poolnerd

There are a whole bunch of choices available when it comes to finishing your pool. From regular old white plaster to colored plaster, from a spectrum quartz aggregate plaster mixes to all of the colors of pebble finishes. It can all get a bit confusing, even overwhelming, if you don’t know the differences between all these products, and their pros and cons. So let’s dive in (sorry, couldn’t resist), and sort out these pool finishes so you can make an educated decision on your own.

Plaster Overview

Plaster is the most common pool finish for inground gunite/shotcrete pools. It’s been around for years and years; it was used on the first pools built, way back in the Dark Ages. The purpose of this finish is to provide a fairly hard, smooth, and waterproof surface below the waterline.

Plaster is a fairly durable, easy-to-maintain surface if it is mixed and applied properly. That “if” is the big qualifier, though: as with most crafts, quality and workmanship are everything. And with proper maintenance and care, a sound plaster job should last ten to fifteen years, sometimes more. I’ve seen twenty-five year old pools that are just getting to the point of needing resurfacing.

All of the surfaces that we’ll be talking about have a few things in common:

• All are mixture of white portland cement, an aggregate, and water. The aggregate can be white sand or crushed white marble in conventional plaster. Quartz aggregate finishes have small pieces of colored ceramic-coated particles of quartz added to the stuff in regular plaster. Pebble finishes have small, smooth pebbles mixed in. Accelerants, pozzolans or other admixtures can be in any of these mixes, too.
• The pool finish is a decorative element. The surface of the pool is usually the biggest, most noticeable surface in the yard. It can be the first impression a visitor gets of your yard, so it must be chosen carefully.
• All of these surfaces must be waterproof.
• They must also be easy on bathers’ feet and hands. No one likes a pool where your feet are raw after only a few minutes of swimming. This means smooth; a texture, as in the case of a pebble is OK, as long as the pebbles aren’t rough, sharp or angular.

White Plaster

Regular ol’ white plaster is the most common pool finish, even in these days of exotic quartz and pebble finishes. It’s been around since the beginning of the pool construction business. When a white plaster pool is filled with water, it takes on that classic pool look: a light blue color, cool and crisp.

Pro: The prototypical pool finish. Cheapest of all the finishes on the market.

Con: Susceptible to staining and/or etching if the pool is not maintained properly.

Colored Plaster

For those of you that want a little bit different look, there’s colored plaster. It’s made of the same stuff as white plaster, but a coloring agent is added as the plaster is mixed. The most common colors are probably various shades of gray, and black.

Pro: A different look. Darker colors make the water surface more reflective, which is sometimes desirable.

Con: Costs slightly more than white plaster. Also, the shortcomings inherent in white plaster are more apparent and pronounced in colored plasters, especially the darker shades. Surface mottling, streaks or unevenness of color, even crazing and check cracks are more noticeable. I don’t recommend colored plaster because many clients are not happy with the look (mottling, etc.) after a period of time.

Quartz Aggregate Finishes

This stuff is basically regular plaster, white or colored, with ceramic coated quartz particles added in the mix. 3M makes a product called Colorquartz that is one of most popular finishes of this type.The surface can be slightly harder and more durable than plaster, depending on the amount of quartz aggregate added. But, in my experience, it’s still susceptible to most of the problems that bedevil plaster: staining, spot etching, etc. The look is different than colored plaster and seems more uniform in appearance than colored plaster. Also, the cost is a fair bit higher.

Pro: Richer look than plaster. Perhaps a harder and more durable surface than plaster.

Cons: Costs more than plaster. Still affected by many of the same technical problems as plaster. Not a bad choice if don’t want color, but can’t afford a pebble finish.

Pebble

In the pool business, these are called “exposed aggregate” finishes. Pebbletec is a popular brand, the oldest of this breed. Basically a pebble finish is a plaster, white or colored, with a lot of small, smooth, stones of various colors mixed in. It is applied and finished like regular plaster, but when a certain surface hardness is reached, the surface is removed with special water misting devices. This exposes the aggregate in the mix. Hence, the name.

Pro: Since most of the surface exposed to the pool water is stone, this type of finish gets away from many of the problems associated with plaster: staining, etching, etc. Also it is available in a wide variety of colors. Many clients are pleased with the more “natural” look. Seems to be a much more durable, longer-lived surface, too.

Con: The cost. Can be double the price of plaster or more. Also, some people dislike the the feel of the pebbles on their feet: the surface isn’t flat like plaster, but, um, pebbly instead. Before committing to this type of finish, look at some finished pools, and if possible, put your feet in to try it out.

Water Maintenance

I can’t overemphasize how important it is to keep a close eye on your pool’s water chemistry and maintenance. For instance, if the pH varies from the recommended levels, either too high or too low, it can be detrimental to your plaster. Usually poor chemistry and maintenance lead to problems that are cosmetic. But they can also lead to more serious problems that may require expensive remedies, or even necessitate stripping out the old plaster and applying new. This, of course, is very expensive.

Choose Wisely

Like many things in life, making a good choice involves understanding the choices available. What their strengths and weaknesses are, what the cost trade-offs are. What the best value is for the money spent.

One other very important aspect hasn’t been mentioned here, and could be the subject of another whole article: choosing the right plastering contractor. Often the best only charges slightly more than the “usual” guy, the one that most of the local pool builders might use. Once you find a good plastering contractor, you can discuss which of these finishes may be the best for your pool and your family.

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 11th, 2006 at 10:04 pm and is filed under Constuction, For Contractors, For Homeowners, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.