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SquashPro

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  1. I recently signed a contract to have my pool re-plastered with WetEdge Altima. A few days after signing the contract I received an agreement in the mail from the plaster company. The agreement was for me to sign and return and is basically a disclaimer. Part of the disclaimer states that the plasterer is not responsible for color variations or mottling of colored surfaces over time. I'm getting white plaster so I'm not as concerned with this section of the disclaimer as I am with the following section: "Crazing (check and hairline cracks) may be noticeable and may be more pronounced with colored plaster. Due to atmospheric conditions (humidity, temperature, etc.) during plastering, light and/or dark streaks (a marbleized appearance) may appear in the plaster and may be more pronounced on a cloudy day or at night with the pool light on." My original white plaster never had any cracks during its 18 year lifetime and I really don't want cracks with the re-plaster. The plaster will be installed in April when the average outdoor temperature range is for 74 degree highs and 50 degree lows. So the plaster will not be installed in super hot weather. I'm wondering if this is a standard disclaimer with all plasterers and if I should be concerned with signing the agreement. Is crazing and cracking an indication that the plasterer did not do a quality job? Any comments?
  2. I have had 5 different companies bid on re-surfacing my pool. My plaster is discolored in places after 18 years, but most of the contractors have stated that the plaster is in very good shape considering its age. Four of the contractors said that they would undercut the existing tile, then chip away the existing plaster 4 to 6 inches below the existing tile. They would sandblast the surface of the plaster to make it rough, then put down a bond coat. The plaster would be applied on top of the bond coat, which would be on top of a layer of the old plaster, everywhere except just below the old tile where the plaster had been chipped away. The latest guy to make a bid claimed that it wasn't a good practice to apply new plaster over the old plaster. He said that his crew would chip away all of the old plaster so that the gunite was exposed. This would supposedly make it easy to spot cracks that could then be properly repaired before applying the new plaster. He also said that this was the only way for the manufacturer's warranty on the new plaster to be valid (10 years for WetEdge Altima). Can someone shed light on whether it is OK to plaster over existing plaster so long as the surface is roughened and a bond coat is put down?
  3. I have talked to 4 pool re-plasterers in getting estimates for a re-finishing of my pool. Three of the four have said that modern day plaster doesn't last nearly as long as it used to because of changes in the allowed ingredients (for example, asbestos is not longer allowed). They implied that modern plaster typically needs to be re-done within 10 years. The fourth re-plastering company said that this was simply an approach to get folks to upgrade to some of the newer, more expensive finishes. My first plaster lasted more than 10 years before it had any significant etching or discoloring. At 15 years it had some etching and minor discoloration. At 18 years the etching and discoloration is significant enough that it needs to be re-surfaced. Am I likely to have similar results on a re-plaster job using modern plaster? Who I should believe? Does "silicon shield" help plaster last?
  4. I've had some bids on a pool re-surface. One pool company recommends the Pebbletec line of products if I upgrade from standard plaster. I'm interested in a smooth finish so I'd probably be interested in the pebble fina if I upgraded from plaster and used that contractor. Another large outfit recommends the WetEdge line of products. In that line there are two smooth alternatives. Altima is a half quartz, half marble sand mixture with some polymers and pozzolans thrown in to "fortify" the mixture. The higher priced full quartz sand finish is Luna Quartz, which I guess is similar to Pebble fina, except it has the extra polymers and pozzolans... Has anyone had experience with Pebbletec fina, WetEdge Altima, or WetEdge Luna Quarz? The sales people all claim that their products are the best ones to use, but I suspect that they would say anything, especially at this time of year. Any comments on the relative merits of these three products would be greatly appreciated.
  5. Thanks to both of you for the great replies! Quantumchromodynamics, the references were great. BTW, I have not talked with Jeremiah Pools.
  6. My pool needs re-plastering as the the existing plaster is etched and discolored after 18 years. I talked to a pool re-plasterer today and asked him if it was OK to replaster a pool during this time of year or if I should wait until spring. He said that he re-plasters pools year round and that they simply drill some holes in the bottom of the pool to make sure that there aren't any problems with the pool floating when they drain the pool during the winter. He claims that there is no problem with doing the re-plaster this time of year. BTW, I'm near Sacramento and the temperatures right now are averaging about 50 degree highs and 40 degree lows. It's raining which is keeping nighttime lows from dropping lower. I asked if the low temperatures this time of year affect the curing of the new plaster. He said that it was OK to re-plaster so long as the outside temperature was above 40 degrees and that the big issue with plaster curing occurred if it became too hot. I don't have any big reason why the re-plaster couldn't wait until the springtime. However, my guess is that this time of year things are slow for the pool guys and I might be able to get a better price if I re-plastered now rather than delay to the spring. I'm wondering if the pool guy is just telling me that it is OK to proceed now because he is anxious to do the work or if it is really OK to do the work now. Can anyone shed light on this situation? Is it important to wait until the air temperature is warmer and when the ground is drier?
  7. I have a leak in my inground pool. The water is dropping about half of an inch more than the water in the bucket that is sitting on one of the pool steps. I have a fairly large pool, and by my calculations I am losing around 40 cubic feet of water a day. I have been letting the water drain for about 2 weeks now. The amount has dropped about the same amount every day, so it doesn't seem like I am getting near to the level of the leak yet. I'm already below the skimmer opening and in another few days I'll be below the pump return lines. My pool is 17 years old and the plaster in places is fairly badly etched and discolored. I'm wondering if water can simply percolate through the underlying gunite if the plaster is etched or if there needs to be a crack in the gunite for the water to get out. I can't see any cracks just looking down through the water. Here are my questions: 1. Will water percolate through the gunite in cases where the plaster has become thin due to etching? Or is the gunite waterproof as well? 2. Would a crack in the pool bottom typically be visible to the naked eye assuming very clear water? 3. Is it much more likely that the leak is in the main drain piping or pool light enclosures? 4. How far down can I let the water drain before running a significant risk of the pool trying to pop up out of the ground? Thanks for any help that you can provide.
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