Pool deck and resurface tips? Pebble Tec vs. StoneScapes

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
Post Reply
Topic Author
financial.freedom
Posts: 784
Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2014 1:18 am

Pool deck and resurface tips? Pebble Tec vs. StoneScapes

Post by financial.freedom »

We have a large pool ~36,000 gallons of water, originally built 50-60 years ago. It was resurfaced with plaster about 7 years ago, but now developing these hard, brownish calcium deposits along the bottom of the pool that look like dirty stains and we can't get them off. Planning to do the following:

1. Make pool more shallow (deep end will be 5' instead of 9')
2. Resurface pool (with pebble instead of plaster)
3. Add spa in one end of pool for cooler seasons.
4. Redo the pool deck and drains

Questions:

1. One contractor recommends StoneScapes over Pebble Tec. Online, it appears Pebble Tec has been around longer so better reputation but StoneScapes is half the cost. Any recommendations for one over the other?

2. For pool deck sounds like we have to use fake grass/turf due to changes in lot coverage rules for our area -- is the turf hot to walk on by the pool?


Thank you in advance!
Last edited by financial.freedom on Wed Jul 28, 2021 8:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
oldcomputerguy
Moderator
Posts: 17878
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 5:50 am
Location: Tennessee

Re: Pool deck and resurface tips? Pebble Tec vs. StoneScapes

Post by oldcomputerguy »

This topic is now in the Personal Consumer Issues forum.
There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way. (Christopher Morley)
User avatar
Wricha
Posts: 1014
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 10:33 am

Re: Pool deck and resurface tips? Pebble Tec vs. StoneScapes

Post by Wricha »

Can you acid wash plaster? I got pebble tech this year (life time guarantee) so far so good. My pool’s volume is about 2/3 the size of yours and was around $17k they did some minor repairs and replaced old lights with LED lighting.

What is your pool deck now? I have a spa at one end and use it more than the pool particularly in the winter.
Topic Author
financial.freedom
Posts: 784
Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2014 1:18 am

Re: Pool deck and resurface tips? Pebble Tec vs. StoneScapes

Post by financial.freedom »

Wricha wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:25 pm Can you acid wash plaster? I got pebble tech this year (life time guarantee) so far so good. My pool’s volume is about 2/3 the size of yours and was around $17k they did some minor repairs and replaced old lights with LED lighting.

What is your pool deck now? I have a spa at one end and use it more than the pool particularly in the winter.
They say that it's coming from the plaster degrading, so needs to be resurfaced either way.

Pool deck is now stone, but new City requirements for our lot coverage (we're also remodeling the house).

Glad to hear you're getting good use out of the hot tub, think it'd be the same situation for us.
User avatar
Wricha
Posts: 1014
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 10:33 am

Re: Pool deck and resurface tips? Pebble Tec vs. StoneScapes

Post by Wricha »

financial.freedom wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:40 pm
Wricha wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:25 pm Can you acid wash plaster? I got pebble tech this year (life time guarantee) so far so good. My pool’s volume is about 2/3 the size of yours and was around $17k they did some minor repairs and replaced old lights with LED lighting.

What is your pool deck now? I have a spa at one end and use it more than the pool particularly in the winter.
They say that it's coming from the plaster degrading, so needs to be resurfaced either way.

Pool deck is now stone, but new City requirements for our lot coverage (we're also remodeling the house).

Glad to hear you're getting good use out of the hot tub, think it'd be the same situation for us.
I guess if you have to use turf go for it. I had to deal with old pressed concrete. Rather than dig out the old concrete I resurfaced with a multi layer silicon-based material that ends up being 3/32 of inch thick, came out nice but it’s not cheap and takes 7 days to apply.

When they resurface your pool generally they take of the drains and new caps.
chazas
Posts: 851
Joined: Wed Nov 01, 2017 1:22 pm
Location: NoVa

Re: Pool deck and resurface tips? Pebble Tec vs. StoneScapes

Post by chazas »

Number 1, go to troublefreepool.com, the bogleheads of pool discussion forums. Fantastic resource.

Number 2, don’t even think of all that work until you get your pool chemistry under control. A newish plaster job isn’t going to degrade like that unless the levels are off and you’re going to have the same issue again.
Topic Author
financial.freedom
Posts: 784
Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2014 1:18 am

Re: Pool deck and resurface tips? Pebble Tec vs. StoneScapes

Post by financial.freedom »

chazas wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 7:41 pm Number 1, go to troublefreepool.com, the bogleheads of pool discussion forums. Fantastic resource.

Number 2, don’t even think of all that work until you get your pool chemistry under control. A newish plaster job isn’t going to degrade like that unless the levels are off and you’re going to have the same issue again.
Thank you, will check it out!

Chemistry was good, online it says plaster usually only lasts ~10years and these nodules come from the plaster breaking down? It looks like people have Pebble Tec 20+ years without issue. Also, I don't think the deposits would show up on pebble like they do on plaster. Here's what it looks like:

https://blog.orendatech.com/understandi ... um-nodules
Topic Author
financial.freedom
Posts: 784
Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2014 1:18 am

Re: Pool deck and resurface tips? Pebble Tec vs. StoneScapes

Post by financial.freedom »

I edited the original post - architect recalculated lot coverage and we have to do turf or grass for pool deck to meet City requirements (currently it's stone).
chazas
Posts: 851
Joined: Wed Nov 01, 2017 1:22 pm
Location: NoVa

Re: Pool deck and resurface tips? Pebble Tec vs. StoneScapes

Post by chazas »

Well I was wrong!

https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads ... er.230428/

Good luck! And I hate changed lot coverage requirements. I had to redesign an entire new build once.
Carl53
Posts: 2687
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 7:26 pm

Re: Pool deck and resurface tips? Pebble Tec vs. StoneScapes

Post by Carl53 »

Are you sure about the makeup of your dark stains. I had some dark stains in my fiberglass, painted with epoxy, pool some years ago. I used to use a copper sulfate based algaecide. Stopped using that product regularly after a very blond girl's hair turned green. I started using borax to deter algae growth. A couple of times I added more copper sulfate algaecide that I still had around. I got some dark smudges/spots on bottom of pool. I found online a reference to something similar that there could be a reaction with both present and something in the fiberglass that might cause the spots. I was able to remove them by pushing an open jug of acid around the pool bottom with a pole. Took a couple of jugs. Acid leaking out of jug in vicinity of dark spots made the spots disappear in seconds.

Regarding decking, ours is aluminum over perhaps a twelve to eighteen inch void. Never seen anything like it as it is about 45 years old. It never gets hot. Picture 8 foot long 6 inch wide planks with tiny gaps between them attached to an aluminum framework underneath. The only issue with it is that the original finish was wearing off about 15 years ago and I painted it. I now have to power wash and repaint every few years as I've tried several of the high end metal friendly paints the paint shops recommend and none hold up. Probably ought to sandblast the surface.
Topic Author
financial.freedom
Posts: 784
Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2014 1:18 am

Re: Pool deck and resurface tips? Pebble Tec vs. StoneScapes

Post by financial.freedom »

Carl53 wrote: Thu Jul 29, 2021 5:42 am Are you sure about the makeup of your dark stains. I had some dark stains in my fiberglass, painted with epoxy, pool some years ago. I used to use a copper sulfate based algaecide. Stopped using that product regularly after a very blond girl's hair turned green. I started using borax to deter algae growth. A couple of times I added more copper sulfate algaecide that I still had around. I got some dark smudges/spots on bottom of pool. I found online a reference to something similar that there could be a reaction with both present and something in the fiberglass that might cause the spots. I was able to remove them by pushing an open jug of acid around the pool bottom with a pole. Took a couple of jugs. Acid leaking out of jug in vicinity of dark spots made the spots disappear in seconds.

Regarding decking, ours is aluminum over perhaps a twelve to eighteen inch void. Never seen anything like it as it is about 45 years old. It never gets hot. Picture 8 foot long 6 inch wide planks with tiny gaps between them attached to an aluminum framework underneath. The only issue with it is that the original finish was wearing off about 15 years ago and I painted it. I now have to power wash and repaint every few years as I've tried several of the high end metal friendly paints the paint shops recommend and none hold up. Probably ought to sandblast the surface.
Thank you for the reply. Yep, we are pretty sure about the stains. They are nodular like rocks, not just stains. And we tried acid etc, consulted two different pool companies about it. Online it says calcium nodules are a symptom of delaminations and/or bonding failures in plaster pools. So unfortunately, we need to resurface.

For the pool deck, I updated the original post above. Due to new City lot coverage requirements, we can only use grass or turf (fake grass) for the new pool deck. We don't want real grass because we'd have to do a lot of work and install sprinkler system etc. For turf, people say it's hot to step on barefoot in the summertime and can look flattened/matted in areas where there's furniture around the pool. Not sure if anyone else has experienced this or have other suggestions. Thanks again.
Post Reply