@Kara Skiles

It was a bad idea to discharge into the sewer line. The fine sediment from the plaster caused the backup.

Some plumbing companies have a jet blasting rig to clear clogged lines rather than the regular Roto Rooter method.

I would consider this before digging up the backyard.

Unfortunately, we tried jetting and it did no good. The plaster was completely set in the lines. :(

Is your pool connected to the sewer line? Or did they open your cleanout and drain to that? Why would they? Thats like having a stuccko job done and watching the crew clean their equipmeat and wash it to your sewer.

My pool isn't connected to the sewer line. The sewer cleanout next to the pool was opened and a hose connected to some sort of pump (placed in the deep end of the pool) was inserted into it during the plastering process. We are working with the pool company to make this right but a lot of damage was done besides the sewer line. We had a 30' putting green and kiddie cushioned playground area that had to be dug up to replace the line, not to mention our lawn now needs to be smoothed back out and resodded. We have a rather large yard (3/4 acre) and the sewage line runs 210 feet across. They were still finding plaster in the line at 190 feet so the whole thing ended up being replaced. My yard is currently a hot mess but at least I can use the restroom and flush now. :)

@Kara Skiles

Too bad about material setting up in the line. What a mess.Hopefully you PB will take care of the expenses.

Hello. I'm interested in learning more about pool finishes. We're looking for the sweet spot: durability, smooth texture, and costs...(yeah, I know, aren't we all). Our Pool Contractor has suggested WetEdgeTech Luna Quartz - seems to be fairly smooth and a decent price point, but suffers in durability.

What do you think of WetEdge Signature Matrix vs Prism vs Primera Stone (smooth and durable - kills the budget)?

Should we ask about Hydrazzo Classico or Pacifico? Other products to consider?

Stet H Has a picture of Quartzscape plastering staining that looks JUST like ours- I would like to ask what he did to remove the staining.... But there is not a way to talk to JUST him.

How much water is supposed to be left in the pool through the winter? Our GC repaired some stools and drained a lot of water out. Bottom is still covered but benches are not. Is that ok?

Can Pebble Tec and similar type surfaces be used on a beach entry that is dry and wet? I have a beach entry pool and we are trying to decide between ceramic tile, or pebble tec like surface. I have gotten different answers from just about everyone in the industry.

Use a natural stone for the beach entry. Whatever is exposed. It can extend into the water for a nice transition.

Is that better than ceramic pool tile? I was told that the tile is easier to clean and more waterproof.

The tile will be slippery. The stone provides a good grip, a nice look and it can be exposed as the plaster should be under water.

We use a waterproof material called Basecrete prior to any plaster, tile or any stone material to be in contact with the pool water.

We just had a pool build and plaster (Sunstone pebble) was done last week. it was acid washed Wednesday and they started filling up same day. Pool wa filled Thursday. Saturday we get the maintenance kit and start brushing and I notice an area by the stairs that has brown stuff that I cannot brush away. Today, a week after pool started filling, I still cannot brush it away. I of course let the builder know and they will come look at it. But can anyone give any insight on this and what should be done?

The stains could be anything.

Was your water source tested prior to filling? This will give you an indication as to what chemicals will specifically be needed to address certain readings.

A sequestering agent should have been added during the fill to tackle any minerals in the water.

The water must be tested daily for the next 2 weeks and adjusted as needed.The first 72 hours are paramount in testing and maintaining water chemistry.

Brushing for 2 weeks daily or more is required. Filter cleaning and maintenance as well.

Any plaster dust on the surface must be vacuumed to waste.

Going forward after the " startup", the testing and maintenance must continue. It can be weekly or twice in a week depending on weather conditions that may change the chemistry.

The plaster takes 28 days to fully cure. We always say a month. Hold off adding salt if system has a salt system for 30 days. Longer if can.

I dont believe they tested the water. Not that I know of. We brush twice a day and there’s a company taking care of pool maintenance for the first 30 days so not sure what they are doing. But spots are still there. Almost two weeks after fill now.

Jack's Magic is a company that makes a stain recognition kit. They make a host chemicals for pool water treatment as well.

They may be able to provide some insight. You would need to test the water and have the test results handy so they can direct you on the issue.

It's hard to see the stains in the photo you posted. Even it was super clear, it's still hard to diagnose.

The stains are clearly visible when I zoomed in the photo. Our pools plaster was stained when dirt from our embankment washed into our pool from a broken fire hydrant during a car accident.

In your case the stain was there immediately as the plaster was still freshly poured and during water fill-up. Your plaster contractor will either have to drain pool and try acid wash or replaster entire pool since some contamination got into their plaster.

I would demand replaster since scrubbing isn’t removing stains. The cost to drain and refill pool multiple times adds to the cost of acid washing doesn’t work.

You can try scrubbing but after 30 days of scrubbing if those stains are still there, I don’t think even acid wash will remove.

Our soil was likely contaminated with metal shavings from a cutdown fence. This caused rust to stain the pool as the insurance company delayed the draining of our pool.

While an acid wash may remove the stains, it will certainly etch the surface resulting in a rough texture. That will not be a desirable on one's feet.

The strongest possibility is it's an iron stain from the water source. It was present in the fill water in a solution form. Once it fell out of solution, it attached to the surface. A brownish/rusty stain usually indicate the presence of iron.

This is why sequestering agents must be added during the fill.

Sparkle Conquest is a sequestering agent that also removes stains. I have used it for 35 years with great success. It has cleared some very stubborn iron stains on plaster, vinyl and plastic parts.

Using it on regular basis to stave off iron introduced during make up water, is advisable.

Thanks for your feedback. Our poolbuilder sent out a guy who was not happy with the look of the plaster either. Very frustrating, but at least they recognize there are several issues. They will push for Tempool to come redo or fix or something, so waiting on that. Next week will be a month since fill.

our pool was completed in Sept 2021 The name of the plaster is Sparkle Quartz Tahoe.

There are tiny sparkles coming up through the bubblers and from the spa overflow What is happening and will it stop?

@Henriette W did tempool take care of this?

We just had our pool plastered with Wet Edge product today. About 3 hours after the plaster crew left, it started lightly raining and has been doing so for about 2 hours. They are supposed to come back in the morning to acid wash. Is the plaster ruined because of the rain?

If the water puddles, those puddled areas will begin to cure the plaster and it may create a color difference.

Too bad plasters did not keep an eye on the weather. Tenting the pool would have been advisable. We have done this many times.

Is this an adequately chipped out pool? We have heard from other plaster companies that the company we are using does partial chip outs that could cause potential plaster defects. Want to address this before the plaster is applied.

Provided all the loose, de-laminating, and any soft plaster is removed, there's no issue.

However, a bond coat must be applied prior to plaster application. The surface must be thoroughly cleaned prior to it's application.

Hello I have a pool that was painted 6 years ago and the underlying plaster was in good condition but heavily stained. The pool is about to get resurfaced. I noticed the areas where the paint chipped are bright blue! Is this plaster underneath the paint or some other surface??

I would recommend removing all the old plaster and paint underneath. Multiple layers of material may pose a problem with bonding down the road.

The material can be chipped out or a jet blaster can be used. You'd want to get to the original substrate (concrete shell). Then a bond coat is applied and then new plaster is applied.

The paint showing through now, indicates a poor bond. Putting an additional layer of material on top, will most likely peel too.

@mojarashe You might want to look into ecoFINISH.

https://www.louisianapool.com/ecofinish

The day our new plaster pool finished filling, we noticed a lot of crazing above one of the fixtures and a huge white streak going ftom the fixture down the side of the pool and towards the deep end from where water leaked from around the fixture both before and after the gray plaster was applied. The pool builder is acting as though it is not a big deal but I don’t like the ugly white stain and am concerned about the cracking. is this a structural issue we should be cincerned about? Is there any way to remove this stain? Very vigorous brushing hasn’t made a dent in it

Not an expert, but that looks like water leaking from the ground back into the pool and using the fixture portal to do so. If water was leaking through BEFORE plastering then that problem should've been addressed immediately. I'd be holding the contractor responsible and on the phone with your state's licensing bureau to file a complaint.

xtexan86 tha ks for your reply. The water waa definitely coming through before plastering and again after plastering before the pool was filled. The discloroation has improved some after a lot of muriatic acid was added. Does this type of leak compromise the structural integrity of the pool?

Hello, is this normal AFTER an acid wash was done? Pool is 5 years old. The company who performed the acid wash said the original plaster was done poorly and that is the cause.

Is this normal after an acid wash?

Having our 28 year old pool renovated with Quartzscapes. In order to insure that the warranty is valid, I asked renovation company to provide evidence that they are a certified/approved applicator of the product. The only certificate they had was from 2017, stating that they are a "2017 Quartzscape Approved Applicator". Does this certification get updated annually (should I see one dated 2022) or is this one certificate from 2017 enough?

Call the plaster manufacturer and ask them if the dealer has a current certificate.

National Pool Tile is the company-NPT

Is it possible to substitute black diamond coal slag for sand in the plaster mix?

I have a new wet edge surface done a week ago. steps and swim out are wavy and makes once perfect trim tiles look like an idiot installed them. Wet edge certified installer says hydro polishing would make it look worse yet Wet Edge said it can be fixed. Any thoughts?

I had a new concrete pool deck poured right after my pool was replastered and new tile installed, same contractor. Right after the pool was filled, they came and used a concrete saw, made several cuts to lay pavers in like the expansion joints. The dust and and chunks of concrete landed in the pool. The same pool contractor sold and installed a Jolly filter. Said it never needs to be back washed. We complained about the concrete dust that was everywhere! Stuck to all our brand new patio furniture, black fencing around pool, AC units and of course IN THE NEWLY REPLASTERED POOL! The company came out at looked at it, turned on the filter, it cleaned it up as far as looks. But was never able to keep chems balanced. Hired a new pool cleaning co. He couldn’t keep it balanced either. Checked the filter and it was jam packed with concrete dust! He replaced something in the filter but 3 years later we still can’t keep it balanced. And my grand kids get out of the pool with bleeding feet. $30k wasted! I hate all of it. The pavers faded already and almost as white as the concrete. I’m no chemist but it sure does seem to me that fresh concrete dust sitting in a new plaster pool would cause a chemical reaction of some sort! Would I be correct?

While we were in the planning stage of the re do, I picked out tile for the water line and pavers to be installed in the expansion joints in the concrete. After both jobs started, I was told the tile I picked were both out of stock. Feels like a bait and switch and I had to hurry and pick something, limited choices. Also the job was put on hold for a few weeks. One of the workers told me that they were pulled off my job to work on the owners basement pour. I don’t know if it was the concrete co owner or the pool co owner. Either way it doesn’t matter. I hired the pool co, they hired the concrete co or maybe it’s a co they work with regularly, none of this was acceptable! The company was SWIMMOR. If you read issues people have had with them on Google you can see that it’s always the customers fault/problem. Stay away from them! I wish I had read reviews before ever considering them for my pool project!

Hi. Our pool is finished! Our finish is quartzscapes. Im worried about the in water chairs we bought for the tanning ledge. They have 3 inch wide feet on them. With regular use by 6 ft hefty adult men, will they damage the finish?

Don’t lose sleep on this. Lol

First timer-building a pool in AZ-what your favorite pebble tec/sheen color? I'm going crazy trying to pic out. Thanks for any insight! My pool builder's favorites are aqua blue and blue surf. I have no idea what to do.

I have small elongated spots on bottom of pool that was refinished two years ago that appear to be imbedded rist. 1/4 long and 1/16 wide Noone can tell what it is or tell me how to fix. having difficulty getting install company to come look

@Berly, here is the PebbleTec we used for the pool we built last year. I like a very light blue color for the water and used ivory Shellock paver by Artistic Pavers. The water is even paler than what shows up in the photos, more like what you see on the shallow sun shelf.