Sprucing up the old pool is one of the best ways to give your home a complete facelift. It’s safe, economical, and useful.
When it comes to renovating or installing a pool, most pool owners like to go for pool plaster as the required surface finish. While there are other finishes such as ceramic-coated crystals, pebbles, and even glass, plaster seems to be the obvious choice.
But why is plaster almost the default option when it comes to pool surfacing? And why is it so commonly used everywhere around the world? That’s precisely what we’re going to take a look at today.
Let’s dive in.
What Is Pool Plaster?
Before understanding why it’s commonly used, it’s best to take a glimpse at what pool plaster is. This’ll help us better understand the reasons for its wide acceptability.
Put simply, pool plaster is the last round of coating applied to the surfaces of concrete in-ground pools. Usually white, the plaster can be mixed with a wide variety of pigments to get any desired hue.
Generally, the plaster layer that’s applied to the pool surface is ¼ to ½ inches thick, depending on the user preference and pool surface type. This coating makes the pool surface watertight, plugs any leak in the walls, and makes the surface smooth and safe for swimmers.
Going by the traditional formula, pool plaster is a 2:1 mixture of marble dust with white portland cement. However, there are numerous additives such as quartz, glass, or ceramic, which can be added for strength, color, and design.
Why Is It So Commonly Used?
The most significant reason behind the use of plaster as a pool surface finish lies in its simplicity. Plaster gives the pool surface a smooth finish and ensures that the swimmers don’t get injured by coming into contact with the rough pool surface.
Apart from that, there are several other reasons why this surface finish is so popular with pool owners. Let’s take a look at some of them.
1. Highly Affordable
One of the significant reasons why plaster is the material of choice for resurfacing pools is that it’s highly affordable. Pool resurfacing can turn out to be a substantial investment, and plaster offers a simple yet cost-effective solution.
At the same time, it must be remembered that a well-applied coat of plaster can last from 15 to 25 years. This means, once the coating has been applied successfully, you don’t need to spend on it year after year.
2. Extremely Durable
As already mentioned, a plaster coat lasts a long time, anywhere from 15 to 25 years. This makes it one of the most resilient pool surface finishes available.
What’s more, most pool surface finishes get degraded due to the level of chemicals in the water. Plaster, on the other hand, has proven itself extremely resilient to continued moisture exposure.
Of course, it must be remembered that you need to keep the pool pH levels in check; otherwise, even the best of plaster is going to wear off soon.
3. Aesthetically Pleasing
Apart from durability, everyone wants their pool surface to be uniquely beautiful. A plaster finish can offer unmatched aesthetic enhancements in this regard. While regular white plaster finishes are stunning themselves, the plaster can be tinted to get any desired color.
For example, you can use gray plaster, which works to lend a deeper blue appearance to the water. Some pools even use black plaster to create the illusion of increased depth. In fact, with plaster, you can experiment so much that you’re limited only by your imagination!
4. Easily Repairable
Everyone likes to take care of their pool surface, but with time, the pool walls are bound to become stained and discolored. Some sections might even get damaged due to continued exposure to water chemicals.
With other finishes, you might need to resurface the entire pool, a massive operation in terms of time and money. But plaster finishes can be chemically repaired, and stains can be sanded off. And that’s not all; repairing a plaster finish doesn’t cost much, resulting in increased savings.
5. Entirely Non-Toxic
When you go with a plaster finish, there’s no need to worry about toxins getting into the water and harming the swimmers. As it’s primarily made from cement, plaster is entirely non-toxic and environment-friendly.
6. Prevents Leaks
In most cases, pool leaks occur from the junction where the skimmer joins the tile grout. This can lead to the water level of the pool slowly going down. A plaster finish prevents this from happening. By creating a watertight pool shell, plaster helps to prevent water loss through joints and cracks.
7. Wide Variety Of Additives
Another factor contributing to the widespread use of plaster as a pool surface finish is its unmatched versatility. Plaster can be combined with a number of additives that alter its physical and chemical composition.
These additives, which contain chemicals called pozzolans, usually fortify the weakest element in the plaster against chemical attacks. This leads to a significant increase in the strength and durability of the plaster finish.
Due to the above reasons, plaster has become the surface finish of choice for the vast majority of pool owners.
Final Words
Your swimming pool is the pride and joy of your property, a location where memories are made and bonds are strengthened. Naturally, you’d want a perfect surface finish for this essential part of your property.
Whether it’s a commercial or domestic location, pool plaster can be the perfect choice for a surface finish. Affordable, long-lasting, and customizable, this wonderful material is the best choice for resurfacing pools.
So, the next time you’re looking to resurface a pool, or even if you’re getting a new one installed, go with plaster. Far from being disappointed, you’ll be delighted with the long-lasting and wonderfully durable results.
Till next time!