TL;DR: The main signs your pool needs resurfacing are a rough surface, white etched spots, stains that keep coming back, cracks, hollow-sounding patches, and loose pebbles or flaking plaster. Unexplained water loss and an old finish that has been patched many times are two more. One sign can often be repaired. Several signs together usually mean the pool needs a new finish.
The clearest signs your pool needs resurfacing are a rough surface, white etched spots, stains that keep coming back, cracks, hollow-sounding patches, and loose pebbles or plaster. Unexplained water loss and an old finish are two more. One sign alone can often be repaired. Three or more together usually point to a new finish.
Do this checklist in order, the same way an estimator walks a pool: feel, look, listen, then check the water and the calendar. Most Orlando-area pools are concrete (gunite) with a plaster or pebble interior, and many sit inside screen enclosures. Our sun, heat and year-round swimming wear these finishes out faster than in cooler states. That’s true for an older home in College Park and a subdivision home in Meadow Woods alike.
What should you feel for on your pool surface?
Start with your hands and feet. A healthy finish feels even all over. Plaster should feel smooth. Pebble should feel bumpy but never sharp.
1. A sandpaper feel on the floor, steps or walls
Roughness that scrapes toes or snags swimsuits is the most common complaint. It usually has one of two causes. Scale is minerals that come out of the water and stick to the surface. Etching is the finish itself slowly dissolving. The National Plasterers Council ties etching to aggressive water chemistry. Orlando tap water adds to the scale side: the Orlando Utilities Commission lists its average hardness at 129 ppm, or about 7 grains per gallon. Scale can sometimes be removed. Etched finish is gone, and it won’t grow back.
2. Loose pebbles, bare spots or sharp edges
On a pebble finish, run your hand along the steps, benches and waterline. Pebbles that pop out leave small pits behind. If several come loose in the same area, or you feel sharp edges, the material holding them in place is wearing out. A few loose stones can be patched. Bare patches that keep spreading across the floor usually mean it’s time for a new surface.
What do you see when you look closely?
Look on a sunny day with the water clear and still. Light coming straight down shows color best. The National Plasterers Council notes that light shining across the surface, like a pool light at night, doesn’t give a fair picture of how plaster really looks.
3. White blotches or spots
Spot etching shows up as lighter, blotchy areas in plaster. The NPC names low carbonate alkalinity and high cyanuric acid as the main causes. A few spots are only cosmetic. Blotches spread across the floor and walls mean the top layer of the finish is breaking down.
4. Stains that return, or gray shell showing through
Some stains come out with an acid wash. Stains that come back within months mean the finish has gotten too porous to resist them. So do gray patches where white plaster has worn thin on steps and swim-outs. Each acid wash takes off a thin layer, so an old finish can only handle so many.
5. Cracks, from hairline crazing to open gaps
Fine, spiderweb-like lines in plaster (called crazing) are often only skin-deep. Wider cracks, cracks that run up into the tile, or cracks that line up across the pool can point to a problem in the concrete shell. Those need a closer look before any new finish goes on, because a new surface laid over a moving crack will crack again.
What does a tap test tell you?
6. Hollow-sounding patches or flaking
Tap every surface you can reach with the handle end of a pool brush. Well-bonded plaster gives a sharp, solid sound. A dull, hollow sound means the finish has pulled away from the shell underneath. This is called delamination. Bubbles, flakes, and chips of plaster in the skimmer basket are the same problem at a later stage. One small hollow spot can be cut out and patched. Hollow areas in several places mean the bond is failing across the pool, and patches tend to keep popping loose around their edges.
Are water loss and age signs your pool needs resurfacing?
7. Water loss you can’t explain
Central Florida heat evaporates a lot of water, so some drop in level is normal. If the level falls faster than usual, especially near cracks, lights or fittings, get it checked. Find and fix any leak first, then judge the finish on its own condition. A cracked or separated finish can let water reach the shell, so the two problems often show up together.
8. An old finish with a growing patch count
Every finish wears out eventually. In Florida, a plaster finish typically lasts years less than pebble. If your finish is near the end of its life and you’ve already patched it more than once, each new patch buys you less time. If you just bought a home with an older pool, you may not know how old the finish is. The tap test and the signs above are your best clues.
Which signs can wait, and which can’t?
Not every sign means a full resurface this year. Use this table to sort what you found.
| What you found | What it usually means | Typical fix | Can it wait? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light roughness or white scale at the waterline | Mineral deposits from hard water | Scale removal, tile cleaning | Usually, if the finish underneath is sound |
| Hairline crazing only, no water loss | Shallow shrinkage cracks in plaster | Keep an eye on it | Usually |
| One small hollow spot or a few loose pebbles | Bond failure in one spot | Patch repair | For a while; watch for spreading |
| Spot etching or stains across large areas | Top layer of the finish breaking down | Resurfacing | Looks only at first, but it won’t reverse |
| Hollow areas in several places, flaking, or gray shell showing | Finish failing across the pool | Resurfacing, after any crack or leak repair | No, because patches won’t hold |
Call a professional soon if you find any of these:
- Hollow spots bigger than your hand, or in more than one area
- Pieces of plaster or pebble in the pool or skimmer basket
- Cracks wider than a hairline, or cracks running into tile or coping
- Water loss beyond normal evaporation
- Sharp edges that cut feet or tear swimsuits
- Plans to list the home soon, when buyers will look closely at the pool
Selling soon? Our guide on whether to resurface before you sell a Florida home covers that choice. For the same topic in a different format, see our earlier warning-signs guide. If you’re comparing quotes, here’s how to read an Orlando resurfacing estimate line by line. The pool has to be drained and refilled for resurfacing, so talk about timing with your contractor. Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30.
Why Classic Marcite for your pool’s next finish?
Classic Marcite was founded in Orlando in 1988 and is still family-owned.
The company’s website says it has resurfaced over 100,000 pools.
We are the largest Pebble Tec applicator in Florida.
We install Pebble Tec, Pebble Sheen, Pebble Fina and Beadcrete finishes.
According to Pebble Technology International, its material warranty only applies when an authorized applicator installs the finish, so an uncertified installer can void it.
Our crews are our own employees, not subcontractors.
Tom handles estimates and helps owners choose finishes and tile.
A supervisor handles start-up after the new finish goes in, when the water chemistry matters most.
As one customer, Bucky, put it: “From the initial sale through the fire up at the end everyone was professional, timely and clean.”
If your walk-around turned up two or more of these signs, call (407) 521-6260 or book a free estimate and we’ll go over the pool with you, whether you’re in Orlando or Winter Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the pool have to be drained to resurface it?
Yes. The pool is drained so the old surface can be prepared and the new finish applied, then it is refilled. Plan for the pool to be out of use while the work is done.
Does a new pool finish need special care after it is filled?
Yes. A new finish needs careful water chemistry during start-up, because that period affects how the surface cures. At Classic Marcite, a supervisor handles the start-up after the new finish goes in.
I just bought a house with a pool. How can I tell how old the finish is?
Ask the seller and check any paperwork that came with the home. If you can’t find a record, a professional inspection of the surface, including a tap test for hollow spots, will tell you more than a guess at the date.
Will a pebble finish last longer than plaster in Florida?
In general, yes. A plaster finish typically lasts years less than pebble in Florida’s heat and year-round use. The right choice also depends on your budget and how you want the pool to look and feel.
Should a leak be fixed before the pool is resurfaced?
Yes. Find and repair the leak first so the new finish doesn’t go over a problem that is still active. Cracks in the shell also need repair before resurfacing, or the new surface can crack along the same lines.
Recommended Reads
- 7 Warning Signs Your Pool Needs Resurfacing
- Should You Resurface Your Pool Before Selling Your Home in Florida?
- Does Pool Resurfacing Increase Your Home’s Value? What Florida Homeowners Should Know
