Pagan wrote:
"glassguy" wrote in message
oups.com...
Stuart Benoff wrote:
I'm starting to get prices for this work and now I really wish I could
get the price you mention. A rep from Anthony came out last week and they
want $20,000 to re-plaster, re-tile and put in new coping. Of course, if I
agree to do it this fall it's only 18K. My pool is 880 square feet - so
it's on the larger side for backyard pools.
I got a second price around $14,000 and this includes $1,100 to empty
the pool. I'm thinking of renting a pump and doing that myself. Does
anyone know if there is anything to watch out for when emptying a pool?
Thanks!
Pagan wrote:
"Stuart Benoff" wrote in message
...
Steve,
At this point I'd be very happy with paying $3K although you're not
including new tile and coping but I agree with doing it right the first
time. How long do you expect your new plaster to last?
I have a pool slightly smaller than SteveB, 40 years old, and it cost
something less than $3,000 for plaster, roughly $1,000 for tiles, and
$1,2000 for coping. I don't remember, exactly, because I also had the
whole
pool replumbed, with new skimmer and all new equipment. Anyway, my
neighbor
had the fiberglass thing done years ago, and just a few months later
they
had it replastered. The fiberglass coating over plaster/concrete thing
is
nothing new, and it's as big a rip-off now as it's always been. Avoid
it at
all costs.
Painting isn't much better, in most cases. Although some folks have
painted
their pools and had good results, most end up having to either remove
the
paint, or the plaster, within a few months to a few years, as this stuff
isn't designed to last more than 7 years or so.
New plaster is your best bet, along with some new tile if you can. The
coping can probably be repaired if it's not too bad off.
You might want to take a close look at your plumbing. If it's copper,
or it
needs repair which requires cutting up the pool, now is the time to do
it.
Pagan
Regarding the choice of a fiberglass coating and "it's as big a rip-off
now as it's always been", is a statement I must take issue with.
Fiberglass resurfacing, done properly with the proper resins and
gelcoat will last up to 25 years, although it may need some cosmetic
help after 15 or so years.
You may be right, and there may be some great looking pools out there that
have been fiberglassed, but I haven't seen nor heard of any, and though I'm
not the omnipotent demigod of all pools, it's likely I would have at least
heard of good fiberglass recoating in S. CA.
Seeing as how you are in the business, as well as your statement just below,
how long does your company guarantee it's product?
There is no plaster, used for resurfacing, that will last even 10
years. That's why the guarantee for replastering is never greater than
4 years, and is usually 2 years, or even less. Plaster is a great
solution for new pools because it will last a long time, but putting
plaster on an old pool is an entirely different story. That's why the
replaster guarantee is so short.
That doesn't make sense. The warranty on my Panasonic microwave was only
good for a year, but after 15 years, it's still humming along.
I fail to see the difference between plastering a new pool and replastering
an older pool, in regard to how long the plaster will last. The closest
thing to a reason you give is that the guarantee is short, but that could
have more to do with the potential lack of proper care of the pool and water
than anything else. I find it hard to believe that my pool lasted over 40
years with new plaster, and still looked great, but new plaster will not
"last" 10 years. What happens to the plaster?
I take issue with the statement that "as this stuff (paint)isn't
designed to last more than 7 years or so." No POOL paint is designed or
expected to last "7 years or so". Two or three years is the maximum,
then it goes downhill rapidly. Unless, of course, you refer to lead
based paint which could last 7 years, but that's no longer available in
this country.
That's the information I got from the manufacturers and pool owners.
Finally, I take issue with "The coping can probably be repaired if it's
not too bad off." Coping cannot be repaired in any way, shape, or form;
it can only be replaced.
Strange, that you can make such a blanket statement without actually seeing
the coping for yourself, nor have any idea of just what kind of damage the
coping has. When your talking about a cash layout of $1,100 or more, which
is still a good chunk of money, it appears irresponsible to make such a
claim. The coping on my pool could have been repaired, however, I did not
care for the style or color anyway, so I chose to replace it. Of course,
had it been repaired, it wouldn't have looked perfect, and flaws would have
been noticable upon close examination, but few people go to a pool to stare
at the coping anyway, and if I'd liked the origional coping, or if I didn't
have the money to replace it, it would have been fixed, not replaced, and
I'd have another $1,100 to spend on other, more important things.
Pagan
The difference between plastering and replastering is the condition of
the gunite or concrete. When concrete and gunite are new, plaster will
last about 15 years before it begins to become stained, rough, and a
haven for algae. When plaster is applied to old gunite or concrete
which is dried out and, depending on the age of the pool (15 years vs.
25 years), suffers from the onslaught of ground water, the bond is far
less successful.
Anyone who has owned a gunite or concrete pool for a long period of
time knows that your statement: "my pool lasted over 40 years with new
plaster, and still looked great" is both misleading and ludicrous.
Since we're discussing the coping on an older concrete or gunite pool,
we know that it is made of one foot wide concrete bullnose coping
stones. There is no way to "repair" broken or crumbling concrete coping
stones.
Your original post in this thread Pagan sounded authoritive, but your
knowledge of swimming pool restoration is really limited. Good luck
with your newly restored swimming pool and enjoy the season. -Bill
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