Intermountain Aquatech, Inc – Utah

Resurfacing Your Pool

After you’ve had your pool for a while, you might start to notice damage to the pool surface. This could include cracks, chips, or even large chunks that have been taken out. This is a normal occurrence. Pool surfaces only last for so long before they need to be replaced. On average, most pool surfaces have the lifespan of around 10 years before some kind of renovation or resurfacing is needed. So what happens when your pool is resurfaced?

While minor repairs can be a DIY project, if you have to resurface either your whole pool (or large areas of your pool) then it is important that you hire a professional to do the job. Improper re-surfacing will not only look bad, but it can lead to larger problems down the road.

When you have a professional come to resurface your pool, the first thing that needs to happen is your pool will need to be drained. Before you start to drain you pool, make sure all of your pool’s electrical equipment is turned off so that nothing is damaged.

Once the pool is drained, your pool professional will start to remove all the old, damaged plaster from the underlying concrete. This will usually be done with either a jackhammer or a pick. Your pool professional will be careful to make sure that all the plaster is entirely removed and that your concrete structure remains unharmed.

Once the plaster is removed, your pool should be bated in a light acid wash. An acid wash will restore your pool’s color and remove any calcium build up.

At this point, it is time to resurface the pool. Your pool professional will lay down a new layer of plaster over the surface of your pool. The plaster will need to have three layers – the scratch coat (or the bottom layer), the middle coat, and the finishing coat. Your pool professional will wait to make sure that each layer is smoothed on correctly and evenly, and that each layer has a chance to fully dry before applying the next layer. One easy way to tell is your plaster is dry is to throw a quarter in the pool. If the quarter sticks, then the plaster needs more time to dry. If it bounces, then it is time to put on the next coat.

Once your finishing layer is fully dry, it is time to put water back into your pool. This can be done with a hose that is wrapped in order to prevent scratching on your new pool surface. Always make sure that once you start filling your pool that you finish the job. Stopping half way will result in ugly watermarks where you stopped. Turn back on all of your pool’s electrical equipment and get ready to enjoy your newly resurfaced pool!