Resurfacing an old pool (with stripping) - advice

[jessewas]

We have an old pool that we'd like to resurface but it is at that point where resurfacing over the old stuff is just a good idea anymore. We've already had three (3) layers and just have been patching for a while, and someone told us that the plaster is so thin on the walls in places that the concrete is coming exposed. Looks like we need to strip and replace. The stuff on the base of the pool SEEMS thick and solid (albeit rough and ready to replace).

With that being said, whats the best/proper procedure for stripping pool plaster and resurfacing?

Can we just acid wash everything (since it is so thin on the walls) with muriatic acid? Or do we need some jack hammering because the base will be thick? Or what?

If we need to jack hammer, do we need to remove all the layers down to the concrete, potentially damaging the concrete and exposing the rebar? Or do we need to only remove what layers come off easily, leaving some behind (stuff that is solid), and then use an acid wash, and then a bonding agent to apply new plaster over the old stuff?

Thanks in advance.

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

Are you intending to do the chip out yourself or hire a contractor?

I believe hand tools or smaller power tools then a jackhammer are used for the chip out. None of the tools should damage the gunite shell.

 

[jessewas]

Hire a contractor. Ive called a few, a couple who came out and looked at it. They said it's not necessary to go all the way down to the concrete base for fear of damaging it and exposing the rebar (thus the reason my question is so detailed...loo. I'm quoting what they suggested to me. I thought you had to remove 100% of the old plaster before doing anything). There is a desire to strip what's bad, acid wash, bond coat and resurface.

 

[ajw22]

The question is the integrity of the plaster that they leave and whose problem will it be if they are wrong?

Doing a complete chip out without damaging the shell is a lot of work. They may not have any experience doing it. On the West Coast chip outs seem to be standard and done without being requested. In the East contractors seem to want to remove any obvious delamination, put on a bonding coat, layer on more plaster, and hope for the best.

It all depends on the quality of the work you want, the expected life, and risks you are taking.

 

[WhiteWine]

I am in the same boat as you.

I'm going to give you my 2 cents from my research (which differs from what many professionals have been telling me).

My existing pool has 4 layers of plaster. I have been chipping off what comes off easily (first three layers) and have been leaving the original layer which is not coming off easily. Every time I have tried to chip the original layer off it was damaging and removing more of the gunite shell then I was happy with.

My gunite is only 4" thick (thus the rebar is only 2" below the surface).

My philosophy is that if every time (3 total) that my pool had been resurfaced over the years it had been fully chipped out, then the rebar would be exposed or there would be no gunite left.

Here is a youtube video of a "professional" doing a full chip out. Take a look at the size of the gunite being chipped out. If I was to do this on my pool, I would for sure be compromising my thin gunite shell.

Obviously if any of the original plaster is not bonded with the gunite (hollow sounding) it needs to be removed. But in my opinion if its bonded correctly, let sleeping dogs lie.

However, I will add this caveat: Where I am down in Central Florida a resurface is fairly cheap ($2700). So I wouldn't be upset if a resurface doesn't last as long as it would have without a full chip out (my resurfaces seem to average every 8 years). Instead I would just have it done again. I look at it as an opportunity to change the color and refresh the pool.

So you need to look at your local costs. Here are my Local Costs:

Full Chip out and replaster:
Replaster - $2400
Full Chip out - $1800
Total - $4,200

They claim it will last longer (maybe 20 years). However no-one was willing to offer me substantially longer warranty.

Partial Chip out and replaster:
Replaster - $2400
Bondkote - $300
Total - $2,700

 

[mguzzy]

Wow, @WhiteWine can I move my pool into your back yard! those are great prices. Last time I priced a replaster with a full chipout in my area it was over 10K... or it would be cheaper to fly the Chipout crew to CA and back.

So @jessewas .. what kind of quotes are you getting and for what? You see the prices range radically based on the region. Wine is in FL, You are in PA and I am in CA...