Only you can answer if you can afford the upgrade or not. Some PB's offer the pebble finish standard. Ask your PB and see if they'll offer it at no charge.

Personally, I think a white plaster pool looks dated compared to the pebble finishes that are available. If I could afford it and not go completely over budget I would consider it.

If budget is a problem then check into quartz plaster. You can get it in a wide range of colors and price-wise it's a little more than plain plaster but a lot less then pebble. I just mentioned this in another thread, but I have two friends that both have white plaster pools around 5 years old and they both regret it because of unsightly staining & mottling that they can't get rid of. We have blue-grey quartz plaster and love it (pic link below).

Here is a link that might be useful:

honestly...I think it looks really dated, like someone else mentioned. It looks right out of the 1970s. And if you are planning to sell your house within the next 10-15 years, imagine how dated it will look then.

The finish totally "sets" the tone and look of your pool...and it's staring you in the face everyday. Cut back in other areas of your plan...go with a more standard tile, simpler coping, heck repaint your current yard furniture and use it instead of buying new stuff, plant seeds and wait for your flowers to grow...but getting an interesting finish is the ONE thing I would not compromise on. We're getting PebbleTec, and we chose a color from the Standard price level, not the 2 upgraded levels, but we know that the PebbleTec finish is going to add a depth of character that we just couldn't get otherwise.

Call it your birthday/anniversary/Christmas/Hannukah/Mother'sDay/Valentine'sDay/Father'sDay gift, but I would NOT skimp there. We have a Standard level tile, a Standard level finish, and basic flagstone coping and we are staggered by the dramatic impact all the standard level finishes can make as a whole. The bigger upgrades (upgraded colors, fancier tile) and all the fancy pool furniture and landscaping just couldn't make up for a finish that didn't take our breath away.

We had a white plaster pool...and I am glad it's gone! Sorry if this makes the decision tougher for you... :-(

I love traditional white plaster pools, but I also wanted something more bluer than the light aqua the plain plaster gives. We added the 3M blue quartz crystals for bluer water but still a traditional white plaster look from a distance. I have a Spanish Colonial home so I also chose cobalt blue tiles. The shape isn't traditional since we wanted to be able to dive and play volleyball.

A pool is a big deal. If you're already having serious second thoughts about something, are you going to be happy with it long-term?

I've had both a white plaster pool and a pool with Pebble Tec. I absolutely love the Pebble Tec. The colors and depth that it gives the water throughout the day are well worth the extra expense.

If it's not going to put you seriously over budget and it's doable, I say go for it. I have Tahoe Blue and it's level one. Lots of us on here have it.

I meant to say "more blue."

Does anyone here get the feeling that nobody likes white plaster? ;>D

Oh well, I smile everytime I look out my windows!

We have plain white plaster and like it. It has mottling, but no stains. The mottling doesn't bother us; probably because we don't know any better.

For future consideration, when we get to the replaster point, can the old plaster be removed and could we get pebble-tec?

One neighbor did get pebble-tec and one part of the coating delaminated. The company came right back out and fixed it, no charge, but they were out of their pool for a few weeks. Probably one data point too close to home that helped us make up our decision to go with plaster.

I also have white plaster, but its better quality white plaster than what's out there on the market. My pool is still a light aqua color and I wanted to make sure I could see the bottom. I also went through the same dilemma, right up to 10 minutes before they put the plaster down. In the end I remembered that I had colored lights being installed and this was going to compensate for me not seeing the "blue" that I wanted to ultimately see.
Also I've heard that darker plaster makes the water warmer. I don't know how true that it is. My rep let me come by her house and she told me that because she choose a deep blue her water is hotter than people who have normal white plaster.
So that also factored into my decision in going with the white.
So ultimately, I would go visit people who have the color that your looking for and make your decision. The only true way is to see it up close and personal.
Good Luck.

To: gina171

Which color Pebble Tec did you choose?

Thanks.

Thank you so much everyone! In the big scheme of things, an extra couple of thousand (isn't that about right?) when I'm spending over $30,000 isn't really that much, esp. if it is going to make that much difference in how the pool looks. I'll call the PB on Monday and find out what is available. Is the pebble tec hard on your feet? I'm having a tanning ledge and I thought it might be uncomfortable to sit on. Please correct me if I'm wrong! The blue quartz added to the plaster is much more affordable, but I've been told that unless you go above 30% it really doesn't change the pool color. BTW - I love this forum, and I wish I had have known about it earlier - you guys are all so helpful and knowledgeable. I have some PB horror stories because I was so uninformed!! I'll post some photos once the pool is a little further along as I love looking at your pools.

Is it just looks or is it really the best durability as some say? Some sites that I have seen that discuss pool finishes have warranties listed that are pretty much the same for all of the higher end finishes. I thought Pebble Tec was supposed to be extra long lasting compared to everything else? Or are the warranties offered by the individual PB and therefore vary?

houseful, your pool is very pretty! My DH prefers clean lines over freeform & yours is shaped somewhat like the area we have to work with. Do you have some other pictures we could see?

Though not diagnosed, I probably harbor a few OCD tendencies and dirt on the bottom of my old white gunite pool made me insane. I wanted it to look spotless all the time and when you own a pool, sometimes people just drop in and it bothered me greatly if my pool was dirty.

Pebble hides a LOT of sins and will just make pool ownership a little more relaxing - for me.

So will YOU regret having plain white plaster? Depends on how frequently you want to haul out the Kreepy Krawly or if random small clumps of dirt bother you or not.

It's a non-negotiable on my list.

Good luck on your decision. Once you decide on having a pebble bottom, then the fun begins in deciding WHICH color you want. LOL

Quote: "Is it just looks or is it really the best durability as some say? Some sites that I have seen that discuss pool finishes have warranties listed that are pretty much the same for all of the higher end finishes. I thought Pebble Tec was supposed to be extra long lasting compared to everything else? Or are the warranties offered by the individual PB and therefore vary?"

When I was looking into finishes, most of the web sites I came across listed the lifespan of plain plaster at 5 to 10 years. Quartz plaster was 10-15 years and pebble was 15-20 years. Plaster used to last much, much longer due to a wonder material that was used in it called "asbestos" ;-) When I discussed it with my PB, their warranty was 10 years regardless of finish. They said in their experience (they've been in business since the 70's) the pebble finishes do technically last longer, but they start "releasing" pebbles after 10 years or so. They said that once that starts happening you get some rough spots in your pool that can be very uncomfortable. So they said that even with pebble finishes usually people want to resurface
after around 10 years. Ironically this is part of what they told us when we went in to upgrade to pebble! We ended up sticking with quartz.

I'm sure that like anything it really depends on what kind of care you take of your pool. People who just let things go for months and then struggle to kill off algae when it appears are no doubt going to have a much shorter plaster life then those who are diligent about keeping the chemicals balanced.

I know it added a couple thousand to my price, but my pool is also pretty small. I have a tanning ledge, and I've never noticed my Pebble Tec being rough there, or anywhere else for that matter.

My young daughter swims non-stop, as do both of my dogs. Nobody has ever complained of any roughness whatsoever.

Good luck with your decision!

We have Pebble Fina. It costs less then the pebble tec or pebble sheen and still has the same pebble tec warranty. It is very smooth on the feet. We are happy with it.

I'll chime in since we have a 16 year old pool. Of course it was originally white plaster, geometric shape as we love a modern look. We drained it and refilled it every year and never had any staining or motteling (sp?).The pool builder recommended the yearly drain as we have very hard water here in Vegas. About 5 years ago we drained it and DH got busy and we let it empty for a few days. When we refilled it, all the areas in the sun delaminated. Sooooo we had to resurface. DH insisted on a pebble sheen finish and I really like the color, it is a light baby blue(forget the name). We had some rough spots where the pool bends, like at the back of a few areas of steps. The contractor sanded them and they are fine. While it is slightly rougher than a smooth plaster finish, I would call it more "textured", not rough. I don't snag bathing suits or feet and I walk the pool every day for exercise. The warranty was longer on the pebble finish and the price was not a lot more. If I remember, a plain white replaster was around $3500, quartz around $3800, and our sheen was $4700. We felt it was worth it for the look and longer warranty.I dont notice it any warmer than white plaster was, but it is not a dark sheen. Hope this helps. Good luck, Barb

A pebble finish will make your pool look just as new, if not a tiny bit better than the day you put it in. Plaster will show cracks, discoloration, molting. All of that actually exists in the pebble finish as well but it just hides it better. In our last pool, there was a crack and a rebar rust stain starting to show through after about 7 years. However, only I knew it was there. You just can't find it by just casually looking at the pool which is what you would see with plaster.

To lucyfl:

we chose Majestic Plum PebbleTec (looks a lot like Tahoe Blue, but with a cooler/icier tone to the water, not as much of a green tint), with a tile from Classic Pool Tile in style Iron in the color Nero (a natural look, textured to look like stone, in a deep taupe with gray undertones...I didn't want to try to match blue water to blue tile, the pools I'd seen that had tried this missed the tones), and a flagstone coping that heavily mixes the deeper tones with the usual tans (lots of brown, some black, grey). We were going for a super natural look/feel.

My PB told me there was another product which was a knock off of Pebble Tech and it is less expensive. Has anyone used a pebble finish which is not that brand? Thanks!!

My PB told me there was another product which was a knock off of Pebble Tech and it is less expensive. Has anyone used a pebble finish which is not that brand? Thanks!!
We have Stonescape and it my opinion, its better than or equivalent to the PebbleTec we had before.

Quote: "My PB told me there was another product which was a knock off of Pebble Tech and it is less expensive. Has anyone used a pebble finish which is not that brand? Thanks!!"

Oh yes, many people here have installed pebble finishes that are made by other than Pebble Tec. A lot of people call any pebble finish Pebble Tec when in fact it may be a different product altogether. It's kind of like how everyone calls a tissue a "Kleenex" regardless of who actually made it, or here in Texas how every soft drink is called a "Coke"!

To the regret of what PebbleTec will tell you...there is nothing special about PebbleTec. Its just a mixture of aggregate and colored plaster...they spray it on like plaster, trowel it, and add a step to "expose the aggregate" by spraying it with water.

In fact, lots of pool companies once would tell you there were doing PebbleTec when in fact they were just applying the technology and had no license from PebbleTec....just stealing their advertised name. PebbleTec started to see erosion in their brand so they started sueing plasters and pool builders. However, the plasters and material distributors just named the same technique something different and viola, off brand pebble aggregate finish

With PebbleTec, you have a national company to stand behind the product. The applicators are certified and licensed. You have to weigh the value of that proposition yourself.

Our pool, which is older, was originally done in white plaster, and when we had it re-plastered a couple of years ago, we stuck with white plaster. I prefer the whiteness, and how clear the water seems. But if we need to have it re-plastered again before we sell the house when we retire, I'll probably get whatever is the most "in-style, non-dated" finish.

Graceunderpressure,

I was going to email this to you, but you don't have a link. This includes the plans as well. We have lots of landscaping yet, as well as a water feature to build.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pool photos

[goute]honestly...I think it looks really dated, like someone else mentioned. It looks right out of the 1970s. And if you are planning to sell your house within the next 10-15 years, imagine how dated it will look then.[/qoute]

I remember this was said about blue jeans when parachute pants came out. I'm not implying that pebble finishes are a fad. Merely, that white plaster has a timeless elegant look that will never approach "dated".

houseful,
Thank you so much for sharing those pix! I can see why you smile when you look out at it! Once you have it landscaped, it will be gorgeous - hope you'll post more pictures when it's done!

I especially love the complementarity of the blue tile with your water color - I think we will do something very similar! (Whatever finish we end up doing)

I'm curious about the components in pebble tec and similar finishes...as was stated asbestos used to be an ingredient. Is Pebble tec simply plaster with true rock aggregate or are the "pebbles" manufactured chemically? My concern is that so much of our commonly used/accepted products are not good...I'm doing my best to avoid products made in China...too many quality control issues...but am I getting a safe product by mixing this pebble tec technology with a salt water pool...have there been studies on the quality of water and any byproducts that are released into the water through hot summer sun or other natural effects? I just know that folks readily used asbestos for a period of time not realizing the damage....just curious if any others are as concerned as I am about "new" processes...

Juicy Fruit was fine the way it was made for 40 years...since when do they need to put phenylalanine in it? They don't even tell you, read up on that junk and you'll never drink a diet drink again...I actually suffered from seizures from that chemical and can't prove it...but from the thousands of others who faced similar sypmtoms (seizures...they stopped when I stopped my intake of products with it)...I just wonder if anyone has tested water of pebble tec/salt water systems after 2-3 or even 5 years.

thanks!
Tara

according to the pebbletec website, they're real rocks and pebbles which are tumbled. don't know if they add anything to them when they tumble. probably best to ask pebbletec corporate. or maybe natural_one on this forum, he knows a lot about pebbletec.

I too have debated this issue. At original meeting w/PB, we had him quote the overall master plan. PB quoted with white plaster but gave us a price sheet with the upgrade-should we want to go with a differnt finish, SAM lights etc.
When we got the quote back, we were surprised that the whole plan was in our budget to do as is.
Now that sticker shock has worn off, what is another $1600 for quartz added to plaster, or $$3161 for sunstone colored plaster, or $4578 for aggregate finish?
Unfortunately, we have other expenses, about 10k already not in the pool bid (fence, electric reroute, paver deck).
Where does one stop spending when money is an object?
Of coarse, my DH put it to me like this. If none of these other finishes existed, would I still love my pool?
Both my neighbors have white plaster finishes (built by the PB I am using)and they are beautiful. My PB showed me photos of 14 different pools all with differnt "colors" to them. Come to find out, they were all white plaster. Depending on surrounding vegitation, cloud cover (or not) shadow/shade, sun location, can effect the color of a pool dramatically.
We are going with white plaster afterall. If somewhere down the road I really hate it, I'll save up for it and get it re-done.

If it is in your budget, go for it. If not, your pool will still be beautiful.

Hey just wanted to show you a pic of black marble plaster my PB changed the white marble plaster to black marble plaster for an adl $400 dollars it is not paint something is mixed in with the plaster my pool was plastered today and is filling with water as I type the black plaster is really a light gray and it is suppose to make the water look
much bluer I will try to send you a update photo next week
pool is 30x14 3' to 6'deep

i'm debating this also, one week away from the end! really, the only reason not to get the pebblesheen i like is the money. if there was another product that had the same qualities for less, i would get that. i think that since i'm going to have to spend the extra $$ for the pebble finish, it is best to go with the real thing which has a track record, licensed applications, etc. however, my neighbor has white plaster and it looks perfectly beautiful with her polished white travertine, which is a more formal look. i just don't like how when i look at it more closely i see the mottling and low level type grime that just builds up on anything that you leave outside every day. i also like the richness and character of the pebble finishes because they tend to blend in better with the natural stone coping and wall material that i chose. still, it would be nice to save that extra money!!

I know this is an old post but I am wondering if Susan1404 went with white plaster, pebble finish or quartz and if they are happy with their choice?

I'm going through the same issue...I like the white plaster, I'm building a mid century modern but freeform style pool. Kinda want the best of both worlds, afterall it's a big investment. I was set on the white plaster because of it simulating white sands on out beach entry/tan deck, we we're but still wanted the scene to be set in a place like tulum. Blue carribean water with white sands. But the issue is really needing it to be a 2021 feature build, and having characterized coping of the past, solid colored natural coping and outer decking walkways..modern mosaic tile and a few up to date accent design..so we finally decided after months of back and forth, the colorscapes blue carribean pool plaster. Because afterall, you want to have a scenery of where you've been or want to be, to give you that sigh of relaxation, a few footsteps away. So I would encourage you to dig deep and picture where you and your family want to be when you walk outside..good luck!

I prefer the classic look of white plaster. If it has squared corners it looks very modern. Rounded corners and Pebble Tech look very 1990's to me.

Is the most recent comment true? Our pool is 20 yrs old with white plaster. Overall Overall, it looks pretty modern to me. My husband wants the quartz blue plaster and I am undecided. We agree not to spend extra thousands for the pebble. Project already expensive enough as we are also replacing all cool decking at same time which includes a big patio. I have not given pool styles any thought since we got ours so I feel very clueless and must decide. I was careful not to date the pool originally and now I wonder if we go for the blue, maybe it will be dated. Thoughts Thoughts?