Pool owners often appreciate the long lasting and durable nature as well as smooth finish of plasters. Pool plaster, when properly mixed, applied, cured and maintained – can last for more than 15 years. Plastering a pool is not a DIY task and requires a much more industrial preparation process. Sometimes, plaster jobs can fail too – there are lots of different defects that can occur with pool plaster. There are 5 common types of defects that occur with newly plastered pool in Houston. Check them out!

 

                        Pool Plastering Houston

 

White spotting: This issue occasionally develops in new white and dark colored plaster pools. The unsightly white spots begin to show up within the first year after plastering, and sometimes even before that. This problem has also been given the name of “spot etching” by pool plasterers. The addition of calcium chloride to the plaster mix also contributes to porosity, shrinkage and micro-cracking. When specific areas of a plaster surface become porous, the spots become lighter in color than the surrounding plaster surface, causing white spotting.

Discolorations: Discolorations can occur in a new pool plaster due to the addition of excessive calcium chloride set accelerator. Mottled discoloration can be severe that is difficult to remove or discolorations can be in the form of “trowel burn” sanding, acid washing, or torching the surface. Discolorations are detrimental to a plaster finish and the discoloration often returns later. 

Spalling or Flaking: The term “spalling” has become a commonly used term to describe shallow surface loss. However, in the pool industry, the term “scaling” is used to describe calcium carbonate depositing from pool water onto the plaster surface. This problem usually results from hot, windy or dry days, or sometimes due to improperly timed trowel passes. When water evaporates from the pool surface faster than mix water, bleeding up occurs to replace the lost water from a particular surface. As a result, a weakened subsurface zone is created that will spall off subsequently.

Crazing or Cracking: Crazing is an excessive amount of surface shrinkage cracking. These will provide a nice foothold for dirt and algae. Crazing can result from excessive drying of the plaster before the pool is filled or from the addition of excessive water while troweling, or from excessive calcium chloride set accelerator added to the batch.

Etching: Look different from delamination and spalling, etching occurs when plaster have separated from previous plaster layers. Etching of pool plaster indicates a soft spot of plaster that has degraded and mostly occurs on steps and swimouts, & around wall fittings. It occurs when excess sand or fine aggregate is used in the plaster mix, or excess water or low cement concentrations in the mix, or due to excessively "hot" plaster mix with high calcium content.

Most new plaster finishes are flawlessly brilliant and usually don’t develop defects for years, if done & maintained properly. This post is to inform pool owners about the problems that can occur with new pool plaster, so that they can take care of their pool before and after pool plastering. An experienced pool plastering company in Houston or in your area will always avoid the mistakes that new pool companies usually do during plastering. Contact a trusted local pool plastering company and you will have no problems!