Is your swimming pool looking dull, tired and is showing its age? The pool surface has developed chips, cracks, stains and is wearing thin. Now you are asking yourself, do I need to resurface the swimming pool?
All swimming pools go through the same aging process where the pool surface becomes worn down due to age, environmental conditions, pool chemicals and usage. When your pool is due for resurfacing you have many renovation options to choose. The most popular are plastering and pebble aggregate finishes. Both will revitalize your pool’s appearance but pebble aggregate will be more durable and last longer.
Table of Contents
How Often Do I Resurface the Swimming Pool?
How often to resurface the swimming pool really depends on the type of pool surface and how well the pool has been maintained. The shell of an inground concrete pool will last over 50 years but the following surfaces require renovation as follows:
- Vinyl Liner lasts 5 to 10 years
- Plaster surface should last 10 to 15 years before re-plastering
- Pebble aggregate surface may last up to 20 years
- Fiberglass over concrete may last 15 to 20 years;
- Tiles can last over 30 years
When you resurface the swimming pool other parts of the pool would also need updating:
- The tile band around the waterline
- The filter, pump & chlorinator
- Pool lighting
- Skimmer box
What happens if you don’t resurface the swimming pool?
Over time pool surfaces wear down becoming thin, cracked, chipped and stained. An old pool surface will not only give your pool a poor appearance but may be leaking. The surface will be rough and more prone to a build-up of calcium scale, algae spores and bacteria.
What is the longest lasting pool finish?
The longest lasting and most durable pool surface is ceramic, glass or porcelain tiles. This is the most expensive option to resurface the swimming pool. It’s due to the cost of the materials, the extra labor and time required to lay the tiles. However, the tiles will last twice as long as plaster and be much easier to keep clean.
Pool surfaces from longest lasting to shortest lasting:
- Tiles
- Pebble Aggregate
- Fiberglass
- Plaster
- Vinyl Liner
What’s the best material to resurface the swimming pool?
This depends on the existing surface of your pool and how much you want to budget for your pool renovation. The most popular material is pebble aggregate. It is sprayed onto a concrete shell and lasts up to 20 years if cleaned and maintained properly. It’s very durable, always looks great and doesn’t show dirt, marks or stains on the surface. It’s very low maintenance and the only negative issue is some people don’t like the feel of the pebble surface.
If you have an old plaster surface it can be renovated with fiberglass over the plaster. There are products (with names like Duraglaze, Fibreglaze) where they spray and roll fiberglass resin over the walls and floor of the pool effectively sealing the pool. There is a choice of colors as well. We had a plaster pool lined with fiberglass and it lasted for 20 years. The lining was smooth, easy to clean, looked great and was resistant to bacteria and algae. Plaster pools can show marks, black spots and stains. We never had that problem with the fiberglass resin lining. The fiberglass lining eventually split in a few places and water ran behind it sitting between the fibreglass and concrete shell.
For many pool owners resurfacing with plaster again is usually the quickest and cheapest option particularly if you are already familiar with plaster.
What are the different types of pool finishes?
Concrete inground pools are constructed in the following finishes:
- Vinyl Liner – smooth, easy to clean & the cheapest option. Liners can tear but can be replaced with another liner or the pool upgraded to one of the finishes below.
- Plaster – smooth, white or light color plaster looks and feels great in a pool. The plaster is made from fine white limestone and white cement.
- Aggregate pebble – durable surface that hides dirt, marks and stains. The new fine pebble finishes are very popular.
- Fibreglass – smooth, non-porous, choice of colors and looks good until the end.
- Tile – the most expensive option but looks great and lasts the longest. The latest glass & ceramic tiles last forever but the grout and adhesive wears down. Don’t use tiles on free-form pools with lots of curved surfaces. They are best suited to rectangular pools with vertical walls and a flat bottom.
Why does a white pool look blue?
A swimming pool that is lined with white plaster or any other type of surface will look light blue when filled with water. Light is a mixture of varying wavelengths of electromagnetic energy that we can see with our eyes as colors. Think of a rainbow or when light is passed through a prism and the colors are separated. When all the colors are mixed together the light is clear and natural. Water absorbs the red, indigo spectrum of light and reflects the blue, violet end of the spectrum making the pool water look blue.
Resurface the Swimming Pool with a Pebble Finish
The pebble finish is an aggregate mixture of fine cement, plaster and small rounded river pebbles. The pebbles are small, colored pebbles from a river that have been rounded smooth by nature. These pebbles are becoming more expensive as mining companies are more restricted from dredging river beds. The mixture is pumped on to the swimming pool concrete shell coating the whole pool. Some pools have a tile band at the waterline but that’s not necessary with an aggregate pebble finish. The tile band, which is a layer of ceramic tiles the same height as the skimmer box, prevents a water line mark appearing around the pool.
Can you Pebblecrete over existing concrete?
Yes. As long as the existing concrete shell has been correctly prepared the aggregate mixture can be pumped on to the swimming pool concrete shell coating the whole pool.
How long does a Pebblecrete pool last?
The pebblecrete finish is an aggregate mixture of cement and fine river pebbles. The surface is very durable and will last 15 to 20 years. I have seen some pools that have lasted over 30 years before requiring a makeover.
Is Quartz a good pool finish?
A quartz finish is essentially similar to plaster in that they use a fine powdered quartz stone product mixed with white cement. Plain plaster is usually fine limestone and cement.
Adding quartz stone into the mix makes the plaster lining more durable, harder, more chemical resistant, less porous, stain resistant and longer lasting. This surface will last 10 to 15 years.
How do you resurface an inground pool?
- Drain the water from the pool
- Either chip away the old surface with a jackhammer or roughen the old surface to apply the new surface over it.
- Prime and seal the prepared surface
- Apply the new surface – plaster, aggregate or fibreglass
- Finish off the surface & dry
- Refill the pool with fresh water
- Balance the pool chemistry
What is the most popular pool color?
The most popular color for a plastered surface is light to medium grey which looks light blue when the water is added. Standard white plaster is popular and looks clean & light blue with water. Darker colors are normally only used on a shallow pool to make the water look deeper blue. If you have a deep pool you will only need a very light color.
Do Gunite pools need to be resurfaced?
Gunite pools are essential the same as an inground concrete shell pool which need a lining. The lining can be plaster, pebble aggregate, fibreglass or tiles. When the surface wears out it will need to be resurfaced.
How often do Gunite pools need to be resurfaced?
This depends on the surface material and how well it has been maintained over the years. Generally, Gunite pools need to be resurfaced with plaster every 15 years on average. I recommend to replace the tile band around the waterline at the same time.
How long does it take to Re-plaster a pool?
It usually takes a day to empty the pool, another day to chip away and remove the old plaster surface, and another day to re-plaster. So expect at least 3 or 4 days’ work minimum if the weather is fine.
Can I resurface the swimming pool myself?
There are some products available that are suitable for the home handyman to use to resurface a pool. However, I don’t recommend you do this job yourself as it really requires at least 3 men to complete the work as the plaster dries quickly and would be hard to do the whole pool by yourself. Maybe you can re-plaster a spa pool by yourself but a swimming pool is too large a job for one man.
How long does pool paint last?
Expect paint to last 5 years. I have experienced pool paint that lasted a lot longer but it depends on the environment and usage of the pool.
Paint over existing paint, smooth concrete or plaster. Clean and prepare the pool surface for painting to make the paint adhere to the surface. Usually an acid wash will be enough to prepare the surface. This is a job a home handyman can complete with satisfaction and pride.
Pool paint is more durable and waterproof than standard external house paint. Pool paint is manufactured with epoxy or rubberized components and is expensive compared to standard acrylic house paints.
Please read our article on How to Paint Your Swimming Pool
Can you paint a pool without draining it?
No, you need to fully drain the pool and dry it out to successfully paint the pool surfaces. You may want to apply two coats to provide a thicker and more durable surface that lasts longer.
Conclusion
Choosing the surface for your pool renovation seems like a complex decision and prices can vary considerably between products and contractors.
In all my years of experience I have had plaster, fibreglass and pebble aggregate pools. Each has its advantages and disadvantages but overall I like the fine pebble aggregate finish with a tile band around the waterline. It’s not the cheapest option but will cost the least in the long term as it will last longer and require less maintenance.
