New Plaster, Threat of Rain, Water Truck

[Earthman Bob]

Update: It may be too late to even get a water truck now. But still worth asking just in case...

We're having the pool plastered today and tomorrow. They prepped/bond koted the pool, plastered the spa (see pic), and will plaster the pool tomorrow morning starting around 7:30. They want to start early, because there's a 40% chance of rain tomorrow, mostly after 5pm. If they start early and finish by noon, it'll have 5 hours to set and start filling before the rain. (The weather forecasts here have been very inaccurate lately!)

Here's the issue. The plaster company is telling me that if it rains on the pool, there's the potential for streaking and they want to make sure we're willing to take that risk. They say it won't definitely streak, but it might. FYI, the new plaster color is dark grey. They say if we get one water truck, it'll help fill the bottom--two even better. The problem is that one truck costs $700, and will only fill a fraction of the pool.

If I fill the pool, I can use 4 hoses, so I guestimate it'll take less than 2 days.

Any sage advice or opinions on whether to get a water truck? I'll add that we're not obsessive about the pool being perfect. Our current plaster was in bad shape, with patches and different shades, and it was still beautiful.

Thanks in advance!

 

[kimkats]

Rain can (close to will) cause streaks just like they stated. See if you can borrow your neighbors hoses connected to their hose bib to speed things up. The trucked water may or may not make some difference.

Rock and a hard place for you............plaster now or wait until no rain in forecast KNOWING the weather people get it wrong so many times

 

[Earthman Bob]

New twist. Just heard from the pool company. Chance of rain just increased to 55% for tomorrow, so they're going to wait another day. Unfortunately, Friday, Saturday and Sunday all have 40+% chance of rain, so the next really clear day is Monday. I don't mind waiting at all.

Also, I can now tap off 5 hose bibs from around the house. I've got a 1" main from the street, so we ought to have a lot of flow.

So I'll wait till tomorrow to see what they say, and play it by the day.

Thanks for your input Kimkats. FYI, my guy is on my lap right now, by the way... purring up a storm : )

 

[Newdude]

AccuWeather had a severe weather alert for the northeast tomorrow afternoon and evening. Downpours, hail, thunder and up to 70 mph winds. Just a good ole regular storm on a Thursday. While the folks down south get hammered.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/severe-weather/severe-storms-to-keep-packing-a-punch-in-northeast/801421

 

[kimkats]

my guy is on my lap right now, by the way... purring up a storm :

Right where he should be!!! LOVE IT!

 

[JJ_Tex]

This is a long shot, but do you have a large space where you could temporarily store a large bladder for holding water? Fill it up now and you will have thousands of gallons of water ready to go and cut your fill time down.

Something like this:

Pool Water Storage | Reusable Pool Water Bladder | Specs

The pool water storage bladder. Economical short-term storage pool bladder tank to store water for pool repair and maintenance. Water bladder for pools.

www.water-storage-tank.com

 

[Earthman Bob]

Right where he should be!!! LOVE IT!

Exactly

 

[Earthman Bob]

This is a long shot, but do you have a large space where you could temporarily store a large bladder for holding water? Fill it up now and you will have thousands of gallons of water ready to go and cut your fill time down.

Something like this:

Pool Water Storage | Reusable Pool Water Bladder | Specs

The pool water storage bladder. Economical short-term storage pool bladder tank to store water for pool repair and maintenance. Water bladder for pools.

www.water-storage-tank.com

That's an interesting idea. I just noticed the link you sent. What a great thing to have any time you want to do pool work... I hate wasting all that water.

For our job, on the positive side, I'm guessing it will be done on Monday, when there seems to be little threat of rain.

 

[Dirk]

I think this is the more important consideration as you plan your strategy. The fill has to go from the bottom up, as fast as possible, nothing running down the sides, which as pointed out can cause streaking. If it collects somehow, and creates a larger stream down the side than just rain drops, then you'll have a more noticeable streak. Sorry, getting to it... the bigger issue is the potential for rings. The fill should progress up the side as consistently as possible, without stopping. What you don't want is for the rain to make a puddle, sit like that for a period of time, then the fill starts after that. There will be a permanent ring where the puddle was. Worse would be the trucking, if the first half of the fill occurred by truck, then sat like that, half full, until the next truck. You'd get a ring where the first level paused for a while. However the water gets added (rain or hose or truck or bladder), it needs to be done evenly paced all the way up, the faster the better, and not only just to beat the rain.

 

[Dirk]

Oh, and be sure to watch the filling of the spa, using the same principles as above, but be sure you don't let any water come over the spillway until the pool is full!