Marbelite and plaster pool resurfacing

What marbelite is

Marbelite is a hand-troweled pool plaster made from white cement and crushed marble. It's the classic smooth finish on in-ground concrete pools in Ontario, and it can be left bright white or tinted for a different water colour.

Over the years every plaster finish wears. Pool chemistry, sun and freeze-thaw slowly etch the surface until it feels rough, stains easily or starts to come loose. At that point patching rarely lasts, and the pool needs a full new coat.

Before

After

How a resurface usually goes

• Assessment and quote. Your pool is checked in person for hollow spots and cracks, and you talk through finish and colour.
• Draining. Planned ahead of time, with the water table and local drainage rules in mind.
• Surface prep. Loose or failing plaster is removed and the shell is prepared so the new coat bonds properly.
• New marbelite. The new finish is troweled on by hand, then the pool is filled.
• Start-up. New plaster needs careful brushing and water balancing for the first few weeks. You'll be shown exactly what to do.

Before

After

A good time for other upgrades

Because the pool is already empty, resurfacing is the easiest time to replace waterline tile and coping stone or update pool plumbing. Doing it all at once is often what turns a resurface into a full renovation.