POOL CONSTRUCTION PROCESS- STEP 12
Interior Finish
The final phase of the pool involves the interior finish – and this step actually makes your pool waterproof, finished, and ready to use! There are many different types of interior finish, and you should have selected yours prior to this email. We have to wait until final inspection is done, because after applying the interior of the pool, it needs to be immediately filled with water.
“INTERIOR FINISH” BRIEF OVERVIEW: The interior finish is the final construction step to your pool, and basically marks the completion of your swimming pool and/or spa. Some popular interior finish choices are Pebble Sheen, Pebble Tec, 3M Quartz, Polished Pebble, Beadcrete, and Ultra Poz. All of these have a very similar first step, which involves “spraying” the surface over the concrete shell of the pool. The process takes just one day (about 4 to 6 hours to be exact), and the finished look when they are done is usually pretty bad! Day 2 of the interior finish is where it starts to really look great! After Day one, the interior has a chance to harden & “cure”, so that we can come back and clean, acid wash, and get it looking good (before we fill it with water). Virtually all of the interior jobs take 2 days, but sometimes it can be a one day process with correct conditions.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Why does the interior look so bad after it’s done? Well, it shouldn’t look “bad” but it’s just not finished. You see, the application involves portland cement, which creates a “haze” on the pebbles or plaster. This “haze” can be cleaned off & polished up, but only after the surface hardens enough so we can work on it. Day 2 is when we can come back and do things such as acid wash, lightly buff, and clean areas that got overspray & debris. We will start filling your pool when it is time, and it is your responsibility to turn off the water when the level reaches 1/2 way up the waterline tile (or skimmer).
When does my pool get filled? Unique will start to fill your pool when it is ready to be filled. DO NOT start filling your pool by yourself, there are steps that need to be taken prior to filling the pool, and we will make sure it gets filled at the proper time. This is usually on the day AFTER interior finish.
Who turns off the water? What if I can’t be home? It is your responsibility to turn off the water when the water reaches 1/2 way up the waterline tile. We too realize that you just don’t know when the pool will be full, so having the homeowner tend to this task is the safest scenario. We wish we could just fill the pool with the autofill, but filling the pool this way can cause a STREAK down the side of the pool! Do not use the autofill to fill the pool, in fact, it may not even be setup yet! If you find yourself having to go to work and worried it may overfill, then turn off the water until you get home, or turn it on low. If your pool overflows a little, it’s not the end of the world. It won’t damage anything – it’s just a little messy.
There is something wrong with the pebble, I’m going to stop the water filling until it’s fixed! DO NOT TURN OFF THE WATER FILL PROCESS FOR ANY REASON. A common thought (and misconception) when a customer sees an issue with the pebble or interior is “It needs to be fixed before I fill the pool!”. Did you know that most blemishes, stains, and issues can be easily corrected with water in the pool (in fact, about 95% of them!) Filling the pool is the best way to ensure the remainder of the pool is strong & finished properly. So, we realize that you may not be happy with something in the pool, so give us a call – and don’t turn off the water.
Why is payment required, the pool is not finished yet? Pool construction is actually complete when the interior finish of the pool is applied. In fact, you can fill the pool and swim immediately! Every other aspect of a pool is a startup or programming issue – and if a pump or heater doesn’t work, then it’s a warranty issue. We will admit, there are many items still left to do to make sure your pool is perfect, but you have a completed project that you can start to enjoy immediately. MOST of our clients still have a “landscape” final payment due also, so hopefully this is a bit of security on your part that we will follow through for you! Hey, we’ve done everything you’ve asked so far – you’ve got to trust us by now.
The interior finish looks really bad when I turn on the pool light at night. If you are ever using the pool at night, with just the pool light on, then you will notice that the interior of the pool has lumps, marks, scuffs, scratches, and trowel marks. That’s because it does! Remember, pool interiors are applied by “hand” by people, and having tool marks, and defects are expected by a hand applied product. The ONLY time that you can view & judge the interior of your pool is during the day – and this is regulated by the National Plaster Council. They set the criteria for judging & determining defects in interior finish products.
When do the chemicals get added? Won’t algae build up immediately? Guess what? You can swim immediately after the pool is full! Most city water has a residual amount of chlorine in it that can last for a few days – you take a bath in that water, right? Your pool water will be safe & algae free for a few days (and more in the winter time). If you feel like taking a dip, be our guest – but remember, try to keep swimming to a minimum until we can get the chemicals up to par, and the pumps & filters working. It will be only a few more days – we promise!
