Pool replastering and render finishes in Coffs Harbour

What pool replastering and render finishes are

Pool replastering in Coffs Harbour means preparing a worn cement finish and applying a new plaster or render coat to the shell. Trade sources describe plaster as cement mixed with sand, limestone or marble aggregate, and water. This page covers when that finish is used, how it differs from the alternatives and what to ask. We are a referral service: we pass your enquiry to a local pool contractor, who carries out the work.

A coating maker's guide names Marblesheen and Quartzon as surfaces and says their quality "varies widely" with raw materials, application technique, additives and deterioration, as set out in its application guide. This site found no neutral definition of either name, so it does not say what they are. Ask the contractor which product is meant and for its data sheet.

When a pool is replastered

The reasons are the surface signs described in the signs guide: a rough or chalky surface, stains that will not clean, cracks, and areas that sound hollow when tapped. A hollow area is one where the finish has separated from the shell. A crack or hollow patch can mean more than a surface problem and can signal a leak, so ask for it to be assessed before a new coat goes over it. The sensible question is not only whether to replaster but whether the shell under the plaster is sound. The reasons surfaces fail are in why pool surfaces fail.

Preparation before new plaster

A 2017 trade magazine article says hollow areas must be removed and deep ones filled before re-plastering, and that leftover paint or fibreglass must be ground or sandblasted off before new plaster goes on. One South African pool quartz data sheet, for its own product, says to remove all existing plaster back to the original shell on old pools. A magazine for the accommodation trade lists scrubbing with a wire brush, using a chisel, pick or jackhammer where needed, removing chalky material, and acid and neutralising coats, as covered by its pool surfaces article.

Chipping and grinding make dust and slurry. Ask how dust is controlled and where slurry goes. The draining and dust page sets out what the sources say.

Start-up care after replastering

Start-up covers the first weeks after filling. Instructions differ by product, so this page gives no chemistry targets or swim dates. One plaster industry body's start-up page, whose country is not stated, says following its steps in order helps maintain the finish warranty. Brushing the surface and keeping automatic cleaners off it are common themes. One South African pool quartz data sheet says no automatic cleaner for three weeks, brush only, and that is that product's instruction, not a general one.

Follow the start-up instructions for the product used and ask for them in writing. The process and start-up page covers the stages, and the timing guide covers fill times.

Salt water and water chemistry

This site found no neutral Australian source on salt water and plaster wear, so it makes no claim either way. For coatings, salt compatibility is product-specific, and some data sheets are silent on it. Water chemistry targets differ so much between products and between plaster and coatings that this site publishes none. Tell the contractor if the pool runs on salt, and follow the maker's sheet for the product used.

Licence or certificate

The NSW swimming pool repairs and servicing page lists "painting and surfacing (rendering or applying surface coatings) of a swimming pool" and says a licence or certificate is needed for that category. The pages do not say how plaster, render, pebble or quartz are treated differently, so this site does not either. Check the contractor's licence category and expiry on the NSW licence check, and ask Building Commission NSW on 13 27 00 if you are unsure. See the licence, contract and warranty page.