So then the offer is beneficial to you and worth what you would have paid them anyway.
Buffalo, NY - Gunite Saltwater Pool Build
- Thread starter bbdude
- Start date
It's been just about a month since we notified the builder about the wrong plaster color. They've been responsive, but still no plan to rectify or compensate us is being offered. Doing some searching it seems it would normally cost ~$20k+ for a chip out, replaster, etc. and I would ask them to pay for the water to refill the pool and also cover maintenance / brushing the first 30 days due to their mistake. We'd also have to go back to Chlorine the first 30 days before switching to SWG and al that jazz ... giant headache. The hope is that this work could be done in late April / early May so we're open by end of may.
Anyone know how long a chip out/replaster would take? Is there risk that the Gunite shell and / or tiles could be damaged during the process?
Still on the fence and unsure how we'll proceed. White is going to show everything compared to Altima Blue ... plus we're talking the next 15+ years so right now how it looks is a very small sample size (was open for 6 weeks).
If they meet me in the middle and offered a $10k credit to compensate I would have a hard time asking them to redo it, but if they're only going to credit me the $1k for the plaster color I think I'll be inclined to have them chip it out and replaster.
Anyone know how long a chip out/replaster would take? Is there risk that the Gunite shell and / or tiles could be damaged during the process?
Still on the fence and unsure how we'll proceed. White is going to show everything compared to Altima Blue ... plus we're talking the next 15+ years so right now how it looks is a very small sample size (was open for 6 weeks).
If they meet me in the middle and offered a $10k credit to compensate I would have a hard time asking them to redo it, but if they're only going to credit me the $1k for the plaster color I think I'll be inclined to have them chip it out and replaster.
Good on you for seeing the big picture. The reason that PBs get away with murder towards the end of the project is that most folks are mentally spent and will reluctantly agree to almost anything.
You will be looking at this for a decade or two and a few weeks is nothing in the grand scheme of things.
You have a solid thought process going with your ideas. I wonder if a formal letter about it would get his attention?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,029
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
You want the plaster to be done when night time temperatures do not drop below 50F. Otherwise the plasterer will likely add extra calcium to the mix to speed up hardening and prevent freezing which can cause soft spotting and mottling.
It can be done in a week but it will likely take longer as it will involve scheduling a few different contractors.
Removal of the old plaster needs to be done with flat tipped chisels not pointed tips and no plaster is to be remaining in the shell when finished. Sandblasting is a superior way of accomplishing this task but only a few companies offer this type of service.
Tiling can be damaged if they do not work carefully around the tiles as the palster is chipped out.
Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.
Thanks all for the input. Vendor responded with two options:
1) Credit me back the price I paid for the original color upgrade for Altima Blue (~$1k) that I didn't get.
2) Chip out and redo
I originally picked Altima - Altima Blue, but vendor installed Luna Quartz - Polar White. Luna Quartz is an upgrade and looks really close to the original Altima - Altima Blue I picked. Maybe a little less blue. My question is how can I tell the vendor really put in Luna Quartz - Polar White vs Altima - Altima White? Obviously my trust in them is broken.
Here's what I pulled from the WetEdge website and my own photo I took of my pool. Full pics are attached. Pool is closed now so can't get a better photo.
Luna Quartz - Polar White
Altima - Altima White
My Pool Plaster
1) Credit me back the price I paid for the original color upgrade for Altima Blue (~$1k) that I didn't get.
2) Chip out and redo
I originally picked Altima - Altima Blue, but vendor installed Luna Quartz - Polar White. Luna Quartz is an upgrade and looks really close to the original Altima - Altima Blue I picked. Maybe a little less blue. My question is how can I tell the vendor really put in Luna Quartz - Polar White vs Altima - Altima White? Obviously my trust in them is broken.
Here's what I pulled from the WetEdge website and my own photo I took of my pool. Full pics are attached. Pool is closed now so can't get a better photo.
Luna Quartz - Polar White
Altima - Altima White
My Pool Plaster
Man that is a hard one. They look so close! I don't know after the fact. I have been known to tell people to try to be there with they show up to plaster a pool so they can check they have the correct stuff. It is too late for that now.
The kicker is I was there. At the time, didn't even think to ask.
Having issues trusting the vendor at their word now. Ugh
I would take the plaster color upgrade credit and leave the pool as it is. It looks great. When I had my pool replastered back in 2014, we chose Pebble Fina Bella Blue which is a light grey base, but we were on the fence between that and Cielo Blue which is a white base and seeing the uneven mottling that came with the darker base, we wish we have gone with the lighter shade. Chipping out of the old plaster could also cause hidden cracking in the structure that you may not find out about for decades. Likely more risk than reward.
Thanks for chiming in! I'm leaning towards the credit, but would likely ask for a larger credit if they installed Altima and not Luna Quartz (like they claim). Normally I would just take the vendor's assertion at face value, but we've had quite a few issues during the build so trust isn't really there anymore.