Longevity Of Quartz (Krystalkrete) Vs Pebbletec?

[pfibiger]

Hi All,

I'm starting to get quotes to put in a small (250sq) pool in coastal central florida (south of Daytona). It's on barrier island, but not so close to the beach (it definitely is exposed to the salt air but doesn't see the rapid corrosion that the places 2-3 blocks away do) Anyway I've heard wildly varying things from pool contractors and I'm hoping that people can help me shine a little light on how long these finishes would last in an environment like this, with proper maintenance. I've looked through a bunch of threads here, and it seems like the choice is just about aesthetics and that there isn't a significant difference in how long these finishes will last. The conflicting info I got:

Contractor 1: Quartz finishes will last on average 15-20 years, if not maintained particularly well you're looking at less.

Contractor 2: Quartz finishes last on average 8 years, sometimes they look crappy in 3. Pebble finishes have a lifetime warranty, and 20 year old pools still look great. Claims his pool is quartz (due to cost) and he regrets it.

Contractor 3: Quartz finishes last 25+ years, her 12 year old pool still looks brand new and is closer to the beach than mine would be.

When described as "spend 2.8k now and don't spend $3k every 7-8 years refurbishing your pool" pebbletec seems like a wise investment. If it's just an aesthetic choice, It's not worth it to me.

Also, would it be fair to say that a salt system will decrease the life of whatever lining material I choose? I get that feeling from reading back through old threads as well. Is there a rule of thumb as to how much it would decrease?

Thanks!

Phil

[PoolGuyNJ]

The percentage of hard aggregate plays an important role here.

The Pebble-Tec products expose very little cement to the water and doesn't have any marble dust in it, AFAIK. Water, being the Universal Solvent that it is, depending on pool chemistry, will attack the marble dust, a very soft mineral. The polished stones in PT are pretty much impervious. Cement has a lot of calcium in too which can be drawn out with a low pH over time.

As marble dust erodes and the cement's calcium is lost, the finish thins and becomes rough. The rocks don't. This is why high aggregate finishes last longer, less cement is exsposed. Smaller pebbles will have a little more cement but still less than marble based finishes. Smaller pebbles equal a smoother surface texture but not quite as smooth as a plaster.

Up my way, plaster typically last 8-12, quartz like Diamond Brite lasts 10 to 14, Pebble based, depending on the applicator, 15 or more.

Visit pools similar to yours that have been done at different intervals, recently, 2, and 5 or more years ago. If you can, find out how long the crew has worked together and how much experience the crew chiefs that are on the job site are.

Scott