plaster polishing / smoothing without draining

[Dan-H]

Black plaster pool, generally in good conditions with a few few rough areas, mostly on corners of steps but a couple on the side walls.

I've read about some polishing disks, but they show them being used with the pool drained.

Can this be done without draining?

I'd like to do this myself, a little at a time. Even if it is 1 Sq foot per day I can do this while swimming and over time improve the finish.

It is a black plaster pool with a lot of mottling. The look doesn't bother us but the roughness is.

any recommendations?

 

[PoolGuyNJ]

The age of the plaster is important. If it's regular marcite plaster and it's 10 years old, it just might be worn out and thinning.

Wet dry 200 to 400 grit sand paper , frequently found in the auto body section of an auto parts store can smooth it by hand if the plaster isn't too old or beat up. How it got to be rough is relevant, was it chemically induced such as from an acid wash or calcium scale or just aging or poor balancing of the water? This does thin the plaster some though and that can effect the pool's water tight seal from the shell.

Sending a diver in with pneumatic powered tools is as expensive as refinishing.

Scott

 

[Dan-H]

The pool was built in the fall of 99. It has never been acid washed.

I don't know if it is calcium and dirt combined as a scale or if it is etched from poor water balance. The water balance at times has been high PH, or low TA.

There is some calcium scaling on the waterline of the tile, and some where the raised spa spills into the pool

The places that are the most rough are steps, and the corner of steps where it transitions from horizontal to vertical.

One in particular step in the spa where a chlorine floater would hang out is really rough and this appears to be deposits more than etching.

as far as diving, most places that are really bad are only 2 to 2 1/2 feet deep and I think I can do this with a snorkel.

my main objective for not draining the pool is so i can do this myself, and not spend thousands making it smooth

 

[PoolGuyNJ]

Why is there a floater in the spa? It should be getting a continuous flow from the pool system, unless it is on its own filter system. Floaters tend to drop acidic water. When they sit in one spot, so does what they dissolve into.

The radius curve between the steps is always a bit rougher.

Your plaster is getting long in the tooth. If you try sanding, be careful!

Scott