Question For The Pool Guys/Plasterers/masons

Tscarborough

Rocks and boulders in waterfall and beach approaches are popular. My recommendation is always to place these items inside the waterproof envelope, i.e., plaster before placing, then use plaster to set the stone, mortar to grout it. What say you?

POOLMANinCT

absolutely correct tscar.
1. waterproof ie plaster first. otherwise your unlike material (stone boulder whatever) will likely compromise your seal, particularly if a pourous ie sand stane whatever)
2. plaster mud rebar whatever for mechanical bond, if stone boulder is not a million pounder...

ray


welcome to the basement tscar!!!!!

__________________
......Less with the jaw & More with the paw.....

Tscarborough

Next question. I recommend white portland with black pool mix, as opposed to gray portland, and strongly advise against using ferrous oxide pigments (any pigments, really) in the pool plaster.

POOLMANinCT

2 marble dust to 1 white cement, if they want a fancy new fangled finish, use premixed product. apply premix over marble dust & cement and exposed mortar, just for looks....

ray

__________________
......Less with the jaw & More with the paw.....

POOLMANinCT

out of curiousity, what sparked your intrest in this?????

__________________
......Less with the jaw & More with the paw.....

Tscarborough

Because I sell the product, and am a student of the technique, but seldom actually do it. I know what should work (and why), and has worked for me, but in the wider world of normal production, these questions come up every day, and my recommendations are sometimes questioned or ignored.

Just a back-check.

POOLMANinCT

from you ?s you know you shyt.......

__________________
......Less with the jaw & More with the paw.....

dirt diggler

hehe, yeah welcome to the dungeon Tscar


watch your step - we're not as civilized as the carpenters upstairs

Tscarborough

Calcium chloride. For or against?

POOLMANinCT

cal chloride....

get more specific tscar....

1. small mud jobs when its going to freeze at night as an accelerator . for it.
2. raising h20 hardness to prevent scaling .....for it

3. meliting ice on my driveway in winter...... for it

ray

__________________
......Less with the jaw & More with the paw.....

Tscarborough

I don't really know much about it, other than it adds too much calcium for mortar. In pool plaster, I only know that is used as an accellerant, but do not know of any other good qualities.

POOLMANinCT

if it doesnt freeze on worknights by you you can live without it

__________________
......Less with the jaw & More with the paw.....

elementalist

Waterfalls are my forte. I agree fully regarding the "envelope" ! Everything containing or diverting water must be waterproof. Leaks kill.

Poolman

I have seen a pool where two large rocks were placed/cemented in the bottom of the shallow end before plastering. They have been there for about 15 years, no leaks.
Also I agree with ray, regarding calcium chloride. We use it in the pool water to keep the hardness high enough to prevent the water from taking it out of the plaster. We have been called in to remove the small stalagmites/tites from the surface of two pools which were neglected for a period of time. One an acid wash took care of the other an acid wash didn't touch, we had to scrape the entire interior surface....but charged well for it.

Scott