New pool build. Wet edge signature matrix coastal blue went in on/acid washed Monday, pool filled Wednesday. We have been brushing 2-3x/day and the pool finish looks so splotchy and uneven. Is this expected at this point? Poor acid wash job? It looks really awful in person.
Wet Edge Signature Matrix (pebble)?
- Thread starter PoolsinOK
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,420
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Poor plaster application. What does your pool builder say?
At this point give it a few months to cure and see how it looks.
What startup guide are you following?
@onBalance thoughts?
At this point give it a few months to cure and see how it looks.
What startup guide are you following?
@onBalance thoughts?
Pool builder says it takes a few months to totally cure. The plaster installer is coming by Monday to take a look.
Honestly, they never mentioned a start up guide- just told us to brush 2x/day. We found the Wet Edge 28 day start up online last night and made adjustments to water today based on testing results.
If it is really poor application- is there anything that can be done at this point? The only reason we upgraded from quartz to pebble was because we didn’t want the possibility of uneven finish... and now it’s totally uneven. To say we are disappointed is an understatement
It is difficult to say from the photo whether the blotchy discoloration is from poor plastering workmanship or from a bad acid treatment, or even from the plaster dust settling on and scaling the surface. If it is scale, then the pebbles would be coated with "white" and is easily removed with an acid treatment. It could even be a combination of all three issues, and it is unlikely that it will improve and look better in a few months. It may help if we knew the tap water readings for pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness.
Push hard for a resolution.
Push hard for a resolution.
Just as reference, we replastered with signature matrix aqua in July 2019 and it looked a little splotchy before/during the acid wash but as soon as it was filled with water the surface was uniform and very beautiful. The color has changed since curing but obviously we didn’t notice any mottling changes because there wasn’t anything to “correct”.
New pool last year has Signature Matrix Picasso Blue. We never saw anything like that before or after water added. I was nervous they would do it poorly as well. There were "some" minor splotches on the wall that faded over time, but not the edges and lines that you show in your photo. See my photo share for pics before, during, after... Wet-Edge Signature Matrix - Picasso Blue
we will definitely be pushing for a resolution if it doesn't improve.
On Friday, pH 7.6, TA 160, CYA 10, calcium 200- we added calcium and 2 gallons of acid after that. Yesterday: pH 7.6, TA 200, CYA 30, Calcium 300. We have been told to add 4 gallons of acid after those results, and 3 have been added so far.
When you dive down and look at the splotches up close, it looks like the "problem areas" are too white - looks like there aren't pebbles and more plaster-like. We were wondering if that could be resolved with another acid wash. There are similar white areas with what looks like no pebbles at several of the corners on sunshelf/at steps.
I'm with you that I'm not certain this will improve and look better in a few months - the PB has not seen it since the day the fill was complete and they turned the pump on and the water was cloudy that day due to rain and you couldn't see this. If it doesn't improve we are definitely pushing for a resolution.
Thank you for this - that is my concern. From the way this finish was described to us it should be uniform from the beginning. So frustrating bc we know several people who have mottling on quartz and we didn't want that, so the lack of mottling was the entire reason we went with a pebble upgrade.
Thank you for this. I really think these splotches aren't normal. Waiting to see what the plaster installer says tomorrow when he comes by. We found out after the fact that the plaster company had to move install guys here to OK from CA bc no one was doing it right here. Which made me hopeful, but now I'm not so sure. :/
Definitely have the pool builder bring the plaster manager out to see it. A second acid wash "COULD" help resolve some of the issues you describe, but I'd be surprised if those color variations go away. Did you get a close look at it before the acid wash? Did the colors look splotchy at that point? Mine looked like pale blue plaster with a solid color all over before it was acid washed.
Having little or no pebbles on the corners of the steps, and variable amounts of pebbles across the floor, is unacceptable.
There are several items that could have occurred to make it not look right... 1) colors weren't mixed evenly during install, 2) pebbles weren't mixed evenly during install, 3) application of both wasn't done properly, 4) Acid was uneven or poorly applied.
I watched my acid wash occur... it scared me to death... he basically took buckets of acid and poured them around the tile line as he moved around the pool. Then swept it all into the drains at the end. I had assumed there would be some level of control or sprayer or something, but nope... dump the acid all over the walls was about all they did. :/
Having little or no pebbles on the corners of the steps, and variable amounts of pebbles across the floor, is unacceptable.
There are several items that could have occurred to make it not look right... 1) colors weren't mixed evenly during install, 2) pebbles weren't mixed evenly during install, 3) application of both wasn't done properly, 4) Acid was uneven or poorly applied.
I watched my acid wash occur... it scared me to death... he basically took buckets of acid and poured them around the tile line as he moved around the pool. Then swept it all into the drains at the end. I had assumed there would be some level of control or sprayer or something, but nope... dump the acid all over the walls was about all they did. :/
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If you don't get a proper response from them, call Wet-Edge directly... they require all their installers to be certified in order to install their products. I bet you'll get results if they are aware the manufacturer is watching.
Before the acid wash it looked like a chalky white - the plaster base is white in the color we chose. Looked uniform, but honestly I didn’t examine super closely- our PB has warned us it looks pretty bad prior to acid washing. Our guys did have sprayers for the acid. The parts at the corners that look like there aren’t pebbles actually looks similar to what the whole pool looked like prior to acid, so it has me thinking we needed a more thorough acid wash. The big splotchy area in the deep end look similar according to my husband when you dive down there and look- those areas look like white plaster, can’t see the pebbles really. I think we probably have another acid wash in our future... hoping that’s the issue....