New pool plastering issues

[Beast62]

Hello, fairly new to pool ownership! We had a beautiful to us installed gunite pool finished in late dec.

Since then we have had many issues with our pool and contractor that has made this experience go from that was supposed to be enjoyable to almost nightmarish.

currently we are dealing with plaster issues and I am hoping someone here can provide a little insight into what may be going on.

over the last 6 months we have notice white streaks or almost like scratches in out plaster. Primarily on our bench and tanning ledge.

Pool:13000 gal. Natur2 chlorine

I know that a lot more information will be needed by some on here to I am not sure what all to post.
Please look at the photos and offer any knowledge you might have and I will answer any questions for additional info as best as I can.

Is this spot etching? What do you do?

 

[ajw22]

You have white spotting on the plaster. Nothing can be done about it at this point. It may have been caused by overuse of calcium in the mix to promote faster curing with a winter application.

Accept that they are cosmetic and normal color variations in hand applied plaster. every pool turns out different.

Being Blamed for Plaster Discolorations? Don't Get Hoodwinked

Some newly plastered pools (including quartz and pebble finishes) may develop either color fading, white soft spotting (also incorrectly called "spot etching" by some plasterers), white streaking (in colored plaster), calcium nodules, gray mottling discoloration (of white plaster), spalling...

www.troublefreepool.com

White Spotting of New Plaster Pools

The problem of plaster spotting has been an ongoing puzzle and controversy in the swimming pool industry for over three decades. The generally round, smooth-yet-unsightly white soft spots in new plaster pools have long been a source of contention among pool plasterers, and pool chemical service...

www.troublefreepool.com

Scientific Evidence on Plaster Spotting

The following information provides pictures and scientific evidence from the cement petrographers who performed “failure analysis” examinations on white spotted pool plaster cores. The first picture (above) is of a plaster core from the pool that had suffered from white spotting. Note the...

www.troublefreepool.com

Plaster Installation and Maintenance - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Beast62]

You have white spotting on the plaster. Nothing can be done about it at this point. It may have been caused by overuse of calcium in the mix to promote faster curing with a winter application.

Accept that they are cosmetic and normal color variations in hand applied plaster. every pool turns out different.

Being Blamed for Plaster Discolorations? Don't Get Hoodwinked

Some newly plastered pools (including quartz and pebble finishes) may develop either color fading, white soft spotting (also incorrectly called "spot etching" by some plasterers), white streaking (in colored plaster), calcium nodules, gray mottling discoloration (of white plaster), spalling...

www.troublefreepool.com

White Spotting of New Plaster Pools

The problem of plaster spotting has been an ongoing puzzle and controversy in the swimming pool industry for over three decades. The generally round, smooth-yet-unsightly white soft spots in new plaster pools have long been a source of contention among pool plasterers, and pool chemical service...

www.troublefreepool.com

Scientific Evidence on Plaster Spotting

The following information provides pictures and scientific evidence from the cement petrographers who performed “failure analysis” examinations on white spotted pool plaster cores. The first picture (above) is of a plaster core from the pool that had suffered from white spotting. Note the...

www.troublefreepool.com

Plaster Installation and Maintenance - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

I am confused by your post and attached articles.

In your post you tell me to accept it and then attach an article disputing the NPC and water chemistry as the cause of this poor workmanship.
Those sequential streaks are not trowel marks? I guess my aggressive water is artistic when it decided to attack my plaster and give an almost symmetrical display of cosmetic variations!

Apologies because your first NPC article is exactly what the plasterer said.

My only question is if this was your pool 6-7 months are install, would you accept it?

 

[ajw22]

You now know what is going on. Talk to your builder and see if he is willing to do anything for you.

 

[Beast62]

They are gonna re-plaster the pool at the end of the season.

 

[ajw22]

They are gonna re-plaster the pool at the end of the season.

Are they going to do a full chipout of the existing plaster?

Or are they going to put a bonding coat on your existing plaster and then skim a new coat of plaster on top of it? Understand that you risk delamination or calcium nodules when a second layer of plaster is installed. Considering they did not do quality work on the first job you have to determine if you want to risk more serious problems then your current cosmetic ones.

 

[Beast62]

Are they going to do a full chipout of the existing plaster?

Or are they going to put a bonding coat on your existing plaster and then skim a new coat of plaster on top of it? Understand that you risk delamination or calcium nodules when a second layer of plaster is installed. Considering they did not do quality work on the first job you have to determine if you want to risk more serious problems then your current cosmetic ones.

So just a follow up since my last post but per the owner of the pool company who we deal with now as opposed to the foreman, "The pool is drained and then the hydrostatic valve is removed so the pool doesn't have any lifting problems with the ground water. The plaster crew will check for delamination. If there is any delamination or hollow sports they will chip the plaster out. If there is no delamination they will bond coat the plaster."

Can you please elaborate on these procedures and the pros and cons?

I will attach photos of the current work.

 

[ajw22]

Can you please elaborate on these procedures and the pros and cons?

The Pros all benefit the Pool Builder, the cons all leave you with possible issues in the future.

Seems like you have no choice so wish for the best.

 

[KCNM]

So just a follow up since my last post but per the owner of the pool company who we deal with now as opposed to the foreman, "The pool is drained and then the hydrostatic valve is removed so the pool doesn't have any lifting problems with the ground water. The plaster crew will check for delamination. If there is any delamination or hollow sports they will chip the plaster out. If there is no delamination they will bond coat the plaster."

Can you please elaborate on these procedures and the pros and cons?

I will attach photos of the current work.

That's standard language for a non-demo resurface. Which for you means doing absolutely nothing, because you already have a new surface. If your surface has delamination already, I would not let the people who laid that plaster anywhere close to your pool again...

ajw22 has already addressed the issues with doing this. The only pro for you is maybe a cosmetic boost. I just finished renovating my pool, which had a thin skim coat plaster over the previous one. I'm talking not even half an inch on the top coat. And it was delaminating pretty much everywhere. That was done before me, so I don't know how long ago it was done. But based on where it ended up, it probably would have been better to just have left the original plaster alone until it truly hit end-of-life.

 

[Bperry]

The best advice is to leave it alone or require all the old plaster to be chipped out and replaced. Skim coating plaster over another coat can sometimes turn into worse problems.

 

[kimkats]

The PB is going the easy route for him and the hard route for you down the road when it needs to be redone again due to him doing it the easy way.