With the pool getting older by about 20, 30, 40 years in your household it requires a replastering process to bring back its true quality for you to enjoy in the pool.
Most of the pools are built with material that is made up of a mixture of gunite, cement, sand, and water.
This mixture is generally sprayed upon the metal bars and is topped with the plasters. The water line with which the tiles, as well as the gunite pool, are surfaced forms a deck that can be surrounded across the pool.
The Best Types of Pool Plaster
There are various kinds of pool plaster that are available for swimming pools in the market these days that can be well suited to your needs and budget. You can make the best use of the traditional white plaster that gives out the swimming pool finish in the most amazing manner. The classic appearance that it gives out at the most inexpensive prices is something that you should think about before planning out any other option for replastering a pool.
It gives out a very strong finish on the surface and lasts for about 6 to 7 years without any kind of trouble or chirping activity on the surface of the pool. Another great benefit of the plaster is that it emits light inside the pool thus making the swimming activity very comfortable for the pool owners.
Apart from it, there are a number of ways in which you can make a colorful plaster by mixing it with various kinds of dyes as well as natural colors. You can make colored plasters like midnight blue plaster, sanding plaster etc. Even darker colors can be used that help in bringing out the better quality and reflection of the pool in accordance with its surface.
A new kind of pool finish is also available in the market that helps in providing the luxurious pool surface to the onlookers and helps in building a great amount of harder surface that can show resistance to the chemicals as well as give out the staining of the tiles in a proper manner. It can very well blend with the custom-centric material as well as the color that can have a very refined manner of texture with a complete one of a kind pool. These days the pool plaster with natural quartz is also in great demand and can easily be bought at a much cheaper price.
To enhance the life of the swimming pool, a decorative sheen with the polished aggregates are available that offers timeless beauty and radiance to the pools with a lot of lusters and can also extend the life cycle of the pool for about 12 to 20 years before going for another swimming pool plastering.
To make your pool more artistic as well as impressive you can also try using the exaggerated aggregates i.e. the ones which come from the river beds as well as pebbles. For this particular kind of finish, you are required to mix the muriatic acid along with the water and try to remove the layer of the concrete in the proper manner that will give out the great aspect of the pool.
This kind of pebble finish gives out a very rustic approach as well as look which makes you a tropical lagoon style pool through which you can enjoy very nicely and effectively.
How to Plaster a Swimming Pool Yourself
Sometimes due to the restricted budget, you are not able to carry out the task in the most unified manner. You start the pool replaster process on your own. It has been observed that an average gunite pool will take about 7-12 years to stay in a proper condition after getting replastered.
Step 1 – Use the sump pump
The first step is to turn off all the equipment that is in the working conditions and drain the swimming pool. You can take the help of the sump pump in order to drain out all the water which is present at the bottom of the pool.
Step 2 – Clean the pool
The next step is to clean the debris and dead leaves from the drained out pool to make it much more useful and beneficial. You can take the help of a sponge or an eco-friendly solution to make your pool clean and environment-friendly.
Also, read about the best pool vacuums and cleaners.
Step 3 – Check where the plaster is required
Now comes the real action when you need to foresee that where exactly you are required to recheck with the problems areas. The plaster that is peeling away from the pool requires special attention. The edges, as well as corners, are the most prominent areas that require the cleaning of the pool. In order to solve these issues you are required to get the checking done very thoroughly and you should analyze whether it is done in a proper manner or not.
Step 4 – Use a chisel or a knife
You are required to scrape off the plaster from the loose ends so that the replastering can be done in the most effective manner. With the help of a chisel or a knife, you should remove all the dampness that is surrounded across the pool.
Step 5 – Sanding
At least carry out the sanding process twice so that the areas where the damp plaster is removed can be rectified quickly and properly. This also ensures that the plastering process is carried out very effectively and at a fast pace.
Step 6 – Acid spray
For the purpose of giving out a great finish and shine to the pool, you need to acid wash the pool with the help of the acid brush so that the new surface become adaptable for the plastering process.
Step 7- Make use of the hose
With the help of the hose, you can rinse away the acid wash and let it dry for sometime before you start with the plastering process. Once it starts getting dry you should apply a bond coat of the replastering with the help of the roller that gives it out a very finished outlook. The coat will at least take an overnight’s time to get dry.
Step 8 – Apply the plaster
As per the instructions provided by the manufacturer you are required to prepare the mixture of the plaster. With the help of the steel trowel, you should start applying the mixture on the pool’s wall. The process should be started from the deepest end of the pool and one should keep in mind that the thickness should be at least 3/8 inches. Also always remember that you should never apply it on the wet surface as it creates a hole in the pool plaster or sometimes also gives out a lot of cracks that become difficult for you to get filled in the proper manner. Let it dry in a proper manner.
Step 9 – Give a finish
Once it is dry prepare a finish with the help of the trowel and gets the amazing benefit from it. Keep the thickness around1/4 inches.
Step 10 – Keep a check
Once the work is done, you should carry out the inspection in order to check that there is no patch left during your work. Let it completely dry.
Step 11- Painting a plaster pool
Once it gets dry, you should apply the specially produced paint for the pool. One thing that needs to be kept in mind is the fact that you cover the entire surface and apply the paint in an even manner while you go to paint a pool. Make sure that the brush is used in a single manner so that the paint is applied with a proper finish. Don’t use the pool before the paint dries up in a proper manner.
Once it gets dried simply refill your pool and chlorinate it with water in a proper manner. Now you can enjoy the advantages of your hard work.
How Long Should Pool Plaster Last?
The most important hidden secret of enhancing the life of the pool plaster is to properly maintain the water level and the balance within the pool. It can very well last for about 15 to 20 years on an average that will help in the proper maintenance of the surface. If there is improper water balance then it can be having a very short span of life cycle.
How To Repair Pool Plaster Underwater?
In order to carry out the pool plaster repair for the purpose of fixing pools underwater, you need to carry out the following process with the help of various kinds of glue stick or the syringe plungers that are available in the market. With the help of the knife, you can cut off the syringe approximately with ¼ tip. However, if the holes are slightly bigger on the underwater side of the pool then with the help of the dispensing gun you can very easily auto mix all the cartridge so that it can very easily be repaired.
Common Pool Plaster Problems
There are some of the common pool issues that are often faced by the pool owners during the plastering of their pool in order to remove the pool patching caused due to the aging of the pool.
Discoloration of the Plasters – The plaster color tends to get discolored and often turned into black, dark gray due to the excessive deposits of the calcium chloride that is mixed to set the accelerator. If you face such kind of problem you need to get it rewashed with the help of the acid washing, sanding or the torching activity.
But if you follow such kind of procedures then you will have to face a lot of detrimental effects on the plastering. Even color variation will take place that will soon become visible.
Spotting and Streaking – On the new plaster itself sometimes the spotting will take place that is caused due to the addition of the water on the hardened surface while the trowling of the plaster. A lot of aggregates is deposited over the surface that can lead to spotting in different zones.
Spalling – Another common problem is that the flaking or the peeling of the plaster will start taking place usually in the smaller areas. This peeling is often caused by adding so much of the water during the trowling process. It can be sanded and should be replastered again.
Alternatives to Pool Replastering
The average cost to replaster a pool is $5000-$10,000 which can be very problematic for those who are looking out for the affordable solutions for the repair purpose of their pool patching. There are various options that one can try out in order to get the best solutions for the purpose of their pool repair.
One can try out the painting option if your pool is in the fine state then you can definitely try out the option. Through water blasting, you can very easily chirp off of the old paint and then you should spray a new paint coat over the plaster. Generally, the paint sustains for about 10 or more than 10 years. You should go out for the option of using the eboxy paint. Though some people try out the rubber-based or acrylic paint but as compared to the durability eboxy is fine.
You can also go for the alternative of retiling of the pool. It is carried out in the same manner as the indoor paint is done inside the household. You need to apply the scratch coat and the tiles are laid upon the surface with the grout. But the fact is that the tiling can also be equally expensive and it takes a lot of time to adjust the tiling in a definite manner. But as far as the result is concerned it is excellent in tilling.