"Steve B" wrote in message
...

"JimT" wrote in message
news
I have a small (10k gal) inground swimming pool that is probably around 27
y/o. House was built around 1983 and I think it was built then. The
plaster has seen better days. I don't think the previous owners took very
good care of it. It's pitted, discolored and cracked in a few places. I
was watching a movie last night and there was a pool in it that was tiled.
I thought that might be a cheaper way of refinishing mine. It would have
to be a small mosaic tile that could stand up to the chlorine. The draw
back would be all the grout lines that have a tendency to grow algae but
if I watched the chemicals closely and diligently cleaned it I might be
able to control it.

Dumb idea? I think it would look really nice. At least for awhile. Anyone
have a fully tiled pool and what are the draw backs?

Jim

William Randolph Hurst had an indoor pool made at San Simeon by craftsman
who used lapiz lazuli 1" square tiles that were veined in gold. In that
day, many people did not swim, and it was a deep pool, very deep, so the
guests would not use it. Instead, it became the help's pool. It took
something like 20 guys working 40 hours a week three years to do it.
How's your bank book?

I had a pool replastered about three or five years ago. They came in at
0700, and at 1400 the next day, started to refill it. $3200, IIRC.

Tile has all the things you mention, grout problems, coming loose, plus,
it is very difficult to get every piece of tile to stick WITHOUT having
any air spaces behind it. That's where gunge is going to form. On a
floor, it is hard enough to get a craftsman to grout it correctly so you
don't have voids.

No matter how you to, tiles come off. I see it all the time on real
estate surveys I do. It's put on there sometimes by the best of
craftsmen, yet it comes off.

Unless you are as rich as Mr. Hearst, I'd suggest you just go plaster.
There are, however some absolutely spectacular insets you can have done in
the bottoms of pools. You can also get tricky on the sides, and make a
plain Jane job really nice.

My neighbor did a dolphin on his pool bottom, but he was the best brick
and block man I ever saw. Only guy I EVER made wrought iron for without
having an opening to measure. He never missed it by more than 1/8". He
did all the work for Marnell/Corrao Construction in Las Vegas (sp) on
their houses. (LV casino magnates, George a high profile pro stock drag
racer for years) Can't say how you'd do in the regular job market.

If you ever get a chance to go to San Simeon, GO! There's a tile inset at
the front door that came from Pompei.

If you're rich enough to do this, please contact me, as you will
definitely need a good super, and just so happens, I'm available.


Steve

Thanks for your input and no I'm not in the market for a Super.

$3200! You got a great deal or you have a very small pool. g. I heard it
cost more like $32,000 to get a pool redone. I could be wrong because I
haven't really researched it yet. Sounds like I should.

I thought there would be draw backs to tile because you don't see very many
tile pools. As I thought, it's beginning to sound like a bad idea.