10 year old pool needs resurfacing

13 years ago

Hello:

My boyfriend and I just purchased a 23 year old home in North-Central Florida. Ten years ago a 40,000 gallon, kidney-shaped pool and a small spa were added to the home. I can't recall the other measurements of the pool at the moment, but I will try to find out for updates to this post. We learned during the home inspection that the pool is need of resurfacing pretty badly. He had a pool growing up and I have never had a pool, so we are learning as we go and any and all information will be greatly, whole-heartedly appreciated.

We've received 2 quotes for the resurfacing job. The first was for $4400 to re-marcite the pool. The second quote is for $5300, but this guy strongly suggested going with a Florida Gem exposed aggregate finish. The quote includes captiles and eyeballs for pool and spa as well as new main drain ring and grates (first guy didn't mention any of those items).

First, is exposed aggregate "better" than marcite? I've read both sides of the argument. Marcite is smoother; aggregate may be rough, but I'm unclear if this is just pebble aggregate or also a factor to consider with quartz aggregate finish. I've also read that newer marcite mixtures are not as "good" as older marcite and that new layers of marcite may not adhere as well. For this reason re-marciting is not recommended. Also, assuming proper chemical balance is maintained, is it truly more durable than marcite?

Second, we pretty much loathe the waterline tiles. They are a weird Mexican-inspired tile in a house that is more mid-century modern (kind of). We figured since the pool was being drained for the resurfacing that we could go ahead and switch out the tiles and so asked for a separate quote for that job. $2800!!! Granted, it has a $7/sq ft allowance for 6x6 tiles. However, the house is older and needs a few upgrades throughout. We don't want to sink all of our money into the pool. Is it conceivable to re-tile the waterline later on down the road, or would you recommend spending the money now while the pool is drained?

Thank you in advance. I have read through so many pages of these forums and everyone seems so knowledgeable and helpful.

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Comments (3)

huskyridor
13 years ago
""" is exposed aggregate "better" than marcite? """

IMO, yes because there is less of the matrix making contact with the water.

""" Marcite is smoother; aggregate may be rough, but I'm unclear if this is just pebble aggregate or also a factor to consider with quartz aggregate finish."""

Marcite is smoother because the fat is worked on the top of the finish to be that way, on an exposed aggregate pool finish this fat is washed off by acid and a pressure washer. Quartz aggregate finishes that have been washed in the same manner have little farkles from the crystals that will snag threads of bathing suits if it's not polished and if it's not washed you won't hardly see the quartz crystals.

""" I've also read that newer marcite mixtures are not as "good" as older marcite and that new layers of marcite may not adhere as well. For this reason re-marciting is not recommended."""

When asbestos was removed from marbleized pool mix the new mix doesn't stand the test of time in service as well as the old material. Don't worry about adherence, A properly prepped pool is the most important aspect of avoiding delamination. If you want to go back to white marcite do it, I install all of these finishes many times a year.
Trust me on this, Proper application and preparation techniques are the key to getting a good looking pool finish regardless of the type, and the more of the aggregate and less of matrix making water contact will allow the material to be better combating the forces of aggressive water chemistry.

See ya,
Kelly
ladoladi
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks, Kelly! That is great info, and it really helps me make our decision. Looks like we are going with the exposed aggregate. Now, to decide between contractors.

We may be skipping the waterline tile replacement as it would cost us a good bit of money, and the inside of the house still needs work. We will simply learn to live with the hideous pattern.

Thanks again.
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poolguynj
13 years ago
Tile can be changed later. Bear in mind the the finish just below the tile and the rest of the pool finish may be a shade off. This will be due to different batch of finish mix, slightly different water, or other variable. Sometimes it's more noticeable, other times it's barely noticeable, if at all. Squirling away some of the unused dry mix materials when planning to do the tile later helps since the batch issue is resolved.

Scott