How do you resurface a gunite pool?

Answer 1

I just did a full size lap pool using product from poolrestoration.com. it was well worth it..

AnswerYou would have to be really good with a cement trowel in order for it to be smooth and dont forget that the prep work is key to it sticking and staying on for years. Make sure you acid wash the old surface and then use a bonding agent like bondkote. I am a pool guy for twenty five years and still arent as good with a trowel as my plaster guy cause he does it all day every day. Some jobs are for professionals.

Answer 2

I deleted the other answers here as none were by contractors that do this for a living and were full of misinformation. Having done this for 36 years and 15,000 resurfaces with zero bond failures has me thoroughly convinced I am doing this the best way possible. Out here in the west most contractors chip, strip, jackhammer the old plaster from the gunite shell. Unfortunately this seems to do a lot of damage and compromises the integrity of the shell. Having seen many pools that were structurally sound for 20,30,40 years, after being stripped they cracked within 1-2 years. Pools are built like retaining walls designed to hold the dirt back. Separating the plaster from the gunite typically means breaking the gunite to get the plaster off thereby weakening the shell. I have seen many pools that this method actually exposed the rebar in the gunite. This is completely unneccessary. The plaster is usually not shot all the way through but only the top 10-25% is deteriorated. This soft top layer can be scraped or shaved off with air scrapers thereby doing no damage to the gunite itself. The plaster underneath is as hard as the day it was applied. Follow the scraping with a min. 4000 psi pressure washer and then shoot on a polymer cement bond coat. It can also be rolled on but shooting gives a much rougher surface for a better bond to the new plaster. Exposed aggregate surfaces wash off the protective cream coat to expose the aggregate and have a shorter useful life. Try to find a contractor that uses a cement specifically designed for pools which means it will probably be an American made product with polymer and pozzolan additives which densify the matrix of the plaster and are much more resistant to chemical attack. Marble sand was the aggregate of choice for many years but many mineral suppliers substituted limestone sand over 20 years ago. Marble is 100 times harder than limestone. Ask your contractor what type of cement and sand they use and where it comes from. Beware of cement from Asian countries as it is substandard and fails rapidly. Do not assume that all plaster is created equal because it is NOT. Painting is not a long term solution and is used mostly by house flippers to conceal plaster that needs to be replaced. There are no fiberglassers left out here as that proved to be a misapplication of a material to a purpose. IT seems that good old plaster has withstood the test of time and remains the surface of choice of most pool owners. Pebble surfaces are rarely done a second time by the original owner as they are quite rough and not very user friendly. Quartz or silica based surfaces can be subject to ASR or alkali silica reactivity. Do your own research and protect your investment. Come from a position of knowledge when interviewing contractors. Keep in mind that better products and methodology cost more initially but provide many more years of service life making them significantly more cost effective.

Answer 3

Yes, but would you repaint your car yourself? Also it takes alot of skill to get the best results. In the pool industry the lowest profit job is a replaster. Some companies only charge $400.00 profit.

Answer 4

How to resurface a gunite (or concrete) pool with fiberglass is explained in "Pool Resurfacing Made Easy" written in 1999 by Bill Nash, CEO of UGlassIt Pool Resurfacing, Inc. It can be ordered online at uglassit.com/order_book.htm. The company provides all the material and supplies necessary for the resurfacing of all kinds of Swimming Pools, plus telephone help is available 7 days weekly.

Answer 5

I will give you the easiest and most effective, cost efficient way to resurface or coat your pool. it is a product called "Armorguard" its available at www.ecosmartepoxysystems.com , ArmorGuard is easily roller applied in two steps, Clean the surface of your pool with the ArmorGuard Cleaner, The cleaner will clean and etch the surface while turning the calcium hydroxide to a good calcium silicate. after that apply 1 -2 coats of Armorguard Color Pool Top Coating. this will permantely seal your pool, ARmorGuard will NEVER peel, flake or chalk. look on their website or call them at 1-888-326-3769

Answer 6

Check out this web address: This homeowner in Florida replastered his pool and has written about his experience.

Answer 7

Sure, go ahead.