Is Pebble tech a good surface?

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JohnGraham

Is Pebble tech a good surface?

Postby JohnGraham » Sun 26 Feb, 2006 15:06

I like the look of Pebble tech and have seen it in a couple different pools. A friend of mine who specialized in pool modernization said to stay away from Pebble tech?

Please advise.

Thanks!

John


Pool Help

Pebble Tec help

Postby Pool Help » Sun 26 Feb, 2006 17:54

Hi John

I wonder what reason your friend gave for avoiding Pebble Tec. A lot of the pools we look after have a Pebble Tec finish and I find it superior to marcite or plaster.

The problems I have come across, and which would have been more noticeable in plaster pools are:
1- scale causing rough surfaces
2- erosion of the cement causing localised pebble "loss"
3- staining between the pebble finish

Each of the above problems were caused by poor pool maintenance or bad pool water balance.
1- high total alk/ high pH/ high hardness level
2- low pH/ low total alk/ soft water
3- misuse of ionizers/ overuse of copper-based algicides/ poor quality fill water

Please elaborate on why Pebble Tec was not advised.
mrede
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whitened pebble-tec

Postby mrede » Sun 17 Sep, 2006 12:10

I have a pebble-tec pool. I have maintained it for the last 2 years with occasional help from local pool supply store.

Recently I put in Algaecide (liquid) agent in the jacuzzi. And I added chlorine. Somehow the combination bleached the bottom of the jacuzzi. So now my pebble-tec looks whitened on the bottom of the jacuzzi.

I tried a rubber brush to see if I could scrape it off. No success.

Anyone have any ideas how to fix this?
geeman
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Location: PA

Postby geeman » Wed 18 Oct, 2006 14:29

walk on it before making a decision
CarolASig

Problems with Pebble Tec

Postby CarolASig » Tue 05 Jun, 2007 19:23

We are struggling with a wide swath or mark in our Pebble Tec finish that has been apparent since the installation of our midnight blue finish. We have contacted the manufacturer who did come out and acid wash the pool early on. That helped slightly for a short time but the problem reappeared quickly.

The company has refused to honor its warranty and will not help us with the problem. They claim that we have a water chemistry problem inspite of the fact that we maintain our water chemistery religiously, and that they never tested our water chemistry or advised us of any precautions we should take.

We have reason to believe that the company has told other Pebble Tec installers in our area not to talk to us. We would not recommend this company to anyone at this point.
yumabrad

pebble tech

Postby yumabrad » Mon 18 Jun, 2007 09:56

Pebble tech is the worst , i spent the weekend in my pool and my toes are all cut up , kids are even worst. do get it .
Vinny S

Is Pebble tech a good surface?

Postby Vinny S » Thu 05 Jul, 2007 11:59

We installed a new Pebble finish and we are experiencing staining/fading. Our expert says it's metal in the water despite the fact we he used a chemical to reduce the metal when we refilled the pool. The water chemistry is checked constantly. He is now increasing the amount of Jack's Black Magic (Blue Stuff and Purple Stuff). After two days it looks worse.
About 3 years ago we had our first acid wash and installed a salt system. After severe rains our pool turnrd water turned green and we expierienced brown staining. We acid washed it again and turned off the salt system and the stains came back. Could acid from the washing get into the equipment?
Guest

Is Pebble tech a good surface?

Postby Guest » Sun 29 Jul, 2007 02:08

hey i have pebble tec and ever since i got it my pool has been 95 degrees or higher is it the pebble tec or is it the salt water system

plyz help me
Guest

Is Pebble tech a good surface?

Postby Guest » Tue 31 Jul, 2007 17:27

pebble finishes suk
vicki

Pebble Tec issues

Postby vicki » Tue 15 Jan, 2008 11:17

Ok to update some of all of your issues:

To the person getting their toes cut up. What the pebble surface is first installed you should have been notified to brush your pool (sides and bottom) 3-4 times a day for a week or so. This removes many (most?) of the pebbles that stick up high and may cut your toes. I went with the smoother version which is the pebble sheen. The stones are smaller and therefore much much smoother.

To those of you having issues such as scale, algae etc. Just because pebble tec can hide some dirt does not mean you are supposed to neglect your pool. You spent extra money to put in pebble tec instead of white plaster. So protect your investment. Keep the pool clean, backwash or change filters when you are supposed to, brush the sized and bottom regularly (the pool cleaners are great at picking up debris or some dirt, but only a few brand scrub the sides). Run the filtration system as long as you are supposed to each day (do not try to save electricity and cause problems in your pool). Check baskets in the ground and at the pump daily (at this time also check to make sure the pump is actually running). etc etc. Get all the tests done regularly and keep your levels where they should be (you can do most of them yourself easily) This includes
Free chlorine
Ph
Combined Chlorine

Total Alkalinity
Calcium Hardness
Total Dissolved Solids
Stabilizer
Go to a good independent pool supplier (preferably one that also does repairs to equipment or will go out to your house for repairs) and get to know them.
(Personally I find places like Leslies and Paddock will sell you everything under the sun and still never get at the real issue. They also do not always have the best product but only the one or two brands that they carry.) At the independent pool supplier, They do not have the shelf space to carry product that do not work well, and they want to you to be a repeat customer so they tend to give sound advice. And many are mo and pop businesses and have been working in pools for years and really know their stuff.
(Whereas the "Big" pool suppliers sell by volume (not neccessarily caring if you return or not, Also the turn around on employees can be rather fast...so how knowledgeable are they?

Bring in some freshly collected pool water...most independent suppliers will test your water for a whole list of issues if you ask, (not just ph and chlorine) They can also detect metals incase of odd staining that may be occurring.

I have a good relationship with my pool supplier, they have a computer system and know exactly what pool equipment I have and the size pool etc. Even though they did not install it. This way if I need parts they can look it up on their computer and get me the right part the first time.

So basically get involved. Or pay someone and keep tabs on them to make sure they are doing their job. If you are getting scale, algae etc. then something is out of whack and it is not the pebble tec, it is either the water or the equipment.
crazyannie
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Pebble Tech Surfaces

Postby crazyannie » Fri 14 Mar, 2008 19:52

I have been doing pools a lot of years and have come to work with a company that just installs pebble tech surfaces. And as a tech and have been through the staining in diamond brite. I find this surface to be far superior to Quartz, Marcite, Fiberglass and Vinyl Pools. These are the edge pools. They look nice and can make the value of your house increase.
But the issues that I see here are chemical, or improper maintence and maybe just not enough known about the positives of these surfaces.
Salt and pebble tec is ideal, Salt generators produce chlorine gas. Chlorine gas is a lighter abrasive.
Proper Brushing which should have been a first hand religious exp. the first year of install.
Do you know that Pebble Tec pools are only warrented by a running time of 10 hours?
There is a reason for that all those rough edges. Think about it if a stream runs over the top of rocks they become soft and sometimes slippery.
But if water just passes over the top peridically they become rough.( Especially if chemicals just sit on the surface and are not moved around by a good brushing)
Circulation, is the key here.
Another thing is chemicals
With what I have been through
1-3 on chlorine in the winter
2-4 in the summer
Bump your salt genrators to 70-100 percent depending on what amount of usage your pool gets. In the summer (Winter keep it at 20-35%)
PH hmm I hear 7.4 and I guess its a reccomendation. I prefer 7.2 but you have to be careful and maintain your alk level after it rains. And if you have a gas heater.
Alk in these pools can safely be maintained at 80-100
And when it hits 80, I add 3 pounds mixed with water around the best part of circulation in the pool.
And I hear a lot about stains,
One stain I have not seen here is the dreaded cauliflower stain that starts at the main drain and then blossoms out all over the pool.
That is a stain from fertilizer.
High chlorine readings produce a scale of white icycles.
Plants fertilized can cause overspray and can and will end up in your pool.
Metal test are a fact when you have high iron,copper,magnesiem.
etc. Im not a great speller but I do know pools.
Less is more with pebble tech surfaces.
Kelly in az

Pebble or quartz plaster

Postby Kelly in az » Fri 18 Apr, 2008 20:32

My pool builder said don't go with pebble he said he has done 20 to 25 refinishes last year becuase of calcuim build up then people acid washed them then the pebbles start to loosen up and fallout. He said you can't acid wash a pebble tech pool plaster/quartz finish can be drained and buffed with buffers like rubbing out a car finish or acid wash it. He makes more money on the pebble but doesn't recommend it. He said calcuim build up in the cracks is the main thing he sees. I don't like how rough it is we like to have fun in our pool we dont need a stubbed toe or feet that are torn up. I have had plaster pools for years and if you take care of them they last just as long.
scott

Pebble tech and pebble sheen

Postby scott » Wed 30 Apr, 2008 19:32

I recently had my pool refinished in Pebble sheen. Right off the bat I was seeing color differances in the finish. After spending the first 30 days adding lots of acid to balance the pool, I noticed the discolored areas where growing. My mostly black pool is now mostly a white calcuim looking color. My refinisher gave me no instructions on this finish other than to keep my ph balanced. Great advice! Now I am looking at having the pool drained and acid washed to clean it up. Swim season is here and I have spent $6000 so far and still can't enjoy the pool or spa. I strongly reccommend that you research and ask lots of questions before going to peeble tech or peeble sheen. Don't assume that the refinisher will take care of anything. My pool surface is very rough despite evryone telling me it would not be. The spa is not smooth or slippery anymore. The rough surface will catch your swimsuit is not very enjoyable to sit on.
Goldenglow

Pebble Tec

Postby Goldenglow » Wed 16 Jul, 2008 15:03

We purchased a custom spec home with a pebble tec swimming pool. Six yrs. later, the pebble tec that was blown on the Rolled Bond Beam chipped away in big chunks into the swimming pool, and there are other cracks in other areas. Our pool is rarely swam in and maintained by a licensed pool company over the yrs. I received an estimate from several different co's for between $2,500-$3,500 to replace it with the same, or go with a different material (flagstone). I was told by one company, that Pebble Tec is not a good product above the water line. (it was popular when it was used on my pool in 2001). The warranty is 2 yrs. above the water line, and 5 yrs. below. I'm remiss to replace Pebble Tec with the same.
MJH1948

Pebple pool surfacing

Postby MJH1948 » Sun 27 Jul, 2008 17:43

I have recently remodelled to Wet Edge pebble system from 20+ years of plaster...it's night and day! No more stains or worries about rough surfaces. Make sure you get a lot of references for the installers and pay the extra for the smoothest surface finish. Take a look at installations as the color looks really different when completed and filled with water. Also go salt water..it's awesome!

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