No, you cannot apply PebbleTec products yourself. Only authorized applicators may install it. There are only 2 of those in all of Houston, TX. I don't know you or your level of experience with swimming pools, but I would suggest getting a mental exam before doing it yourself

Now, I am pretty good around pools but plastering? That's a specialty nobody should try on a DIY basis.

If the pool was recently done, I'd leave it until it wears.

Scott

Hi Scott,

thanks for the info. i really didn't know it involved plastering. (i am a brand new pool owner so i do not know anything about remodeling, etc) is there something i could do for a DIY basis to make it look like this?
if i got it porfessionally done, how much am i looking at if i use Pebble Sheen?(ballPark?)
the pool is not that big. its about 20 feet long and about 5 1/2 ft at its deepest.

If the picture is your pool, it's more than 20 feet, more like 30 to 35. Here in NJ, it, with any measurements, looks like an $8000 job or so. I 'm sure in Texas, where the crews can you pretty much year round, it's likely a couple grand less.

The set up, tear down, and number of workers and equipment needed would be the same if your pool were 20 feet or 50 feet. Its the amount of material needed that will change.

If the picture is your pool, it looks like a dark finish already.

Scott

I think Jer83 meant Refinish with a dark finish "like" the pictured pool (rather than the pictured pool being his pool).

I knew nothing about pools (well, I still mostly no nothing about pools, although I know a heck of a lot more now) before we built ours. I didn't do my research until we were in the middle of building, and at that point, a lot of it was too late (our pool is beautiful, I am not complaining, but there are things I would change if I could start from scratch)...Either way, here is a video of our pool build. I don't have the real-time video of the "plaster" phase (Pebble sheen is plaster and pebbles mixed, so yes, it is re-plastering), but the video will show a little about what is involved (note, my pool was new, so re-finishing the surface is probably even more work than plastering straight to unite). It took a team of people who do it daily several hours.

I don't know if the cost is more materials then labor, but there is a reason it costs much more than standard plaster. IMHO, it will be well worth paying a professional (i.e., this is not a part to try and cut costs on, if you can).

Note, however, I have River Rok, which is NOT Pebble Tech nor "Pebble Sheen" (which is smaller pebbles, supposedly softer), but it is similar.

One other note, however, getting the "right" color is tough. There are a lot of variables in how things look (lighting, trees, water depth, mixture of pebbles, colors, etc), so even with a professional install, it may look different than another pool with the same "color" or different than a brochure. Our pool color varies from a deep blue (not dark, but deep), to a greenish look, depending on the time of day, and the cloud cover.

I think Jer83 meant Refinish with a dark finish "like" the pictured pool (rather than the pictured pool being his pool).

I knew nothing about pools (well, I still mostly no nothing about pools, although I know a heck of a lot more now) before we built ours. I didn't do my research until we were in the middle of building, and at that point, a lot of it was too late (our pool is beautiful, I am not complaining, but there are things I would change if I could start from scratch)...Either way, here is a video of our pool build. I don't have the real-time video of the "plaster" phase (Pebble sheen is plaster and pebbles mixed, so yes, it is re-plastering), but the video will show a little about what is involved (note, my pool was new, so re-finishing the surface is probably even more work than plastering straight to unite). It took a team of people who do it daily several hours.

I don't know if the cost is more materials then labor, but there is a reason it costs much more than standard plaster. IMHO, it will be well worth paying a professional (i.e., this is not a part to try and cut costs on, if you can).

Note, however, I have River Rok, which is NOT Pebble Tech nor "Pebble Sheen" (which is smaller pebbles, supposedly softer), but it is similar.

One other note, however, getting the "right" color is tough. There are a lot of variables in how things look (lighting, trees, water depth, mixture of pebbles, colors, etc), so even with a professional install, it may look different than another pool with the same "color" or different than a brochure. Our pool color varies from a deep blue (not dark, but deep), to a greenish look, depending on the time of day, and the cloud cover.

Jer83,
First you should determine what type of pool you have. In ground pools can have a vinyl liner, be gunite (concrete), or fiberglass. If it's a liner, you could check to see if they have liners in the color you like. Would prob be several thousand dollars, you might be able to install yourself, but likely not. Gunite pools are plastered to make a smooth surface. Plaster is hard and well adhered to the gunite so needs to be chipped off before redoing. Big job and very expensive. That's why womanowned said get a mental exam before attempting to do it on your own. Fiberglass could be painted or refinished but still big cost and not a DIY job unless you have experience in that area. Some people have attempted to paint gunite pools but reports have not been promising.

Pictures of your pool would help.

Jer83 - sorry, I did not mean to be a "smart ass". I was tying to interject some humor. Good luck with your project

Womanowned is a valuable contributor here.
Her comment about a mental exam was toungue in cheek.

It was meant to imply that you are considering DIY work on one of the most difficult steps of completing a pool, and to have no trade knowledge and years of experience, that you would be saving yourself a lot of grief by hiring someone.

Best regards,

Do you mean re-surfacing the deck, or the inside of the pool? If you meant the deck, I would not make it dark, as you will burn your feet. If you mean the inside of the pool, I would not do it. Water is the universal solvent. It will work its way in between the substrate and the resurface, and you will have a mess on your hands. The pool looks great as it is, to me, but I admit it is a matter of taste.

Hi, I think I've read almost every pool resurfacing post on here. After much research and consulting companies who make these products, I am going to resurface my pool myself.

We are using a recipe of 1 part white portland cement to 1.5 to 1.75 parts aggregate (silica) and an acrylic admixture. I have a crew of 5 and we are going to just go for it. The worst that can happen is we hate it, and scrape it down and toss it, then pay the $4000 to have it professionally done. It will already have a scratch coat! Haha. But when there is a chance to save about $3400, we must try. At the very least, we will have learned tons about cement mixtures, admixes, psi tests, pool chemistry and so much more.

I will let you know how it goes!
:)

A tried and true "recipe":

-One bag (94 lb) Type I portland cement
-200 lb masonry sand. If you buy bagged sand, look for ASTM C�"144. May or may not be listed.
-1.6 gal of LATICRETE 8510 Bonding Admix
-3.4 gal water

Though more expensive, if you want a predictably colored surface:

LATICRETE PermaColor Grout mixed with either LATICRETE
4237 Latex Additive or LATICRETE 8510 Bonding Admix can be applied as a finish plaster coating 1/8" thick over clean plaster or gunite. 4237 gives a fairly decent open time so you can keep a wet edge while you work. if you mix it to a fairly thick paint-like consistency you can apply it with a thick nap roller and follow that with a trowel to burn it in and smooth it out.

Definitely post back with photos, as well as the good, the bad, and the ugly.