Re plaster or repaint? Pool Poll

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mellenw

mellenw

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LifeTime Supporter
Jun 21, 2011
24
Dallas, TX
Re plaster or repaint? In ground 60's vintage concrete pool 15K gal. Several layers of epoxy paint over original surface Walls and floor have minor pits that trap dirt particles but sweeping every few days keeps them moving to the filter. Repaint myself will cost @$600 (epoxy paint is about $100/gal) Re plaster and regrout tile @$3,100. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
 
You should absolutely re-plaster. You will get a better surface that requires less maintenance and costs less in the long run. Paint never lasts very long and ends up being more expensive in the long run, not to mention the frequent issues such as what you are experiencing now.
 
:wave: Welcome to TFP!!!

I would never paint a pool ... too much work just to have to redo it every couple years. Add it will not fix the surface irregularities.

Have all the paint and plaster chipped out and put in plaster or a pebble product. By maintaining a balanced pol year round, you should be able to have the plaster/pebble last well over 10 years.
 
Thanks for the quick and decisive reply to go with plaster. Will do. Next question is color? Pool is white but considering a light blue or tan thinking that dirt and algae is less visible if I fall behind on maintenance. I also believe that algae stains when they inevitably occur will be more difficult to remove from a white surface. I tend to let the pool sit dormant November - March with a leaf catching net over it. In Spring, I drain and power-wash surfaces and refill. (it only costs about $20 to refill, even in TX). Pool is well shaded and drain is 9' deep. Heat is not really an issue with color selection. Pool water temperature rarely exceeds 80 degrees even in August but water is generally very chilly 70 degrees. Come to think of it. If I did choose a darker color pool might be more comfortable in the spring and fall. Perhaps the question of how pool color effects pool temperature and extends pool season should be in a new thread.
 
I think I have the answer to pool color and temperature. Key words Thermal Mass. The surrounding earth temperature will be the main determining factor in water temperature of an unheated in-ground pool. Not fond of dark colored pools unless there is a thermal benefit in my situation which does not appear to be the case. So back to white, light blue or light tan to better mask algae and dirt. Tan might be nice for a change and would go with terracotta coping as well as white or blue. Perhaps my theory that white cars require less cleaning because the dirt does not show up like on a dark car applies for pools too.
 
Grays give a steel blue (not bright blue) water color. Ours is tinted plaster so fairly mottled and good at hiding dirt (or maybe I don't have any) but obviously not bugs and leaves.

Tans give turquoise water. Whites give bright blues. Black gives seductive water color.

Probably slight boost in full sun for darker colors. Mostly get what you like to look at.

I'm sure others will comment on the algae thoughts. Properly maintained you will have no algae so no need to accommodate for that.
 
There are a bunch of YouTube vids and many online text docs that try to explain all the different factors that go into the colors achieved using the different plaster colors. When we chose our color (medium gray) we did our best to thoroughly confuse ourselves by reading it all. One of the things we did was to take a flight via Google Maps around the area peeking into other peoples backyards to see what they had and what we liked. Good luck.
 
Chlorine takes care of algae and a solid cover prevents debris. If your investing in new plaster, closing the pool right and taking care of new plaster with balanced water is the only way to go. You will need to adding acid on a weekly basis for up to the first year of the refinish.
 
The deed is done, new plaster. Filled pool by am Saturday 5/2. Following new plaster start up advice. Brand new City of Dallas water has a green hue for some reason. Contractor said nothing about sequestrant.
 

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Fresh water almost always looks a bit greenish from what I've seen here.
 
It took two men 4 days to chip away the epoxy paint and clean out hollow spots (with water pressure and hatchets, yes, Boy Scout style hatchets) They lost money on that detail. As I suspected the tile and coping was bad too. Tile was replaced and coping pulled out and repaired. Total cost now $6,500. Water is now clear and balanced

New questions
1. I ran pool vac too soon and scuffed up steps with black marks from vac head. I realized error and bought a vinyl pool vac head but not sure how to remove the skid marks.
2. Calcium hardness is a factor. I measure 120 and read that it should be double that number. Any advice. FC=5, PH=7.8, TA=80
3. Hard to hold FC steady without stabilizer. When can I add CY?

Mellen

I would love to show pix but can't figure out the attachment. Will try again later
 
To post more pictures, you either need to raise your storage allotment by Becoming a TFP Supporter or follow the How To Post Pictures tutorial.

not sure about the marks, I would think scrubbing should take it off.

What does the installer say about the balance?
I think you should be fine to add CYA anytime (sock in the skimmer)
The CH may still rise from the plaster.
 
I'll study posting pix as suggested.
New question about calcium hardness and new plaster. I tested for CH and have reading of 120. I entrered 120into pool calculator and it suggests adding 426 oz of calcium chloride. That's 26 pounds !!! Is this correct? Come to think of it, if I dumped 13+ boxes of 20 mule team borax when i did the borate thing years ago... 26 pounds of CL is proportional.
 
mellenw said:
I'll study posting pix as suggested.
New question about calcium hardness and new plaster. I tested for CH and have reading of 120. I entrered 120into pool calculator and it suggests adding 426 oz of calcium chloride. That's 26 pounds !!! Is this correct? Come to think of it, if I dumped 13+ boxes of 20 mule team borax when i did the borate thing years ago... 26 pounds of CL is proportional.
Click to expand...

What did you increase it too in Pool Math? You could increase it to the low 200s and you'll be at the bottom end of safe pretty soon. Calcium doesn't evaporate so it will build up. You may see a slight increase with the new finish as well. As Blizzle mentioned, you might want to follow the balance set forth by the installer to have warranty issues covered. Ask him for sure.
 

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