Walked on Pool plaster

[Moleary]

Hi! So my pool was plastered yesterday and it’s filling. I forgot I could not step on the plaster and I lightly stepped (in bare feet) on my play ledge. Will it make a permanent mark? Nothing is showing up now.

 

[Dirk]

If it's not there now, it won't appear later. That said, when you first turn on your pool light at night, be prepared for a shock. That super smooth-looking surface will reveal all its, uh, personality! Big time. You'll see all the lumps and bumps that are inherent to a hand-troweled finish. Don't freak. Everybody's plaster/pebble pool looks that way at night. If there's going to be a foot print, that's when you'll see it.

Now stay out of your pool for at least a week, man!!

PS. Welcome to TFP. Glad you found us. Stick around and we'll teach you how to take care of your pool, especially during this first week, which is the most important time. And congrats on the new pool!! Have you gotten one of the two test kits we recommend yet? Get on it if not. Even if your PB is taking care of the pool, you want to monitor what he's doing during this first month. What he does or doesn't do can affect how long your brand new finish will last, and how good it will look. A proper test kit is a must have, now and after the PB turns over the pool to you!

Swimming Pool Test Kits Compared

What pool test kit should I buy? Why shouldn't I use test strips? Our recommended test kits will pay for themselves in no time!

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Dirk]

A week is probably overkill. This, from one of our most respected experts:

The reality is that plaster is very hard once it has been completely filled with water. It is very hard after 24 hours of completion. It is hard enough to walk on it, to brush it with a nylon brush. No harm will be done to it. Stainless steel brushing (if needed) should wait a few weeks.

I believe one reason why some think that it is too soft at first is because when a vacuum rolls over the plaster surface it sometimes leaves a line or wheel mark. I am sure that isn't because of indenting it, but because it packs down the plaster dust underneath where the wheel traveled. (Therefore, always brush after vacuuming). It actually ends up as a raised deposit of calcium scale along the wheel path. There is no way that vacuums and cleaners indent a plaster surface.

When I used to plaster pools, I simply told my customers to wait two days for the water to be chlorinated and filtered properly. No good reason to prevent customers from enjoying their new pool longer than that. That would be the "safe" recommendation.

But just between me and you, my kids and I always jumped into our new plaster pools (three times) once it was full of water. In fact one time I walked down the pool slope in my socks to remove some leaves that blew in before it finished filling. The concern about that is be sure to have dry socks and not have any moisture or sweat on the socks, because sweat is acidic and that will cause a footprint to be left on the plaster and will show up long after the pool has been filled.

Keep in mind: plaster (plain ol' plaster) is more susceptible to damage than pebble finishes.