Pebble surfaces consist of small, smooth river pebbles embedded in plaster and exposed through acid washing of the pool surface prior to filling the pool with water.
Pebble pool surfaces were born in the 1960's in Australia by pool plaster companies. Initially, these surfaces were used on beach entries. (Pebble surfaces unlike standard plaster surfaces can be used in dry conditions, with proper installation. Standard plaster surfaces must remain submerged, otherwise, they will crack and fail!) Today, these surfaces have become one of the most requested upgrades in pool construction.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of pebble surfaces?
Advantages:
- Long life: On average pebble surfaces last upwards of 20 to 25 years. Standard plaster has a service life of 8 to 15 years.
- Extremely natural and beautiful in appearance.
- Various sizes of pebbles are offered for both look & feel. (How does a pebble pool feel? It has a texture similar to that of an orange peel, bumpy and undulating. With the use of polished river pebbles there are no sharp edges.
- Broad range of colors, from the tans of a sandy beach to the black, blue and gray blends. For a brief explanation on pebble colors and appearances you can visit one of my posts on The Garden Web.
- Cost
8 comments:
Can someone tell me if Pebble Tec is really worth the money? I've been told it's "the best"... but what does that buy me? Should I go out and get quotes for other products like Gemstone?
Considering the longevity of the product alone, pebble surfaces potentially can double the service life of the pool surface. The cost compared to regular plaster is about 50%. One installer in the Sacramento market charges 1825.00 for plaster and once you add color and Silicone shield the price becomes 2545.00. Pebbletec on the other hand for the SAME 400 square foot pool is 3950.00
The question then becomes, is Pebbletec better than or equal to the "other pebble" surfaces. The answer is yes, when you consider what Pebbletec is ... round polished pebbles in plaster. The only caveat is then, the experience level of the installer in a given market. For the price, let's take a look at some of the alternatives for the 400 sq. ft. pool:
RiverRok - 3950.00
Generic Pebble - 3800.00
Gemstone - 3625.00
Pearl Matrix - 3850.00
Compared with Pebbletec - 3950.00
Please note: Most people who upgrade DONOT go with Pebbletec and prefer Pebblesheen which is the smaller pebble and the price is 4525.00
RiverRock for example is comparable to the Pebblesheen in the diameter of the pebbles.
I think the pebble tec and pebble sheen company named Adams Pool and plaster is a scam. They are the only one who offers the product around so its impossible to shop and compare prices. They also charge you so high that you can not compare prices so your stuck using them. I would not want to do business with a company like that. River rock product is just as good as pebble sheen or pebble tec, dont be fooled by Adams telling you stuff negative about river rock. They are a bunch of con artist at that place. I vote for River rock where you could compare price. Thumbs down to Adams for taking advantage of the public the way they do.
I've heard and experienced for myself nothing but great things from Adams Pools in Sacramento. You are right that they are the installer for pebble tec in Sacramento but from what I was told by Pebble tec its because pebble tec chooses their installers for each area. Also from what I hear and saw for myself, Adams Pools workers are the best at what they do because they have the most experience with it. I asked the workers myself how long they've been doing pebble tec and the shortest amount of time I received back was 4 years, the longest was 10 ... I consider that a long time of experience with this type of product.
I am not very familiar with Pebbletec coating but have heard of it from a friend who owns a swimming pool. Is it really worth the money? Thanks!
Congratulations! This is the great things. Thanks to giving the time to share such a nice information.
Dallas Pool Construction
Thanks so much for this information. I have to let you know I concur on several of the points you make here and others may require some further review, but I can see your viewpoint.
Pool Screen Repair
My pebbletec pool is just about 20 years old. Looks fine but I can see some discoloration in the shallow end of the pool that is most used. My pool guy said to hold off on more acid washing as the covering is getting too thin. How do I know when it is time to refinish the pool with pebbletec?
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