When I brush my hand across my plaster pool a while dust flies up everytime, why?

[Morketh]

I have a plaster pool which has been painted over by the previous owner for some reason. When I brush my hand across any of the surface a white dust cloud comes up, every time. Is that normal?
Also, I see scratches on the bottom of the pool where I probably have scratched it with my pool net trying to get a leaf up (I am much more careful now that I know that can happen) where the scratch has ripped the outer surface off and I can see an unpainted surface that looks like cement. Is that normal? Is it okay? I assume I will have to resurface the pool one day but I hope that is not anytime soon!

If more information is needed please let me know.

 

[ajw22]

Modern pool paint is not very good due to limitations on the chemicals that can be used now. You are lucky if pool paint lasts a season or two before it begins chalking off. We don't recommend plaster pools be painted.

Start saving up for a replaster job.

 

[Morketh]

Modern pool paint is not very good due to limitations on the chemicals that can be used now. You are lucky if pool paint lasts a season or two before it begins chalking off. We don't recommend plaster pools be painted.

Start saving up for a replaster job.

Yea this was my fear. From what I have heard a replaster job is mainly for cosmetics correct? What are the problems that occur if you don't replaster? How do you know when a replaster is 100% required?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Replastering isn't always a "cosmetic" issue. The plaster layer is your pool's water barrier as the gunite shell is porous and would slowly allow water to infiltrate through it if it did not have a barrier layer over it. So, when pool plaster starts to crack, spall and fail, that is when you really need to consider replastering. Usually coping, waterline tile and plaster get remodeled the most often but which ones you do depends on their state of their integrity. When people paint a pool surface, that is often a cheap solution to a more detailed problem - they are either covering stains or trying to seal up fine cracks or patched damaged surfaces. In your case, when you are ready to replaster the pool, it is suggested that chip out the plaster surface entirely down to the gunite shell, fix or repair any issues with returns, lights, etc, and then replaster the pool.

 

[Morketh]

Replastering isn't always a "cosmetic" issue. The plaster layer is your pool's water barrier as the gunite shell is porous and would slowly allow water to infiltrate through it if it did not have a barrier layer over it. So, when pool plaster starts to crack, spall and fail, that is when you really need to consider replastering. Usually coping, waterline tile and plaster get remodeled the most often but which ones you do depends on their state of their integrity. When people paint a pool surface, that is often a cheap solution to a more detailed problem - they are either covering stains or trying to seal up fine cracks or patched damaged surfaces. In your case, when you are ready to replaster the pool, it is suggested that chip out the plaster surface entirely down to the gunite shell, fix or repair any issues with returns, lights, etc, and then replaster the pool.

Thank you for the explanation
Sounds quite expensive though so I am hoping this will be a while before it is required

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Thank you for the explanation
Sounds quite expensive though so I am hoping this will be a while before it is required

In my local market, chip out and replaster starts around $6,000 and goes up from there depending on the surface materials chosen, if any fixes to the shell are needed, etc.

 

[borjis]

I'm all too familiar with this having inherited a painted pool on my first house.
As Matt pointed out pricing is very regional. In my area at the time the quote
for a basic white replaster was $ 7000. I ended up selling that house before
doing it though.

 

[Morketh]

Yea $6-7k is a bit much in my opinion. I'm hoping it doesnt have an immediate requirement for a few years.

This guy got it done for $3400 by finding the subcontractors the pool companies use to actually do the job. I would probably end up doing something like this. His pool looks to be larger than mine as well.

 

[gonfishin]

Oh, those prices are so nice. 15 years or so ago, my mom in Minneapolis was quoted over $10K for a basic white replaster for her IG pool approximately 90'x30' kidney shape with 9.5' to 3.5' depth.

 

[borjis]

agreed. 6-7k is pretty low cost compared to other parts of the country.
It is a significant chunk of money though.