Congratulations! You have a swimming pool. Hopefully you and your family have been enjoying summers in the backyard for several years now. By this point you’ve probably replaced an old pump or filter, maybe upgraded the lights to LED, but thus far nothing drastic. A well built, and well maintained gunite pool should last for many without needing any major renovations.
For a ‘newer’ pool (built in the last 10-15 years) the main item in the category of ‘major’ renovations is the plaster finish. A gunite pool’s interior finish is commonly referred to as plaster although many types of finished are available. If you have a finish such as Hydrazzo it may be time to have it repolished. If you have another finish such as Marcite Plaster, DiamondBrite or Quartz it may be time to replaster completely. If you are redoing the plaster it would be a good time to check the integrity of your tile and coping as well.
For an ‘older’ pool (15+ years old) the list of renovation items can grow. Things have changed with building codes and technology and there is more to do on an older pool to bring it up to date. Assuming the gunite shell is in good condition, the following are common items for a more major renovation:
The list can be daunting so it’s important to have a professional company to help guide you thru the options and construction process. Here are some photos of a major pool renovation project we completed in Summit, New Jersey a few years back.
The original white plaster was in poor condition and the tiles were outdated
The existing pool decking (brick) was in very bad condition – very unsafe with the uneven surface
Original pool equipment – buried behind the landscaping
Antiqued bluestone coping would be installed around the pool along with a combination of pattern bluestone and larger bluestone slabs for lounge chairs. Water jets would be added for visual and sound interest. All new equipment would be installed, bringing the pool up to date with the latest technology.
