OK Folks. So about 2-3 months ago, I started seeing these greenish-brown spots (more brown really, with a touch of green) spots on my pool finish floor, sunshelf, and spa. (See attached pics).
I immediately started testing trying to determine what type of stain it was (organic/inorganic) and then try to treat accordingly. Unfortunately, using a stain testing kit yielded no indication of either an organic or inorganic stain. The stains seemed to be in the finish. They would not come off even if scrubbed with a wire brush. I even tried pouring Caly-Hypo shock directly on the stains via PVC tube. The only way to remove them seemed to be by spot treating with acid, which of course is just removing a thin layer of finish. The result is a darker blue spot (the actual finish color), that eventually fades and blends in with the rest of the finish due to it most likely being an organic substrate and fading from the chlorine just slightly enough to blend in with the surrounding area, which I am actually OK with as I did this myself in several areas (by mistake actually) and now they are practically unnoticeable.
I was very frustrated and concerned that I might be doing something wrong. I even had several professionals come by (my previous pool tech, and a pool store owner I actually respect as he doesn't try to up-sell you all the time). The first guy even used one of those water testing kits with the disks you put in a centrifuge that test for metals and everything. He said my water was great, with minuscule levels of metals. (See below). They even tested the spots themselves as well, and both were of the opinion that it was an issue with my finish.
Copper .1
Iron .1
Phos 36
So, being that this was a new finish that was poured in fall of last year, I called my builder and he is sending the finish installer out on Tuesday to inspect it. I have a Midnight Blue Stonescapes Mini-Pebble Finish with added Abalone. My question for everyone/concern, is that the installer is going to try to take the easy way out of fixing it, whatever that might be, or even just try to blow me off entirely. Is my only option at this point an acid wash? Do I really want to do that to the whole pool given its brand new! I have heard of/read about both dry and wet acid washing, but not sure which is preferable if I have to go that route. Or should I just insist he spot treat them all? I would do that myself by I probably have about a hundred of these small spots, and it's a very tricky and delicate process (pouring acid down a pvc tube).
Is there anything you would suggest that I do or don't have him do? Any info I should be armed with before he gets here. It's a brand new pool and I'm very frustrated to be having this spotting problem how much extra I paid for this fancy finish, and I certainly don't want some installer pulling some BS and not doing anything or whatever is easiest for him.
TIA Everyone!
Cheers
Sean
I immediately started testing trying to determine what type of stain it was (organic/inorganic) and then try to treat accordingly. Unfortunately, using a stain testing kit yielded no indication of either an organic or inorganic stain. The stains seemed to be in the finish. They would not come off even if scrubbed with a wire brush. I even tried pouring Caly-Hypo shock directly on the stains via PVC tube. The only way to remove them seemed to be by spot treating with acid, which of course is just removing a thin layer of finish. The result is a darker blue spot (the actual finish color), that eventually fades and blends in with the rest of the finish due to it most likely being an organic substrate and fading from the chlorine just slightly enough to blend in with the surrounding area, which I am actually OK with as I did this myself in several areas (by mistake actually) and now they are practically unnoticeable.
I was very frustrated and concerned that I might be doing something wrong. I even had several professionals come by (my previous pool tech, and a pool store owner I actually respect as he doesn't try to up-sell you all the time). The first guy even used one of those water testing kits with the disks you put in a centrifuge that test for metals and everything. He said my water was great, with minuscule levels of metals. (See below). They even tested the spots themselves as well, and both were of the opinion that it was an issue with my finish.
Copper .1
Iron .1
Phos 36
So, being that this was a new finish that was poured in fall of last year, I called my builder and he is sending the finish installer out on Tuesday to inspect it. I have a Midnight Blue Stonescapes Mini-Pebble Finish with added Abalone. My question for everyone/concern, is that the installer is going to try to take the easy way out of fixing it, whatever that might be, or even just try to blow me off entirely. Is my only option at this point an acid wash? Do I really want to do that to the whole pool given its brand new! I have heard of/read about both dry and wet acid washing, but not sure which is preferable if I have to go that route. Or should I just insist he spot treat them all? I would do that myself by I probably have about a hundred of these small spots, and it's a very tricky and delicate process (pouring acid down a pvc tube).
Is there anything you would suggest that I do or don't have him do? Any info I should be armed with before he gets here. It's a brand new pool and I'm very frustrated to be having this spotting problem how much extra I paid for this fancy finish, and I certainly don't want some installer pulling some BS and not doing anything or whatever is easiest for him.
TIA Everyone!
Cheers
Sean
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