3M splotchy pool job

[Lynn]

I am very concerned about the splotches I am seeing all over my new white plaster on my inground pool. Can anyone tell me if this is normal and part of the curing process? I read in the brochure the plaster people left me that I might see brownish splotches for a few months. Is this a normal part of the curing process?

I am thinking about calling my pool company and have them come look at it.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks

[ITSLULUBELLE]

We changed our pool to salt water this past June. The pool company talked us into re tile and re plaster. We selected the 3m colorquartz crystal standard level blue. The process was a real mess, the breaking up of the original plaster and tile and the never ending clean-up. After the 3M colorquartz was installed we had a lot of debris and fine dust. It is now September and we are still getting the fine sandy dust on the floor of the pool and mainly on the baja step. I have noticed that the 3M colorquartz does not come close to appearance as the samples the company puts out. Even with the brushing we feel that it does not have the advertised look. BUT HERE IS THE REAL ISSUE the appearance of light brownish rust looking stains appear in the corners and require a lot of brushing to make them disappear. Now we are getting small pin hole size black spots in clusters at various parts of the pool. I have been searching to determine if it is minerals from the plaster or if it is some type of algae spore. All the chemicals in the pool have been maintained properly with the exception that at start up the pool company forgot to put conditioner in the water to prepare for the salt. The salt was placed in water without proper chemical set-up and it has taken over a month to get the salt and other chemicals stabilized. My pool company has every excuse that has already been mentioned in previous posts. I do believe that pool companies are trained to give the same answers no matter the situation. Bottom line I am not to sure as to whether to recommend the 3M coloraquartz crystals. I will wait until the next season to determine if I am pleased or not. And by the way cracks do appear near the top part usually where the tile is placed. I have not seen any cracks in floor of pool from the plaster job. Only time will tell.

[joesuncpa]

Hi, I also have a gray staining and the black dots that look like mold spores. My pool company told me that the graying is because the PH level in the pool was maintained at too high a level for too long of a period of time. I disagree with this because I was very adamant about maintaining the proper levels. I never went more than a week without checking the levels. Anyway, they said that the high level of PH creates a moisture barrier and water gets behind the plaster and creates the gray stains. I have been using the Jack's Magic stain removing products to help remove the stains but it hasn't worked as of yet. It's been two months. I just emailed 3M to see if they could send a rep out to take a look. It's hard to trust the pool company on whether it is the product or it was the installation. I will post updates as they occur.

[shotgun69]

I just had a inground pool and spa put in and they used 3M and if the sun is shinning on it it looks great but if there is shade it looks dirty at first the pool company said that it had to cure and now they say that is the way it is. Sort of like stucko if you look at it from different angles it has different colors. Also I now am getting rust lines that you can not get out the pool company went and bought me a piece of sand paper and told me to sand them out. That is the only way they go away but then they come back. They said it is because oof the iron in the rocks or plants around the house I do complete testing on my pool every other day and iit has never showed any iron. i would not use 3M and pool companys all ready have your money so they do not care. do your own foot work.

[shotgun]

I have a 3m pool not even two years old and it looks bad. The pool installers said that's the way it is suppose to look and the 3m reps would not even come and look. My pool sat all weekend before they came back out. It is spotty and you can see brush stains. It is not the chemicals because I am a chemist at work. I would never use a 3m product on my pool again.

[floridapooltech]

I have a 3m pool not even two years old and it looks bad. The pool installers said that's the way it is suppose to look and the 3m reps would not even come and look. My pool sat all weekend before they came back out. It is spotty and you can see brush stains. It is not the chemicals because I am a chemist at work. I would never use a 3m product on my pool again.

Is your pool made by 3M, or was it something from 3M you used on your pool? You mentioned brush marks so I am just wondering...

[jeff mckenz]

Uh... guys gals etc...for your own sanity please read !!!!

3m is a product added to plaster as an additive. it's a bag of granular material, it's doesn't get or cause stains. you did not purchase 3m plaster, you purchased plaster with 3m added. almost all of the griping i just read could have been avoided or explained by your pool guy or plaster company had they known or chosen to, additionally, unfortunately, most of you would not have listened anyway from the rants i saw. Brush marks are from not brushing properly or long enough (the powder reattached permanently). blotchy could be from a number of causes (irregular wear probably from chemical imbalances), stains (tan (salt added improperly or chlorine burn or muratic acid added improperly), brown/rust (specs are usually granular fertiliser from your yard or neighboring yard (birds) or recent wrought iron fence grinding/welding that should have been kept out of pool or done before plaster) biological (plant droppings etc...), gray is often metal (magnesium or zinc i believe), but sometimes is the plaster curing, curing often takes a year) that are topical are not from any plaster defect. Stains that are inside (bearing in mixer going bad=rust stains in the plaster, not on)(dark or light swirls of dye improperly mixed altho some is expected)the plaster are !

the great news is that you purchased a 3m additive !!! almost all of you need to drain your pool and acid wash it lightly. this will remove a small amount of plaster material revealing more 3m and even out the blotchyness and darken the overall look. light acid wash is the key.... heavy washes produce a dark beautiful finish that is abrasive (sandpaper). some of you with biological stains tan/brown simply need to heavily shock and brush your pool / citric acid will cure many as well(crushed up vitamin c tabs will tell ) .

don't bother cursing me or asking additional questions, i got here by accident and thought some of you may genuinly want help. there are tons of web pages you can visit that would have answered all of these issues, taking less time than the bitching.

[Pam Kanickij]

We have the same issue only that it was done on a gonite finish "Anthony Pool". We had several reps come out and pool employees from Anthony's and they swear they don't know how it happened. We had spent thousands
of dollars to have our tile, coping and finish redone. Everything looks fine with the exception of the black veins in the deep end of the pool. It looks like it always needs vacuuming and makes me ill when I look at it. Anthony Pools were notified immediately and I have contacted BBB. They called and asked if I would remove my notation from BBB and I refused until the matter was resolved. I haven't heard back from them and my pool still looks terrible...the worse money I ever spent and the worse company I ever delt with. Highly unprofessional and not recommended. Hope you get satisfaction with your pool....

[cheryl]

I have stained stairs in my pool and some bottom discolouraion. I have a 3M finish. I have been encouraged to get an acid wash. I am concerned that I will still have a problem after this is done and not solve the problem.

I am wondering if I should leave the pool alone and live with the discolouration.
Please help me with this problem.