lotuseater Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 I am having a terrible time removing the plaster dust/residue from the sides and bottom of our new pool. I have been vacuuming and brushing with a stiff nylon-bristled brush and there still seems to be a lot of junk stuck on the sides and bottoms. Our pool was plastered a dark grey, so it is very apparent. Any suggestions/advice on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finishguy Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 I am having a terrible time removing the plaster dust/residue from the sides and bottom of our new pool. I have been vacuuming and brushing with a stiff nylon-bristled brush and there still seems to be a lot of junk stuck on the sides and bottoms. Our pool was plastered a dark grey, so it is very apparent. Any suggestions/advice on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated. Im not a service person but i do plaster pools. It can take two weeks for the dust to go away. I recommend running the equipment as much as possible or even nonstop. Brush the pool as much as posssible and dont let the dust sit there. Although your plaster is grey the dust should be white. I do not do many colored plaster jobs because of this problem. If your chemistry is not good the calcium can be drawn out of the plaster and shows up on colored pools. It will make colored plaster look mottled and the white dust looking areas wont brush off, its calcium. Im not sure if this is your problem or if its just dust but colored plaster is very touchy at first. If it cant be brushed off like dust get proffesional help NOW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotuseater Posted February 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 Thanks for the quick response! My water chemistry appears to be okay: Using a Taylor K 2006 test kit (thanks for that tip WaterBear)I have a PH reading of 7.4, A calcium hardness reading of 150 ppm, and my total alkalinity is 80ppm. But you are right, the scuzz on the walls of my pool is white and most of it will not budge. My pool contractor plastered and filled the pool right away but he didn't get the pump online for two days and no one brushed the pool- because the filter and pump weren't hooked up. I am really ticked off, thinking this has to be a major contributing factor. What are my options? Any ideas would be, as usual, greatly valued. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finishguy Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 Thanks for the quick response! My water chemistry appears to be okay: Using a Taylor K 2006 test kit (thanks for that tip WaterBear)I have a PH reading of 7.4, A calcium hardness reading of 150 ppm, and my total alkalinity is 80ppm. But you are right, the scuzz on the walls of my pool is white and most of it will not budge. My pool contractor plastered and filled the pool right away but he didn't get the pump online for two days and no one brushed the pool- because the filter and pump weren't hooked up. I am really ticked off, thinking this has to be a major contributing factor. What are my options? Any ideas would be, as usual, greatly valued. Is your finish regular plaster with dye added to make it gray? Or is it actually another product? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotuseater Posted February 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 I believe it is regular plaster with dye added. They had plastic gallon bottles of the stuff out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finishguy Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 I believe it is regular plaster with dye added. They had plastic gallon bottles of the stuff out there. I would tell the builder to try and fix it asap. If it doesnt brush off its gonna be harder to fix later, if it can be fixed. I have had this problem on colored pools that I have done. Color plaster is a nightmare for plasterers. When I do them the equipment must be running as soon as the water goes in. I also require them to use water trucks to fill the pool immediately. Colored plaster will bleach out very fast if the sun beats down on it,while filling. Grey plaster has very little black colored dye which turns the white cement grey. They can bleach out and look blotchy(white) also, very easily. Adding dye to plaster is the cheapest way to get a colored finish and to do them everything must be done correctly. Filling it fast and balancing the water, getting it brushed with equipment running immediatly, is the ONLY way to do colored plaster. Did the pool look good when you first saw it? If it did and its dust on it, it could be fixed but dont let them wait. If its getting worse by the day and not much dust is in the pool, its calcium and thats not gonna be good news. Hopefully you havent made that final payment, its the best way to get it fixed!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotuseater Posted February 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 Thanks again for taking the time to respond! Went out again and was able to brush more off but there are simply some discolored areas that will not brush out. I really agree that not running the equipment was a major contributing factor. The pool was a beautiful, charcoal grey color right before it was filled, but no more... I knew it would take more effort on their part but was willing to pay... I will try to make them make it right. You are right, that final payment will just have to wait. Thanks again for your tips and time, wish me luck... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaTechPool Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 you need to get your calcium hardness up. it is too low. it needs to be at least 250 ppm. if not enough calcium in the water, it will seek to find that calcium from the plaster mix. INot enough calcium can also cause etching and pitting of your plaster surface. It will pull calcium out of your pool. Get a professional start up done by your plasterer or a professional pool service guy. Check out this link on start ups from the national plasterers council. http://www.npconline.org/mc/page.do?sitePa...7&orgId=npc Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.