Pool tile guide Plaster stains or calcium?

Tile problems vs. plaster problems

Calcium scale shows up on the tile at the waterline, on raised walls and on spillways. That's fixed by tile cleaning. Stains, blotches and dullness on the floor and walls below the tile are plaster problems, and tile cleaning won't fix them.

When an acid wash makes sense

An acid wash lifts surface stains and dullness from plaster that's still sound. The pool is drained, washed, neutralized and refilled. Because plaster is thin, it should be done only occasionally, and the surface is assessed first. Most surface stains improve dramatically; deep or metal stains may need a different treatment.

When it's time to replaster

If the plaster is rough, etched or worn thin, an acid wash won't bring it back. A replaster is the better value. Our base plaster is white marcite; we recommend upgrading to StoneScapes pebble plaster.

Doing both

Many pools need both: clean tile and brighter plaster. Both can be quoted from the same photos. If you're replastering, tile blasting has to be done before the new plaster goes in, or at least a month after.