Orlando pool resurfacing
Replastering replaces the worn cement finish inside a concrete pool. The pool is emptied with its hydrostatic relief valve managed, loose and hollow plaster is chipped back to a sound base, new plaster goes on in one continuous pass, and the fill and first four weeks follow the National Plasterers Council start-up procedure.
White pool plaster is a thin layer of white cement and marble sand troweled over the concrete shell. It wears from the water side. When the water sits outside its balanced range for long stretches, low calcium, low pH or low alkalinity dissolve the most soluble part of the cement first, and the surface turns rough, blotchy and pitted. The National Plasterers Council calls this etching, and it shows first around tile, lights and fittings. Other signs are a surface that scratches swimsuits and feet, stains that come back after brushing, and patches that sound hollow when tapped. Hollow spots and flaking are a bonding problem rather than wear, and those are covered on our crack and delamination repair page.
Replastering starts with an empty pool, and an empty concrete shell sitting in wet soil is lighter than the groundwater pushing up on it. That uplift can lift a shell out of the ground, which engineers call a popped pool. The Florida Building Code requires an approved hydrostatic relief device in pools built where a water table is expected, and that valve usually sits in the main drain. Before pumping, we find it, confirm it opens, and discharge the pool water well away from the shell so it does not soak straight back under the floor. If the ground is saturated after days of rain, the right answer can be to wait.
New plaster only lasts as long as its grip on what is underneath. Old plaster that is loose, hollow, painted or heavily layered is chipped back to sound material, and the surface is cleaned so no dust or scale is left. Where the substrate calls for it, a bond coat goes on first. The new plaster is then troweled in one continuous pass wherever possible, because a joint where work stopped and restarted is a weak line. The pool is filled as soon as the finish has set: water is what cures cement plaster, and a finish left to dry in the sun shrinks and cracks.
The NPC start-up procedure treats the first four weeks as part of the job. The fill runs without stopping until the water reaches the middle of the skimmer. The whole surface is brushed at least twice a day while plaster dust is still coming off, water chemistry is tested daily, chlorine waits 48 hours, the heater stays off, and wheeled cleaners stay out of the pool for the full 28 days. Owners who want a harder-wearing surface than white plaster can compare quartz aggregate finishes and pebble interiors before the chip-out begins.
What sets the schedule? The size of the pool, how much old plaster has to be chipped out, how wet the ground is when it is time to drain, weather on application day, and the 28-day start-up that follows the fill.
These usually come up in the same drain, and can be quoted from the same visit:
A cement finish built with crushed colored quartz instead of marble sand, smooth underfoot and tougher against etching.
What it involves →Exposed-aggregate interiors of small natural stones, the most chemical-resistant option, with a textured feel underfoot.
What it involves →Cracks sorted into cosmetic check cracks or shell cracks, and hollow, flaking plaster diagnosed before anything is patched.
What it involves →Free estimate
Tell us where the pool is and what you’re seeing. We’ll call back to book a look at the pool and bring finish samples.
We’ll call to set up a time to see the pool. To talk sooner, call (689) 305-2500
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