While jackhammering your pool’s surface might have been an option in the past, there are some several reasons to consider hydroblasting. Below we’re going to go over the make-up of your pool and why companies like Alan Smith Pools choose hydroblasting to prep your pool surface.
Prep Your Pool with Hydroblasting Today
While there are many parts to a pool, the three main parts of a pool surface are the rebar, gunite, and plaster.
Pool Surface Anatomy
Before we get into the different ways to resurfacing a pool, let’s go over the make-up of your pool’s surface. While there are many parts to a pool, the three main parts of a pool surface are the rebar, gunite, and plaster. Rebar consists of stainless steel bars that form a framework or shell. With nothing covering the rebar, it looks like uncovered chickenwire. Some in the pool industry think of rebar as the bones of the pool because it provides pools with their structure.
What goes over the rebar or “shell” is the gunite. Gunite consists of sand, water, and cement. Gunite is considered one of the best methods for pool construction because it can be any conceivable shape. It’s also a durable surface that’s bound to last. It’s often called gunite because a compressed air “gun” applies it. Because of its durability, many pool experts consider this the “muscle” of the pool.
The plaster is like the “skin” of the pool because it goes over the gunite.
Approved Methods
The first step to replastering your pool is to get rid of the pool’s old plaster so there’s only the gunite and rebar. The National Plasters Council approves a few methods to do this.
- Sandblasting: Sandblasting sprays abrasive materials like crushed glass, steel grit, aluminum oxide or walnut shell over the plater to strip it away.
- Jackhammer: A pneumatic (meaning air powered) or electric hammer with a chisel that breaks off the plaster leaving only the gunite.
- Hydroblasting: Hydroblasting sprays water at 40,000 PSI (pounds per square inch) at the pool’s surface to strip away the old plaster.
So if all these methods work for getting rid of old plaster, why does Alan Smith Pools choose hydroblasting? For a lot of reasons, actually.
Get the Pool You’ve Always Wanted
Jackhammering removes a lot of the gunite and can potentially weaken the stainless steel underneath.
Why Hydroblasting?
While hydroblasting has not been around long, there are many reasons companies like Alan Smith Pools choose it. One reason is etching. As the hydroblasting removes the old plaster, it also etches the gunite surface. This preps the surface so the new plaster can stick on easily. Another reason is protecting the gunite.
Oftentimes when a jackhammer removes the old plaster it can also remove small layers of gunite. Most pools get new plaster several times throughout their life. This means that there are many chances to weaken the gunite.
Jackhammers can sometimes hammer so deep that they expose rebar. The Jackhammers also have a tendency to beat and bruise old gunite causing “shell trauma.“ Shell trauma could worsen the overall strength of the pool.
Let’s return to the bone and muscle analogy for a moment. If you keep using harsh plaster removing methods like jackhammering, you’ll remove a lot of the muscle and potentially weaken the bone. Hydroblasting avoids this problem and keeps the strength of the pool intact.
The third reason Alan Smith Pools uses hydroblasting has to do with our warranty. The warranty protects your pool’s new layers from falling off. We are so confident that hydroblasting is the best prep method that our warranty covers it for 10 years. Check out the video below to learn more.
Save yourself time and money by simply calling the trusted experts at Alan Smith Pools at (714) 909-1392 for a free estimate, or contacting us online for more information on pool hydroblasting and resurfacing. For a job you can trust to be done right, you can rely on Alan Smith Pools.
Hydroblasting | Alan Smith Pools – Orange County, CA
