What Happens During Pool Resurfacing and Remodeling?
If you’re remodeling your home or preparing it for sale, tending to your pool is an important part of that process. Pools are outdoor focal points of any home. They’re the perfect spaces for outdoor entertaining – provided they look welcoming enough.
If you own an old home, you probably own an old pool. Even well maintained pools will look a little worse for wear after a few decades. Pools that have been neglected for years will often need so many repairs that they might as well be renovated and modernized.
No matter your reason for resurfacing or remodeling you pool, Pioneer Pools has you covered. We love to work with homeowners to design gorgeous pools, and we’re happy to do all the hard work. We just can’t help you when your neighbors beg to come over for a swim.
Taking The Measurements and Creating the Proposal
Step number one is always creating the game plan. We’ll send out an expert to take measurements of your pool and talk to you about the way you’d like your pool to look. If you’re out of ideas, we’ll always have plenty of suggestions. We enjoy the creative aspects of building a beautiful pool.
Once the details are ironed out, we’ll prepare an estimate and a proposal for you. When you accept our proposal, we’ll get to work on preparing your pool for the resurfacing and remodeling process.
Draining the Pool
We can’t get too much work done with all that pesky water in the way. The first step is to drain the pool. Large pools can sometimes take a full day to drain, and we can’t get to work until all the water is gone. We’ll have to begin draining the pool in the morning and return to work the next day when it’s completely empty.
Demolition of the Current Structure
Out with the old and in with the new. New plaster and tiles aren’t placed over old materials. We’ll chip away all the old plaster and remove the old tiles so we can rebuild from a clean canvas. This is an extensive and labor intensive process that takes a crew to complete. Don’t worry – we’ll never leave a huge mess on your deck. Our technicians will always clean up all the debris.
Plumbing and Electrical Work
If your new pool design requires additional plumbing or electrical work, this will be done after demolition is complete. Not all jobs will require plumbing and electrical. If you want to add a heater or lights to your pool, now is the time to do it. We’ll also repair or replace pumps, add sand to sand filters, and replace your filtration.
Pool Tile Replacement
The first step in remodeling your pool is to add the new tile. We have a large selection of beautiful pool tiles for you to choose from. Pick your tile, and we’ll get to work on building a gorgeous border around your pool. It takes a full 24 hours for tile to set, so your pool must remain dry and undisturbed throughout that time.
Repairing or Replacing the Decking
After the tile has been laid, it’s time to tend to your decking. If you’re remodeling your whole pool area, we recommend poured concrete or stamped concrete. Stone makes a gorgeous pool deck, but the material is more expensive than concrete. Although stone is a little on the pricier side, it will make a gorgeous impression if you can work it into your budget.
In many places, you’ll see pools and spas with wood or composite wood decks. These don’t fare well in Arizona. The sun beats down very hot on wood decks, bleaching the stain and destroying the sealing. Eventually, dry rot will set in and your deck will need to be replaced. It may be a beautiful aesthetic choice, but it’s a lot of work and money for something that won’t last.
Plaster Prepping
With all other considerations settled, it’s time to actually refinish the surface of the pool. The first thing we’ll do is check for leaks, cracks, or defects in the pool wall that need to be repaired. A new surface won’t do you any good if its underlying structure is unreliable. Then, we’ll apply a coat of a special material called muriatic acid that prepares the pool wall to receive a new surface. The acid is neutralized after it’s applied, and the resulting water is pumped out of the pool.
Putting the Plaster or Pebble On
The new surface of your pool can either be made of plaster or pebble. Plaster is traditional, but pebble as a beautiful decorative touch. A mixer truck will come in with either plain plaster or composite pebble, and pump it into your pool. Our technicians will hand trowel the mixture, smoothing it perfectly and evenly over the surface of your pool.
Refilling the Pool and Starting it Up
Plaster pools can often be refilled later the same day the surface is finished. Pebble surfaces take a little longer to fully cure. If you choose pebble, expect to wait at least two days before your pool is ready to receive water.
When the surface has fully dried and set, we’ll refill your pool and add the proper chemicals to get it started again. We’ll add the chlorine and chlorine stabilizer – an ingredient that prevents the chlorine from rapidly evaporating. Once the water is in and the chemical levels are correct, you’re ready to take your first swim in your new pool.
Ready to Get Started?
Whether you have your mind made up about remodeling your pool or you’re just curious, give Pioneer Pools a call at (520) 881-7031. We’ll be happy to send a resurfacing and remodeling expert to your home in Tucson or the surrounding communities. We’ll gladly discuss the project with you and provide you with an estimate and a plan of action. Whenever you’re ready for a beautiful pool, we’re ready to create one for you.
