The brushing will help even out the surface. Mine looks nothing like it did when it was first completed. It’s much more even and exposed. I do have mini pebble though so not the same finish.
 
I brushed it for the first time tonight. After the dust settled, I can see it becoming more like it should. I will keep everyone updated.

QUESTION: Right now my equipment is NOT running. It wont be turned on till next week, I think Thursday. I filled the pool last night at 11pm, to close to around the the middle of the second tile. Just looking at the pool now, I can see the water dropped a little.

I understand there is evaporation, and I will need to add water correct? How would I know if there is a leak? How much water line droppage should I be looking out for? To me it looks like it dropped about a 1/4 or inch or more.
It is Texas, and it was 3000 degrees today here in Dallas.

So while my equipment is not running, how much droppage should I look for to start thinking I might have a leak?
 
so we are done!

the Pb has hired a company to balance the pool for the first 13 weeks. After that I can either stay with them or do it myself. I will be doing it myself of course.
Everything looks great. I have two issues, which I will get to in a minute.
here are the latest pics.















 
Issue #1. This was the most important piece of the pool. I chose the Quartzscape cause of the Barbados Blue, as it gave me the exact blue I wanted, and I loved the texture.
This stuff is NOT uniform. The PB tells me what I am seeing is normal and most will clear up. Everyone who has plaster next to me tell me it will not be uniform.
I even drove over to NPT here in Dallas (and called them). The first guy said he looked like it was still curing. The guy on the phone said most likely normal, but they can't even come out and look until 30-60 days as the plaster can change dramatically in that amount of time.
I am a little nervous about this as I am still brushing it and the white chaulky areas that are NOT supposed to be there, are not going away.
I will say, I WILL have NPT out along with my PB if this does not change. I find this unacceptable. Most of it is on the sides...the white chaulky looking areas that is.

So, in summary, I will be following this closely, and if nothing changes, I am going to go crazy. I will be talking to NPT to make sure the PB does the right thing, even if that means redoing it.









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The other thing I am seeing, and at first I thought it was the plaster dust from my brushing getting splashed on the tile, but when i took a brush to it, it was not coming off.

Any idea what this white is forming on the grout of the tile?



 
First things first. Please run out and do a FULL set to tests on your pool water. I know they are taking care of it but............we really need those results to tell you what is what.

How often are you brushing? How hard are you brushing? Have you seen much plaster dust at all?

What did they do after the plaster was put in and when did they do it?

Sorry for more questions than ideas :(
 
I can do a full test tomorrow for you guys.

Plaster was poured on a Wednesday. That same day they came out and did acid wash, then started to fill the pool. They brought me a brush that Friday, and I brushed 2 times a day. more of a sweeping than brushing. We had a LOT of dust. Not so much now.
When there was dust, it would cloud my pool to where I could not see the bottom.
This picture below is from that Friday or Saturday, the dark blue is where I brushed, the green is the dust.



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They did not come out and turn the equipment on till this past Thursday. That same day they did the first water test and started adjusting.
I expect the hired company to be out either Monday or Tuesday this week, then once a week after that.

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Here is a picture of the Quartzscape sample.
I don't feel my pool looks like this...in spots, but it is patchy

 

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Ok, so here are my test results.
Just an FYI, I had planned on running tests on the pool when the vendor started this week, just so that I can learn and get practice.
This was my first time EVER doing any tests.
I am using the TF-100 along with the Taylor 1000

Again, this was my first time ever doing this, just from reading the instructions in the box.

ph 8.2
I got no readout for TC
free chlorine was 1.5
no readout for combine chloramines
calcium 225
alkalinity 170
cya 20


Again, first time doing this.

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Manually chlorinating the pool, salt will be added after 30 days (per instructions of NPT on the Quartzscape)
 
I don’t have this finish so I can’t comment on how it should look or how it cures. I had to look several times at the photo above to realise that the dark blue areas were actually brush marks. I assumed it was shadows. I can’t imagine there should be that much dust that you can clearly see where you have brushed. It does look very patchy. I hope you can get some answers. It could well be part of the process for this interior but you should definitely have it checked out by the manufacturer of the product. And yes check your water it might provide some answers as to what is going on with the white build up on your waterline tile grout.
 
I would ask the pool company if they are going to add more calcium to the pool. You really want around 350 ppm. Also it was said but more acid to get your ph down to 7.5 or so. The pool is new so expect a fair amount. If acid over the first few months.

You say the pool company is coming out weekly to check the pool. I would honestly test chlorine and ph daily. You don’t want to end up with any algae. If your FC is low use some liquids chlorine (or regular bleach, no scents, additives or splashless)
 
This may not be what you want to hear, but I was plastered a month ago with Quartzscapes Tahoe Blue and my plaster is similar. My neighbor was about a month before me with Wet Edge Technologies and is also similar. I will say that that the plaster changed on nearly a daily basis for about two weeks, but less so over that last two. From everything I have read, quartz is not going to be uniform and sometimes take up to a year to finally settle down. But it won't be perfect. My builder neglected to fill me in on these little details beforehand. I wouldn't say that I hate it, but not going to say I love it either.

I'm just down the road from you in Frisco too.
 
clarkson said:
This may not be what you want to hear, but I was plastered a month ago with Quartzscapes Tahoe Blue and my plaster is similar. My neighbor was about a month before me with Wet Edge Technologies and is also similar. I will say that that the plaster changed on nearly a daily basis for about two weeks, but less so over that last two. From everything I have read, quartz is not going to be uniform and sometimes take up to a year to finally settle down. But it won't be perfect. My builder neglected to fill me in on these little details beforehand. I wouldn't say that I hate it, but not going to say I love it either.

I'm just down the road from you in Frisco too.
Click to expand...

can you share pics with me?
 
clarkson said:
This may not be what you want to hear, but I was plastered a month ago with Quartzscapes Tahoe Blue and my plaster is similar. My neighbor was about a month before me with Wet Edge Technologies and is also similar. I will say that that the plaster changed on nearly a daily basis for about two weeks, but less so over that last two. From everything I have read, quartz is not going to be uniform and sometimes take up to a year to finally settle down. But it won't be perfect. My builder neglected to fill me in on these little details beforehand. I wouldn't say that I hate it, but not going to say I love it either.

I'm just down the road from you in Frisco too.
Click to expand...

Hey, would love to come by and check out the finish!
 
So update on this.
They told me they would do an acid bath and if that did not work, then drain and acid wash.

Started the acid bath on Monday. The guy who came out said the blue would darken. I just assumed me meant all the white areas.
My pool looks black now :(

Before


and this is today...


Its obvious this is not the color it is supposed to be, based on pics from the quartzscapes gallery and from another user on this forum who has the same plaster as me.
I am NOT happy with this. My pool looks like the Midnight Blue option, obviously WAY darker than Barbados.
 

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