Protecting Your Pool Plaster

If you have a swimming pool, you have to take care of the plaster to keep your pool looking (and feeling) great for years to come. Many homeowners would enjoy having a pool in their backyard, but aren’t familiar with what pool plaster maintenance entails in Columbia, SC.

Here’s how to keep your pool in good shape, and what to do if it’s beyond repair.

Water chemistry is key

The biggest factor in preserving your pool plaster is to maintain the right water chemistry year-round. Some pool owners forget to keep their water chemistry balanced during the colder months. This is a bad idea. Pool water actually eats away at the plaster more aggressively in winter. Don’t let your pool’s plaster potentially deteriorate six months out of the year—make a plan to maintain your plaster regularly.

Plaster is made out of cement aggregate, minerals and sometimes crystals. Since it’s in constant contact with the water, it’s more susceptible to damage. Maintaining the proper pH balance year-round is necessary, since the colder your water, the more likely the plaster will develop scaling or etching. This is because the colder, imbalanced water can become corrosive.

Pool resurfacing can help

Eventually, your plaster will need to be replaced or resurfaced. It usually lasts about 15 to 25 years, depending on how well you balance your water. However, you might want to resurface if you notice any of the following conditions:

• Etching: Over time, you might see lines or dents forming in your pool plaster. Low pH, calcium or alkalinity is probably to blame.
• Spalling: If the pool plaster was improperly installed, your plaster may start to peel and flake off. This is called spalling, and you can fix it by having your pool resurfaced.
• Cracks: Depending on how large the cracks are and when you notice them, you might not need to replaster. Some shrinkage cracks are visible when the pool is empty, but disappear when full as the plaster rehydrates. Those are nothing to worry about. However, large deep cracks need to be repaired as soon as possible. If deep enough, they could be leaking water into your yard.
• Discoloration: If you notice blue, green or black stains forming on your plaster, you’re probably dealing with metal stains. This is common in places with trucked in water. Use a diamond sander or a piece of 80-grit sandpaper to try to scrub the stains off.

Pool plaster maintenance in Columbia, SC is mostly a matter of keeping the water balanced all year long. Properly balanced water is less likely to harm the surface, which will keep your pool looking great as long as possible—perhaps even longer than its 25-year lifespan. If you’re not sure how to balance your pool water, ask a pool contractor for help.

If you need pool resurfacing in Columbia, SC, call Can Do Plaster Crew today. We offer a full range of resurfacing and repair services, with over two decades of experience. We look forward to assisting you soon!

Categorised in: Pool Resurfacing

This post was written by Writer