Forms

Filling Instructions:

• Immediately upon completion of the plastering of your swimming pool, the plastering crew will start the pool filling with the water source you have provided. They will start filling the pool from the main drains. It may be necessary to tie the hose end to the main drain grate to prevent the hose from migrating about the pool bottom.
• During the course of filling, do not remove the hose, allow anyone into the pool or touch the plaster until the pool is full. Fill the pool to 3" above the bottom of the tile or to the overflow lip of the gutter. It is imperative that the pool fills continuously until it is full. Under no circumstances should the water be shut off during filling.
• If you are having water delivered by truck or have obtained permission to use the fire hydrant, a cushion of 2 to 3 feet of water must be in the deep end before adding the water. Be sure to inform the water delivery company that the pool has just been plastered and that proper care must be exercised when adding it to the pool. When adding water from a fire hydrant, be sure to flush the hydrant to the curb until the effluent water is clear and clean before adding it to the pool. Turn the hydrant on very slowly to prevent damaging the new Finish. If you have a fill spout, allow the pool to fill with the hose to provide the cushion of 2 to 3 feet of water before turning it on. Be sure the stream of water from the fill spout does not directly hit the new plaster finish.

• BRUSHING: It is necessary to brush the pool walls and floor to remove excess cement and marble dust. Brushing must be done once a day for two weeks or until the dust disappears and has been filtered out. Starting at the shallow end, briskly brush the floor and walls toward the pool or spa main drains.
• VACUUMING: Do not vacuum the pool until the dust has disappeared. This will prevent the vacuum wheels from blemishing the new finish.
• AUTOMATIC POOL CLEANER: If your pool is equipped with an automatic pool cleaner, do not use it for the first 48 hours after the pool has filled. After that, run the automatic cleaner for two hours a day for the first two weeks. The pool cleaner does not replace the brushing of the pool.
• TIME CLOCK: During the curing period, we recommend that the pool filtration system be run 24 hours a day. If you have a time clock, remove the time clock stops during the curing period so the pump will run continuously.
• FILTER: It will be necessary to closely monitor the filter pressure gauges. The system will require frequent backwashing during the curing and brushing period.

Maintaining water balance in new or recently plastered pools requires special attention during the curing period. You can expect the pH to change frequently, daily adjustments can be anticipated during the first few weeks while the new surface cures. Frequent pH and TA (total alkalinity) testing must be done, with adjustments to water balance each time. Follow the procedures below to protect your new pool finish:

• Do not add any chemicals to the pool until it has filled completely and has been adequately circulated.
• Use only liquid chlorine for the first 30 days after the pool has been plastered. DO NOT SHOCK the pool. Read the label instructions and add the amount recommended to achieve 1 to 2 PPM and maintain the chlorine residual in that range for the first 30 days.
• Do not add stabilizer (cyanuric acid) to the pool for at least 30 days
• If you are using a salt/chlorine generator system do not add salt for at least 30 days
• When lowering the pH, use only MURIATIC ACID during the curing period. Add the acid to the deep end of the pool with the filter system running. Follow all dosage instructions and adhere to the proper sequence of chemical additions as outlined in your analysis report.
• Closely regulate pH, TA and calcium hardness with frequent testing. We advise at least one additional lab analysis after the initial test and strongly recommend it before closing the pool for winter.

Chemical Operational Parameters

pH - 7.4 to 7.6*

Total Alkalinity - 60 to 100ppm

Calcium Hardness - 175 to 250 ppm

Stabilizer - 0 ppm

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) - 1000 to 2000 ppm

Free Chlorine - 1.0 to 2.0 ppm

Combined Chlorine - None

Free Bromine - 2.0 to 4.0 ppm

Heavy Metals - None

Algae - None

* If your pool had dyed plaster installed, isolate the heater from the pool water, and maintain the pH at 7.0 to 6.8. If it is impractical to isolate the heater, maintain the pH at 7.0

Every effort has been made by our preparation and plaster crew to provide you with the finest interior pool finish possible. There are, however, certain characteristics of pool plaster that you should know.

• Swimming pool plaster finishes is not a slick, tile-like finish. It is a cementitious product that is hand troweled as smooth as possible. The finished product is as flawless as hand trowelling will permit and is not perfect.
• Your pool is plastered with raw mined materials and is not pure white. It is not unusual to have small black, gold or brown flecks throughout the finish. The finish may have a marble look with light streaks of gray slightly different in color. This is normal and should be considered part of the beauty of the finish. The slight variation in color is normal and will not have any effect on the quality or durability of the new finish.
• The pool interior may look blotchy or streaked for an extended period. This is normal and generally caused by the curing process and the reaction of the chemicals in the filling water or the normal chemicals added to the pool for sanitation. This is part of the normal curing process of pool plaster. Several months may go by before the plaster cures to a fairly even shade of white.
• You will normally observe some "crazing" of the new finish. This is normal in all plastered pools and will not affect the pool structure.
• Almost without exception, discoloration or staining of the new finish will be the result of chemical imbalance in the water. It is essential that the pool owner or operator take the utmost care in the maintenance of the water chemistry, especially during the curing process.

Long Term Plaster Finish Care:

• Other than completely negligent water management, the most destructive thing to a plaster pool finish is acid washing. This is particularly damaging for pools that remain uncovered during the winter because the algae, leaves and other staining agents achieve a firm foothold that requires severe acid etching to get the pool surface clean and white. In this climate, every plastered pool should have a solid membrane cover or a high quality fine mesh safety cover, properly anchored, to prevent the pool from having to be acid washed after every winter.
• Never allow your plaster finish to remain dry for long periods, especially during warm, dry weather. This could cause your finish to shrink and crack, severely compromising the integrity of the finish and the bond to the pool shell. Always consult with your pool professional before emptying an in-ground Gunite or concrete swimming pool.

And finally......Thank You for your patronage. Now, please, go swimming!