Pool Resurfacing Contractors in Portsmouth, RI: Choosing the Interior Finish
Plaster has a working life, and the moment it reaches the end of it is the moment homeowners start calling pool resurfacing contractors in Portsmouth, RI. The structure underneath is usually sound. It is the surface on top of it that has worn out.
Gairad DeCastro launched Premier Outdoor Group on Aquidneck Island in 2007 as a design and build company, and the shells we resurface are frequently ones built to the same standard we build to now.
Because resurfacing happens once in roughly a decade and a half, the finish chosen now is the one a family lives with for a long time.
Related: How Replacing Worn Pool Coping Improves Safety, Style, and Pool Restoration Results
How Do You Know a Gunite Pool Needs Resurfacing?
A gunite pool needs resurfacing when the interior turns rough, stains stop brushing out, aggregate shows through eroded finish or hairline crazing spreads across broad areas. The surface signals wear well before the water does.
Age alone is a reasonable prompt to look. A gunite shell holds up for decades, but the interior on it is a wearing layer, so a pool approaching fifteen years deserves an inspection even where nothing obvious has gone wrong yet.
Rising chemical consumption is the quieter sign. A deteriorating plaster surface becomes porous, and a pool that suddenly needs more acid to hold its balance is often telling you about its interior rather than about its chemistry.
What Interior Finishes Are Available for Pool Resurfacing?
Polished plaster, quartz and pebble finishes cover most residential pool resurfacing. Polished plaster is the traditional cement and marble dust finish, smooth underfoot and the most economical. Quartz adds a hard aggregate to the mix, which improves durability and holds color longer.
Pebble finishes expose small stone across the surface, giving the most texture and the longest service life. Texture is the trade-off running through all three: the finishes that last longest have the most aggregate exposed, and that aggregate is what a swimmer feels underfoot.
Households with young children often weigh that differently from households without. Our pool renovation work covers all three finishes, and the choice comes down to how the pool gets used rather than to a ranking.
How Does a Pool Finish Change the Color of the Water?
The interior finish changes how the water looks more than anything else does. The interior color determines the apparent color of the water, because what you see is light reflecting off the surface through several feet of it.
A white plaster reads bright turquoise. A mid gray reads deep blue. A dark finish reads nearly black and holds heat noticeably in late season.
Samples viewed dry are misleading. We look at them wet, outdoors, because that is the only honest preview of the result.
How Long Does Each Pool Finish Last?
Plaster commonly runs seven to twelve years, quartz ten to fifteen, and pebble fifteen to twenty. Water chemistry does more to move those figures than the material does, so a well-maintained plaster pool can outlast a neglected pebble one.
In this climate the winter close matters as well. A shell that sits through a Rhode Island winter correctly winterized holds its finish longer than one that goes through repeated freeze and thaw with water at the wrong level.
What Else Should Be Done While the Pool Is Empty?
Tile at the waterline, coping, main drain covers and light niches should all be addressed while the pool is empty. Each is awkward to reach with water in it, and handling them together avoids draining the pool twice.
The equipment pad is worth reviewing at the same time. A pump or filter nearing the end of its life is simpler to change while the pool is already down, and matching new equipment to the pool at that point avoids a second interruption a season later.
It is also the moment to reconsider the waterline tile, since that band sets the character of the pool as much as the interior color does.
Plan Pool Resurfacing in Portsmouth, RI and Across Aquidneck Island
Autumn and early spring are the comfortable windows for this work, which makes now a sensible time to look at a surface that struggled through the season.
Contact Premier Outdoor Group to assess the interior of your pool and talk through pool resurfacing finish options.
In Summary
How long does a pool resurface take in Portsmouth?
A pool resurface in Portsmouth takes one to two weeks on site, depending on the finish and any tile or coping work alongside it. A careful start-up period follows as the new surface cures under water.
When is the right time to change a pool's interior color?
A resurface is the natural moment to change a pool's interior color. The existing finish comes off entirely, so the new color is not constrained by what was there before.
How does pool resurfacing handle an existing leak?
Premier Outdoor Group diagnoses and repairs a leak before the new interior goes on, rather than covering it with fresh finish. A leak is a structural or plumbing issue, and resurfacing alone does not fix it.
Related: Enhancing Outdoor Comfort With Pool Renovation & Pool Installations in Lincoln, RI
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A passion for the outdoors and the experience of working with his hands at a young age fostered the realization of Gairad DeCastro’s dream to start a top-rated design/build company on Aquidneck Island in 2007. His company has since grown from humble beginnings to a sought-after local pool contractor. Now, Premier Gunite Pools is recognized as a leader in providing creative, quality, and reliable inground pools. Gairad’s philosophy and mission statement remain simple: “If it’s worth doing, it's worth doing right.” His goal is to exceed every customer’s expectations for the amount of fun and relaxation they can have with a luxurious pool in their backyard.
