Pool Plaster Repair

Pool plaster or concrete repair need not be a job that you have to outsource to some handyman, if the scale of damage is small. Small cracks and patches can be easily repaired by anybody with the patience that is required to undertake such jobs.

It is an integral part of swimming pool maintenance. Old swimming pools especially are prone to cracks and damage. This is because water has a way of weathering every surface that it comes in contact for a long time. Old plastered pool surfaces are prone to damage due to this relentless weathering caused by water exposure.

When the pool gets damaged like this, the debris can get dissolved with the water over time and create health problems. Over time, a small patch may widen if not fixed in time and necessitate a complete re-plastering of the pool insides. Hence, it is a good practice to go for repair as soon as possible.

Repair Instructions

Pool plaster problems can be taken care of, by some good old masonry work. This job is quite time-consuming and might take up a whole day. So, plan the repair job on a weekend.

Things You Will Need

Before we begin let me list out the tools you'll need to get the job done. The list is quite long and you may have to shop around a lot in the hardware store before you start. Here are the things you'll need:

• Stainless steel trowel
• Plaster mix
• Power mixer along with paddle
• Notched trowel
• Acrylic bonder
• Hammer
• Chisel
• Angle grinder
• Grinding disc
• Pump sprayer
• Soda ash
• Acid wash
• Acid brush
• Big bucket
• Extendable ladder
• Hose
• Putty knife

That is quite an exhaustive list, but then you will have to buy it all only once. Repair kits are also available, which provide you with most of the materials required for the job besides tools.

Repair Patch Clearing and Preparation

Before you begin, you must drain out the whole pool. That will make the repair easier and prevent any hazards caused by electrical tools. The main challenge is to patch up the damaged plaster and make it blend it with the old one.

First part is cleaning up the repair patch and preparing it for repair. Using the age-old masonry tools, which are hammer and chisel, clear out all the loose plaster material that is hanging around and inside the damaged plaster patch. Scrape off any part that is hard stuck using a putty knife.

First bevel in the area encircling the repair patch, using disc and angle grinder and make sure that you go about ¼ inch deep. You could do the same using a hammer and chisel around the repair patch and create a depression ¼ inch deep. Also make sure that you clear out the plaster.

Next you must subject the whole repair patch to a thorough acid wash using a pump sprayer. Clean it out with an acid brush. Then spread soda ash in the area to neutralize the acid wash remnants. Make sure that all the acid has been cleared out by the soda ash and wash it all with water.

Patching with Plaster

After you have prepared the damaged area for patching, you can begin mixing the pool plaster in a big bucket. Make sure that the color matches with the surrounding old plaster.

Start filling in the prepared patch with finished plaster mix. Using a notched trowel, spread the plaster evenly inside and around edges of the patch. Use a stainless steel trowel to finely finish the patch up job. Leave the patch to dry out for some hours. Then use the grinding disc again to even out the whole area and match its finishing with the plaster around. You could also alternatively use a diamond polishing pad to do the job. With that your job is done. After the whole patch has sufficiently dried out, you can clear out all the debris and fill the water back.

So, these were simple and straightforward repair instructions which you can follow to fix your damaged swimming pool walls. After all, its summer and you are going to need your pool more than ever.