Compromised gunite?

[superkab]

I had a pool put in by a very well know pool builder. It was completed in May 2021. In October 2021, due to poor workmanship, the pebbletec plaster was torn out and redone. As I'm typing this (October 2022), the pebbletec plaster is being torn out again. This time the pool company's subcontractor used too much acid during the acid wash of the second installation and basically bleached it white in multiple areas. This was noticed immediately when the second plaster was put in but we were told to wait to see if it cleared.

My question is whether I should be concerned about the underlying gunite now that the plaster has been jackhammered out twice. Should I get a pool inspector prior to this third installation of pebbletec?

 

[AQUA~HOLICS]

Can you provide pictures of the Gunite shell? This would help with determining if too much Gunite has been removed.

 

[Rich D]

Should I get a pool inspector prior to this third installation of pebbletec?

Your PB certainly seems to be one of the good ones. It seems hard to get most PB to do one resurfacing yet alone 2... Curious if he is using the same plaster sub for the work? Most times you get stuck with the original sub contractor so the PB does not have to eat the entire cost of the re-do.

At this point I would certainly seek outside consultation. Nothing against the PB but I would use all available resources to ensure you do not go through this again even if it meant splitting the cost of additional consultation with the PB. The plumbing should also be pressure tested before the plaster.

Another thing to be careful of is letting the bond coat sit to long before they do the plaster. The longer it sits the more debris will enter the pool Wich requires more clean up and possible contamination of the bond coat. You really want it done within a day or 2. There is also a maximum allowed time before the plaster is done Wich I believe can vary depending on the manufacturer of the bond coat. 1-2 weeks max I believe.

 

[superkab]

The plaster is being replaced under warranty so I have no say in who does the work. The pool builder is a huge company and uses one subcontractor to do the gunite and pebbletec installations.

See photos..

 

[AQUA~HOLICS]

This job is a perfect candidate for sandblasting to remove the plaster so to ensure that the thickness of the shell is not compromised.