Follow Us:

In-House Design & Construction Since 1980

Blog

Pool Surface Remodeling-To Chip Out Everything or Go Over

There are a lot of older swimming pools in our area that are ready to be resurfaced. Some Swimming Pools have been resurfaced multiple times. Swimming pools must be properly prepared for the new surface renovation with a proper Swimming Pool Surface Chip out when required.

When has the prep crew removed all of the delaminated areas?

This is a great question not easily answered. The worker usually finds them by pulling a hammer over the swimming pool surface and hearing the sounds between hollow spots and hard spots. With multiple layers of swimming pool surface and water in between the delaminated areas, there will be no sound as the water fills the voids and the worker will not hear them all. The next day that you go to the site you will hear more delaminated areas as the surfaces dry out. Some companies take a shortcut by rushing to plaster the swimming pool and fill it so no more appear. They leave delaminated areas there that will grow and pop off the new surface over time. This happens intentionally and not intentionally depending on the experience level of the prep crew and the company policy of the contractor hired. When you call the swimming pool company back for warranty work they show you the new plaster stuck to the old plaster and the old plaster delaminated from a prior layer. Usually voiding your warranty because of layers under their work separating.  Do not get caught in this trap by your swimming pool plaster company. 

Delaminated Pool Surface

Areas Of Concern

So how do you know when to start over and chip out the pool to the original gunite/shotcrete?

Rules We Follow Below

If there are over 50 sq ft of swimming pool plaster coming off- remove it all. After this much delamination, it was done wrong, and going over something done wrong is just not smart.

If the swimming pool has 2 layers of pool plaster you have to chip it all off and start with the original shell.

Why We Follow The Rules

You ask why or how we know. 32 years of putting swimming pool surfaces on and warranty calls. Looking at the data has helped us put together our preparation prescriptions. After 2 layers your swimming pool surface will not last as long being the third layer.  In the National Plaster Council Technical Manual, section 3.4 Thickness Tolerances the Max thickness of pool coatings is 3/4”. This is exceeded on the third cote every time. To keep within the specification of the Council’s recommendation chipping off and starting new must be done.

 

Swimming Pool Chip Out

Heavy Lifting

Jack Hammer Surface Removal

Every time you go over an existing surface you are taking a chance that the existing surface is bonded properly. The new surface is going to only be as good as what you are going over and let’s face it. The pool surfaces are usually worn out. No one is getting a new good surface resurfaced. This is the area we see in South Florida most pool companies take shortcuts. There is a great number of our competitors that have never completed a pool surface chip out and believe they can just keep going over them as many times as they like. We will not do the job wrong. Rest assure Family Pools Inc will properly prepare your swimming pool when we resurface it. If our prep crew notices a condition that needs to be corrected such as delaminated swimming pool surfaces we will bring it to your attention.