Plaster patching

[RobDHW]

Hi all, when i was in my pool today I noticed some plaster problems. The pool is 50ish years old, plaster / gunnite, 13' x 27'. There are a few spots on the walls where the plaster seems to be gone / disintegrating. I know that in the long term we'll need to replaster, but in the mean time... is "pool putty" an acceptable patch? I don't know if it's been replastered before.

It's taken me a bunch of years to understand what "proper" pool maint. means - since i don't trust pool stores - and I'd like to do this the right way, but I don't think we can afford to replaster right now. The pool was painted 3 years ago due to blistering, but I didn't see any plaster problems then. I suspect that I'm to blame, due to low calcium & my lack of understanding how important it is.

Also - there are cracks where the coping meets the pool wall, should I putty these as well?

Thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.

-Rob

[CarlD]

If by pool putty you mean the underwater epoxy that's sold for pools, you can probably use that stuff until you manage to have the pool repaired properly. It's made for hard-sided pools.

[RobDHW]

So, I went ahead and am using Pool Putty to fix my plaster. Yes - it's the underwater epoxy stuff. Carl, I'm not sure what you meant when you said "it's meant for hard sided pools". My pool is gunnite / plaster / concrete. That's hard sided - right? I'm hoping it lasts a few years.
I neglected to mention that the disintegrating plaster spots are fairly small - maybe the size of a $0.50 piece in most cases, with one or two being 4" in diameter.

Replastering is tough here in E. Central IL. We've been getting tons of rain & it's tough to get a pool drained long enough for it not to heave up when empty (or so I've been told) - especially this year, so far. Also, I'm not sure who I would trust to replaster the pool.

Thanks.
Rob

[mas985]

There are several plaster patching products for both above and below water line installation. Ez-Patch is one and it seems to get good reviews.

[CarlD]

Sorry....

"Hard-sided" just takes less time to type than "Concrete / shotkrete / gunite / tile /plaster" as opposed to vinyl and fiberglass.

[RobDHW]

MAS985 - Thanks! I'll check it out.
Carl - No problem - I think intonation got lost the 1st time I read your response. I took it more of a "don't use it on vinyl" - which I don't have. Now I've got it.

-Rob