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What is this inground pool wall actually made up of (gray, blue, white)
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Arklin K.
May 10, 2012, 8:17:20 PM5/10/12
to
In another thread, I was advised to acid wash my pool walls to remove
what appears to be crystalline calcium deposits - but - I stopped after
doing only one section because of finding no plaster in a 10 year old in-
ground pool.
Do you know what my pool walls are made out of?
Washing with a pressure washer & with muriatic acid, I find three
perplexing layers ...
1) Sandy white crystals that bubble in HCl (most likely calcium)
2) Blue thin layer (maybe copper coating or maybe paint?)
3) Gray smooth stuff (probably plaster?)
The gunnite must be below the gray smooth stuff ... right?
Here are a bunch of pictures. If you own a pool and you have an idea what
happens to a pool in ten years use, maybe you can let me know what I'm
actually looking at.
This is whitish crystalline sandy stuff coating the entire pool:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/8229603/640/8229603.jpg
Here's a picture of that white sandy stuff on the pool walls:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/8229592/640/8229592.jpg
Here's the strange blue stuff on top of the smooth gray stuff:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/8229600/640/8229600.jpg
Here's the spa, coated with the blue stuff which is extremely thin:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/8229598/640/8229598.jpg
And, lastly, here's the gray stuff underneath all that blue stuff:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/8229593/640/8229593.jpg
What am I looking at?
what appears to be crystalline calcium deposits - but - I stopped after
doing only one section because of finding no plaster in a 10 year old in-
ground pool.
Do you know what my pool walls are made out of?
Washing with a pressure washer & with muriatic acid, I find three
perplexing layers ...
1) Sandy white crystals that bubble in HCl (most likely calcium)
2) Blue thin layer (maybe copper coating or maybe paint?)
3) Gray smooth stuff (probably plaster?)
The gunnite must be below the gray smooth stuff ... right?
Here are a bunch of pictures. If you own a pool and you have an idea what
happens to a pool in ten years use, maybe you can let me know what I'm
actually looking at.
This is whitish crystalline sandy stuff coating the entire pool:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/8229603/640/8229603.jpg
Here's a picture of that white sandy stuff on the pool walls:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/8229592/640/8229592.jpg
Here's the strange blue stuff on top of the smooth gray stuff:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/8229600/640/8229600.jpg
Here's the spa, coated with the blue stuff which is extremely thin:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/8229598/640/8229598.jpg
And, lastly, here's the gray stuff underneath all that blue stuff:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/8229593/640/8229593.jpg
What am I looking at?
SMS
May 10, 2012, 9:14:03 PM5/10/12
to
On 5/10/2012 5:17 PM, Arklin K. wrote:
> In another thread, I was advised to acid wash my pool walls to remove
> what appears to be crystalline calcium deposits - but - I stopped after
> doing only one section because of finding no plaster in a 10 year old in-
> ground pool.
>
> Do you know what my pool walls are made out of?
Concrete
> In another thread, I was advised to acid wash my pool walls to remove
> what appears to be crystalline calcium deposits - but - I stopped after
> doing only one section because of finding no plaster in a 10 year old in-
> ground pool.
>
> Do you know what my pool walls are made out of?
Primer (usually gray) i.e. <http://nordicgroup.us/pool/img_0204.jpg>
Paint or Plaster or Pebble Finish.
Paint and plaster have a finite lifespan. Paint will last a few years,
but it's cheap to repaint. Plaster probably will last at least 10 years,
maybe 15, before it is pitted and flaking off. Pebble finishes probably
will last 20 years.
I suspect that someone decided to paint your pool because the plaster
was peeling. But it could also be that they just used paint directly on
the concrete when it was built to save money.
If you were to get your pool re-done, they would probably sandblast the
old paint and/or plaster off, apply primer, then apply the new finish.
You wouldn't want to use paint and I doubt you could find any company
that would use paint, but it's popular with do-it-yourselfers that don't
want to spend the money on replastering.
What I would do is to get some free estimates on resurfacing since they
would at least tell you what's going on with your pool. We used:
<http://www.adamspools.com/>. They were fine, but I was really upset
that they referred a concrete contractor for the deck that was
unlicensed. Ended up changing concrete contractors partway through. Oh,
and of course bargain with them. The prices they quote are highly
negotiable.
gpsman
May 10, 2012, 11:00:54 PM5/10/12
to
On May 10, 8:17 pm, "Arklin K." <ark...@notmyemail.com> wrote:
> I stopped after
> doing only one section because of finding no plaster in a 10 year old in-
> ground pool.
10 years? Most of what I think I know about pool chemistry is wrong,
> I stopped after
> doing only one section because of finding no plaster in a 10 year old in-
> ground pool.
but I suspect that pool is older or sat full of low pH water for some
time.
-----
- gpsman
Arklin K.
May 11, 2012, 12:27:22 AM5/11/12
to
On Thu, 10 May 2012 18:14:03 -0700, SMS wrote:
>> Do you know what my pool walls are made out of?
> Concrete
> Primer (usually gray) i.e. <http://nordicgroup.us/pool/img_0204.jpg>
Wow. That's a beautiful picture - especially with the boots drying in the
>> Do you know what my pool walls are made out of?
> Concrete
> Primer (usually gray) i.e. <http://nordicgroup.us/pool/img_0204.jpg>
foreground! That gray is the primer?
> You wouldn't want to use paint and I doubt you could find any company
> that would use paint, but it's popular with do-it-yourselfers that don't
> want to spend the money on replastering.
I'll check them out. Thanks. I also mailed pictures to the original pool
builder who promised to have the technical guys take a look at it.
They're up in Palo Alto.
> The prices they quote are highly negotiable.
Oren
May 11, 2012, 3:48:42 PM5/11/12
to
On Fri, 11 May 2012 04:27:22 +0000 (UTC), "Arklin K."
<ark...@notmyemail.com> wrote:
> also mailed pictures to the original pool
>builder who promised to have the technical guys take a look at it.
Check your local permit office. Plans for the pool ought to be
<ark...@notmyemail.com> wrote:
> also mailed pictures to the original pool
>builder who promised to have the technical guys take a look at it.
recorded.
Dottie
May 11, 2012, 7:39:53 PM5/11/12
to
had to have it re-done. That is when I found out that the marcite on
my pool did not contain asbestos ... and therefore did not last as
long as the marcite that had been used in the past. I ended up having
the pool done in a different finish ... it's called Diamond Brite -
the brochure says "made with natural quartz"... and it comes in
different finishes. I saw the pictures you posted and they look like
you may have the same thing. Mine was done in 2002 and is still
holding up pretty well -- you might as around and find out if anyone
is doing it now. The brochure says: Southern Grouts & Mortars, Inc.
Pompano Beach, FL 33069 954-943-2288 Plants located in Fl, TX, CA
Arklin K.
May 12, 2012, 12:27:32 PM5/12/12
to
On Fri, 11 May 2012 12:48:42 -0700, Oren wrote:
> Check your local permit office. Plans for the pool ought to be recorded.
That's a GREAT idea. I've never done a permit ... does it say how the
> Check your local permit office. Plans for the pool ought to be recorded.
pool is constructed?
Oren
May 12, 2012, 12:53:16 PM5/12/12
to
contractor has to also have a pool construction contractor license,
if they build a pool. Each building phase is inspected before another
can proceed. I have a side & top view drawing of my pool and other
papers that the first owner left here in the house.
Check your permit recorder's office online. They might charge a fee
for any copies.
Won't hurt to check it out.
Nate Nagel
May 12, 2012, 1:05:37 PM5/12/12
to
On 05/12/2012 12:53 PM, Oren wrote:
> On Sat, 12 May 2012 16:27:32 +0000 (UTC), "Arklin K."
> <ark...@notmyemail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 11 May 2012 12:48:42 -0700, Oren wrote:
>>
>>> Check your local permit office. Plans for the pool ought to be recorded.
>>
>> That's a GREAT idea. I've never done a permit ... does it say how the
>> pool is constructed?
>
> I suspect it will have some details. In my state (NV) a building
> contractor has to also have a pool construction contractor license,
> if they build a pool. Each building phase is inspected before another
> can proceed. I have a side& top view drawing of my pool and other
> On Sat, 12 May 2012 16:27:32 +0000 (UTC), "Arklin K."
> <ark...@notmyemail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 11 May 2012 12:48:42 -0700, Oren wrote:
>>
>>> Check your local permit office. Plans for the pool ought to be recorded.
>>
>> That's a GREAT idea. I've never done a permit ... does it say how the
>> pool is constructed?
>
> I suspect it will have some details. In my state (NV) a building
> contractor has to also have a pool construction contractor license,
> if they build a pool. Each building phase is inspected before another
> papers that the first owner left here in the house.
>
> Check your permit recorder's office online. They might charge a fee
> for any copies.
>
> Won't hurt to check it out.
the only problem that I see is that if the pool was never permitted, now
>
> Check your permit recorder's office online. They might charge a fee
> for any copies.
>
> Won't hurt to check it out.
the OP's taxes are going to go up :/
nate
--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel
SMS
May 12, 2012, 6:19:10 PM5/12/12
to
don't know what's been done to it since construction.
SMS
May 12, 2012, 6:23:16 PM5/12/12
to
On 5/12/2012 10:05 AM, Nate Nagel wrote:
> the only problem that I see is that if the pool was never permitted, now
> the OP's taxes are going to go up :/
Except that a pool often detracts from the value of the house around
> the only problem that I see is that if the pool was never permitted, now
> the OP's taxes are going to go up :/
here. The swimming season is from May to October unless you spend a
fortune on heating the water. Maintenance costs and energy costs are
other negatives.
The house we bought happened to have a pool, and at the time we
purchased it the other houses we looked at were getting 20-30 offers.
Only one other offer for our house, and I think that the pool was part
of the problem. It was a wreck, and the pool and patio area looked
terrible. It cost far less to fix the problems than paying more for a
house in perfect condition. House prices in my city never went down
during the recession either.
Nate Nagel
May 12, 2012, 6:29:09 PM5/12/12
to
someone that would use it regularly if I had it (I swam competitively in
HS, tried to keep doing it in college but I wasn't good enough to
justify the amount of time it took away from work and studying) I agree
that the maintenance and repair is what makes me shy away from it, that
and the liability of someone breaks in and something happens to them. I
certainly would rate a house less desirable if it has a pool unless it
were clear that everything was in excellent condition.
That said, around here, pools still seem to be desirable, although the
guy next door just filled one in.
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