You don’t just always swim in your swimming pool, and sometimes you walk, sometimes you stand, sometimes you might even dance while having a pool party. If you have a plaster problem in your pool, you would not be able to do the standing or walking smoothly in your pool.
The smooth tiles or vinyl liner would feel like coming off and edgy. The watercolor would look a bit addled.
That is when you know it’s time to repair your pool plaster. Otherwise, this might lead you to unwanted accidents.
Why is plaster important for your pool?
Plastering is not done unnecessarily. It is indeed very important for your pool. Because-
Increases Durability of Pool
Plastering increases the lifespan of a pool. The chemicals you use in your pool are made plaster-proof. So, if properly maintained, a plaster can keep your pool durable for 25 years.
Prevent accidents
The concrete or plaster coming off your pool can come at any time, even after proper maintenance. The concrete would make the water heavy and polluted. If someone swims in that addled water, they will not see clearly, and they might get into accidents. Plastering helps to prevent that.
Enhances the beauty of the pool
The regular plaster of the pool surface is usually white, which gives the pool the classic blueish color tone. But you can customize any color you want in your pool plaster, which will enhance the beauty of your pool.
Materials needed for plaster
Repairing the plaster of your pool is not that much hard if the cracks are small, but it requires quite a huge list of materials.
- Acid wash
- Acid Brush
- Yard brush
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- Bond coating
- Power trowel
- Cement or mortar mixer
- Buckets
- Shaper Mold
- Face mask
- Rubber gloves
- Goggles
- Finishing plaster mix
- Hammer
- knife
- Pipes
- Shovel
- Mixer (for cement or mortar)
- Paint roller (rough one)
- Pool plaster mix
- Sponge
- Sump pump (for submerging)
- Cleaning solution (eco-friendly)
Repairing plaster in an empty pool
Before repairing, you need to prepare your pool for repairing the plaster. There is no doubt that plastering is easier when the pool is empty. So, drain your pool before you start repairing your pool plaster. Then there are some specific steps to follow-
- Removing old Plaster: Without removing the old plaster completely, the repaired finishing would not be satisfying. The new plaster would overlap the old one. That is why it is recommended by experts that you should remove the old plaster by brushing with an acid wash.
- Drying the area: Now, you can dry the pool surface with the help of bond coating. The drying up might take 8-10 hours.
- Applying new plaster: For applying the new plaster, you would need a cement or mortar mixer. You can follow the instructions given in the packaging.
- Drying the plaster: To dry the new plaster, make sure the temperature is between 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This delays the plaster to dry, giving it enough time to avoid unwanted cracks. Now apply a thick layer of plaster with the help of a power trowel. And let it dry again. You can add another thin layer after drying. This will smoothen the plaster.
- Finishing touch: After the plaster dries, you can paint the plaster as you like. The paint makes the plaster look good and also sturdy.
Repairing plaster in a full pool
If the plaster in your pool only requires repairing small plaster cracks and only a few areas, then you don’t need to empty your pool. All you have to do is-
- Remove worn-out plaster
- Mix the patching materials
- Mold the patch into a tube-like shape to fill up cracks and small round shapes for holes.
- Smooth and fill the surrounding spots of the plaster repairs with trowels.
Conclusion
Pool plaster problems might seem harmless at first, but if you do not repair them on time, this will damage your whole pool and cost you. So, it is better to repair the plaster in your pool as soon as you find a crack or holes, even if they are small.