Acid wash and detail questions...

[Messyxp1k]

We’ve had water in our pool for 12 days now. An acid wash was not performed upon the completion of our Barbados Blue Quartzscapes finish, just water as soon as the contractor finished the plaster. The PB started the pool with an acid bath for 5 days after the pool was filled with water. We have since then brushed 3-5 times daily and are no longer gathering any plaster dust. I have another thread here showing pictures and I was disappointed in the outcome as a whole. Most of the pool/spa looks great except those areas that have been shaded since the application took place. I had the PB and plaster contractor come out today and they came to a conclusion....drain, acid wash, and detail the finish to even my finish out.

my understanding is that this process is used to get rid of any calcium that wasn’t removed during the brushing phase of start up however my issues are the darker areas that are shaded. As the sun goes down the contrast between the areas is impossible to miss so my question is:

will the acid wash and detail lighten these darker areas? I’m not convinced however the PB and plaster outfit seem confident it will blend rather well. I understand that I will still have some variations which I am 100% ok with I just want it to blend more evenly and have a better over all appearance. Has anyone has this issue resolved? It almost seems that thequartz finish that has been shaded isn’t cured completely as the rest of the pool is pretty even and lacks the dark areas the shaded areas have.
The lighter areas in the picture is what the majority of my pool finish looks like...I just want the dark areas to blend more consistency with the lighter areas...will the acid wash and detail make this blend?

 

[Texas Splash]

One person who could probably help give you a good indication of what to expect is @onBalance. He's not online with us everyday, but if he sees this tag I'm sure he can comment to give you some sort of realistic expectation of what to expect. In addition, I'm posting the links below in case you haven't seen them already. Best of luck to you.

Plaster Installation and Maintenance - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Plaster Start-Up Guides - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Messyxp1k]

Thank you Texas splash. I will read up on those articles.

 

[onBalance]

If your pool has a smooth quartz-type finish, then the below information applies here.
However, your complaint is different than most pool owners have with color quartz problems. You are mentioning that you do not like the darker color areas. Most other pool owners want the original darker color to stay dark and not become whitish. I am puzzled about that point.
So that difference needs to be clarified and determined before we go much further with this.

Here is a link that may help to understand what may have transpired.

Why Acid Wash New Quartz Pool Finishes?

It is understood that muriatic acid can dissolve and etch a plaster surface. Therefore, why, after a plastering finisher works hard to achieve a smooth, hard, brand-new, hand-crafted, quartz pool-finish, would anyone immediately perform an “acid wash or acid bath” on that pool and that plaster...

www.troublefreepool.com

Also, another article on this can be found on Watershapes. https://watershapes.com/pools-spas/perfecting-a-quartz-pool-finish.htm

 

[Messyxp1k]

I would say that 80% of the pool finish is the color that we chose...Barbados Blue. The other 20% is a lot darker and has been shaded since installed. I would just like it all to even out so it’s appearance is somewhat uniform.

 

[Messyxp1k]

I will also add, the lighter areas are still dark in color and the aggregate is very exposed in those areas. The darker areas have less aggregate showing.

 

[onBalance]

The quartz aggregate is one color, and the cement portion has been colored (probably not a matching color) by adding a pigment (dye). If the color of the cement is darker in some areas, then perhaps the contractor didn't add and mix the right pigments or didn't mix the plaster very well. A second acid treatment will etch the surface and shorten the life of the plaster finish. Perhaps you should suggest that the contractor sand and polish the plaster which would maintain the smoothness and obtained the original color. When the pool is drained, a test could be performed to see the results before doing the whole pool. Something is going on with the finish. I hope the contractor determines the problem and provides the proper remedy. There are a number of things that need to be determined.