What to Expect on Pool Remodeling

All right, pool remodeling can involve anything from just changing your patio furniture, to giving your swimming pool the complete makeover. We’re talking about chipping out the old plaster, setting new tiles in place, putting up a spa, installing of new equipment, fixing new tiles, setting up a new deck, and so on. Needless to say, not all pool remodeling projects will require the same amount of money and the same amount of time.

If you want to remodel your swimming pool on your own, it’s best to read tons of blogs, watch heaps of videos, and if possible, ask friends and family for advice with regards to where might be the best place to buy supplies and the best possible approach on DIY swimming pool remodeling projects. Because it might be your first-time remodeling your pool, give yourself proper expectations and set a realistic goal on how long and how much the project will be. Give yourself room for making errors and how it will affect both the time and the costs of your remodeling project. On the other hand, commissioning swimming pool professionals to help you with pool remodeling will give you a logical idea about how your project will begin and end. Because swimming pool service is their profession, they can provide you with a realistic timeline and a feasible expectation, from planning to finished project. That said, a simple three-week remodeling project in the hands of professional workers could turn into a 6 month-long DIY affair.

As an example, we at Valley Pool Plaster will help you understand some of the undertakings involved in pool remodeling, like pool resurfacing, pool equipment, and pool plastering to name a few. Our pool remodeling services in different locations like our Camarillo pool remodeling, Woodland Hills pool remodeling, Chatsworth pool remodeling, Hidden Hills pool remodeling, and Thousand Oaks pool remodeling projects are proof that we work hand in hand with our clients, providing them professional advice that will help their remodeling plan comply with the city and building codes. We also help our clients apply for necessary building permits to ensure that our project will run as seamlessly as possible. We assess swimming pool remodeling projects and provide our expert opinion in every situation, putting our client’s best interest first.

Pool Remodeling Plan

Now you’ve set yourself proper expectations, it’s time to begin planning.

First, make a plan when to remodel your pool. Although you can start a remodeling project almost any time of the year, it makes more sense to start working on a project outside of the pool swim season. Pool swim season often starts during the summer when weather and overall temperature stay consistently above 70 degrees. Plan your remodeling project ahead and do it during the fall or the winter season so your swimming pool can be opened just in time for summer.

Also, if you’re planning to start a DIY project and if it is your first time to work on one, make sure to allot more time for your project and to give yourself a longer timeframe to work with.

Next, make sure to create a financial plan. When done right, DIY swimming pool remodeling projects can save you money. However, without the proper planning, you could be left with a cost increase and longer timelines, leaving you without a pool when pool season starts. In a nutshell, the more mistakes you make when remodeling your swimming pool, the more it will cost you by buying more materials than needed to complete the project. Without proper financial planning, you might be left with no budget for your project and it may require you to extend your swimming pool renovation. On the other hand, when you ask for the help of swimming pool professionals, you can be sure that the project will be finished within a specific timeline. Moreover, when working with pool companies, you can ask for an assessment for the costs of your swimming pool remodeling project, so you can make necessary adjustments along the way. This is true, especially for aged swimming pools with more than 15 years under its belt.

A good swimming pool professional will be transparent with you and will tell you upfront the estimated costs in remodeling your swimming pool based on your design ideas and the approach you want to take. You might even be advised to set aside an emergency fund for unforeseen expenses along the way. Don’t worry, if you want to work with a professional, you can always ask several companies for their recommendation and quote and make your decision about whom to go with from there. We at Valley Pool Plaster will make sure that you get an honest quotation as we strongly believe that the key to a lasting business relationship is by keeping your business honest, ethical, and fair. Many of our clients who took up our remodeling services through our Thousand Oaks pool remodeling, Hidden Hills pool remodeling, Chatsworth pool remodeling, Woodland Hills pool remodeling, and Camarillo pool remodeling services became our long-term clients who also trust us to help maintain their private pools through our weekly cleaning and maintenance services. We will help you plan your remodeling project and help you select the best designs, raw materials, and equipment that will fit your remodeling budget.

The Actual Pool Remodel Project

In a DIY scenario, the next course of action after you’ve assessed your remodeling plan is to begin the actual project.

Let’s talk small first – some of the easiest and most rudimentary upgrades when remodeling your swimming pool are features and enhancements. These are project details that do not require you to drain your pool and crack open your plaster. They will have some structural impact on your private pool, but will be mainly comprised of cosmetic redecorations in the likes of LED lights, firepots and firepits, waterfalls, and handrails. These additional features both beautify and add functionality to your private swimming pool. When starting minor remodeling projects, make sure to check the integrity of the pool structure as some pool equipment like LED lights and waterfalls may require you to fiddle with electrical wiring and a little bit of masonry as you may need to apply cement, adhesives, and fixatives to these enhancements. Be prepared to give the endeavor a day, especially if it’s your first time working on a remodeling project.

Other projects will involve major labor, like plastering and resurfacing. This process tackles both the structural and cosmetic enhancements of your swimming pool, as pool plastering and pool resurfacing often entails having to chip out old plaster due to several reasons, which include visible blotches and stains, cracked and damaged plaster, algae development in the pool wall, and an outdated pool interior. While this may sound more like a pool repair than a pool remodel, you have to put into consideration that some pool repair might be required when remodeling. While a day may be required for minor swimming pool enhancements, these major undertakings may require several days when taking the DIY approach.

However, you can always hire a contractor to help make necessary arrangements for your swimming pool remodeling project; especially when it involves major activities. Pool pros, like us at Valley Pool Plaster, have significant field experience in pool plastering and pool resurfacing. We have worked on numerous projects in various locations like our Van Nuys pool resurfacing and Reseda pool resurfacing projects as well as our Calabasas pool plastering, Canoga Park pool plastering and Winnetka pool plastering projects. We stayed on top of the actual remodeling project from start to finish, installing both minor and major fixtures in private pools, leaving our clients happy with the final outcome.

Remember, working on the actual project doesn’t have to be stressful. You can do it on your own as long as you enjoy it and have the time for it. Nevertheless, if you lead a busy lifestyle and want a stunning private pool so you can have and enjoy the stay-cation you always wanted without having to lift a finger, you can always hire companies that lend professional services and provide pool remodeling solutions that will fit your needs.

The Start-Up

After you’re done installing the necessary fixtures and equipment, as well as applying the required plaster to match the aesthetic value of your swimming pool, your next move is to begin your swimming pool start-up.

Start-up is the process of opening your swimming pool after a renovation project, or after the winter season ends. Swimming pool start-up also refers to the process of filling up your swimming pool with water after you’ve remodeled it. This step is important as it will help you maintain the finish you’ve just applied to your pool by adjusting the chemical balance of the water. The lifespan of underwater fixtures like LED lights, swimming pool tiles, and quartz plaster, can be prolonged as good chemical balance can minimize a slew of issues that can affect the plaster, the tiles, as well as other components in your swimming pool.

Below is a quick guide that you can follow if you want to take a DIY approach to swimming pool start-up. Be mindful that while these steps are designed to achieve the best aesthetic results, several environmental factors may come into play that may be altered to protect your pool finish.

1. Fill your swimming pool with water. Do this quickly without interruption to avoid bowl rings. Also, do not let water in from external sources as this will help prevent streaking.
2. Test the water balance and record the test results. At this point, you can also run the filtration system once the water reaches the middle of the skimmer.
3. Adjust the pool water chemicals that suit the finish applied on your pool floor. You can also brush the pool twice a day to remove plaster dust.
4. Many pool owners do not add chlorine for at least 48 hours. Likewise, they do not turn on their swimming pool heater while there is still plaster dust in the pool.
5. In the succeeding days, test the pool water for chemical balance and adjust accordingly.

If you find the process complicated, it’s best to hire a pool professional to help you with the start-up as this tends to be one of the most crucial parts of opening a remodeled pool because it can directly affect the aesthetic quality and the overall longevity of the remodeled components of your pool.

We at Valley Pool Plaster can help you with pool start-ups since it’s a part of the service we provide when we provide pool plaster and pool resurfacing services. We have helped our clients who signed up for our Van Nuys pool plastering, Calabasas pool plastering, Sherman Oaks pool plastering, Canoga Park pool plastering, and Winnetka pool plastering solutions with proper pool start-up tailored to the remodeled finish applied in their private pool. Likewise, those we serviced in our Reseda pool resurfacing and Van Nuys pool resurfacing projects were provided with quality pool start-up services.

The bottom line is, you can always take a DIY approach to pool renovation allowing you to make certain adjustments on your own and save you money at the same time. However, you will benefit from hiring a contractor for your pool remodeling venture to save you time, especially if you’re preparing for pool season.