gohoos...yes, we do have lighter areas that I think were a result of the "creme" that resulted from troweling the plaster finish. As I understand it, after the application of the diamondbrite product, there are a couple ways to remove this "creme". One is to acid wash it before the pool is filled. The other is to perform an acid startup, which entails adding muriatic acid to the pool water and circulating for the first several days to "etch" the plaster. The desired result of both methods is to remove the lighter "creme" patches and expose the aggregate pebbles in the plaster for a more consitent look. We labored over how we wanted to finish the plaster once it was applied. In the end, we opted not to do the acid wash nor the acid startup and just kept the troweled finish as originally applied. We're happy with the finish because it matches the natural look we were after with our pool design, but I could see why our particular look may not be preferred by others who have different tastes and designs tendancies towards a cleaner geometric look. I was also told by the start-up guy, who does all the pool maintenance for the PB, that the smooth troweled finish is better for preventing algae growth and will last a few years longer than the same plaster that was acid washed or acid soaked during start-up. Not sure about this, but it made sense to me. Hope this helps.

I am wondering how the steel blue stands up to time (fade, etc.). Does anyone here have any pictures of the steel blue and if so, what are your thoughts on going with this color? I am days away from having to choose a color for my own pool. Thanks!

Like Scrapula said, there are different brand names for the same type of product. We have the Marbletite in our pool and have been very pleased with it. It is very smooth and has a lot of aggregates in it. I haven't seen a pool recently finished in Diamondbrite, but my parents, neighbors and a few friends have the Diamondbrite in their pools from a few years ago and the amount of exposed aggregates can't compare to what's in our pool with the Marbletite. I am not sure if Diamondbrite looks any different in a pool finished recently. They are both good products and I'm sure it is depended on what your PB offers, personal preference and color choices that sway a person either way.

I know this thread is years old, but Teppy, if you're still around, would be very interested in a picture of the DB blend that you ended up with (as well as how you feel about the DB after almost 10 years). Generally interested if others have recent input re DB or other finishes - we are in the midst of new pool construction and trying to figure out surface finish. We had originally intended to go with just regular old white plaster (marcite), as that is what we have in our pool in Florida that was built in the early 80s and has never been refinished and is still in decent shape. But now we have learned, and keep hearing, that marcite is not the same as it used to be (mainly b/c they can no longer use asbestos in the mix) and doesn't hold up anything like it used to, so we are thinking to avoid that. We're thinking probably an aggregate of some sort, but want a pretty smooth surface (DON'T like PebbleTec at all). Our pool builder is most familiar with DB, but we're also talking to a company that uses Wet Edge products - we particularly like the Luna Quartz line. So any experiences re Diamond Brite, Wet Edge, or any other surface finishes for that matter, would be most appreciated. Thanks!