Pool Plaster & Pebble Finish Material Options

Learn the differences between standard pool plaster, pebble, and quartz. Understanding the various benefits, costs, and lifespan will help you make the right choice for your spa or pool.

Standard Pool Plaster / Marcite Plaster

Standard pool plaster is a marble based mix that has been used since the 1960s. Highly traditional, most pools have plaster as an interior finish. The smooth, white plaster surface is a mixture of white cement and crushed marble for a hard and smooth finish. The overlay of clear water transforms the look of white plaster to a shimmering blue. The traditional has been improved upon in recent decades to provide more color options.

As the most inexpensive choice for pool plastering and pool resurfacing, standard pool plaster has certain drawbacks to watch out for. Pool plaster is porous and is susceptible to harboring bacteria and exhibiting stains. The porous, reactive plaster pool finish along with the constant reaction water has on marcite pool plaster, requires the use of more chemicals than is usually needed with other pool plastering materials. High chemical usage at all times help to maintain a balanced water chemistry. Consistent care and maintenance are the keys to a long life expectancy for any newly applied pool plaster finishes.

Pebble Interior Pool Finish

Pebble pool finishes are the highest quality pool resurfacing material available. Essentially this material consists of specially formulated cement blended with pebble aggregates. The pebbles comprise the majority of a spa or pool surface to simulate the natural beauty of creeks and riverbeds. Many striking colors are available to choose from and produce a myriad of water colors for a unique appearance. Pebble pool finish is the most stain‑resistant and most durable surface available. Even though you can expect a larger price tag up front for a pebble pool surface, you can also expect to save on maintenance and repair costs, or the need to resurface again after five or so years. Pebble pool finishes let you enjoy years of unblemished beauty and endurance.

The standard pebble pool finish can be rough on sensitive feet and hard on automatic pool cleaners with parts that come into constant contact with the pebble surface. If this is a concern, there is a smooth polished "mini" pebble surface available that is gentle on sensative skin and pool cleaners.

Adams Pools Specialties applies the world’s top pebble pool finish products by Pebble Technology, Inc. ‑ the first to bring pebble interior pool resurfacing to the United States. We were carefully selected, trained and licensed to install each of the three unique pebble finishes: Pebble Tec®, Pebble Sheen®, and Pebble Fina®. The finest pebbles and seashells are imported from around the world to create the three beautiful and distinctively different product lines. Unwavering dedication to product quality and customer satisfaction continues Pebble Tec's proven track record as the world's first and foremost pebble pool plaster manufacturer.

Quartz Pool Plaster

A quartz interior pool surface is actually a plaster surface with quartz aggregate mixed in. There are two benefits with quartz: First, quartz is a very hard material. And because a percentage of your pool interior surface is now covered with a hard, non‑porous, stain‑resistant material ‑ quartz ‑ you have a more stain‑resistant, more durable and longer‑lasting surface than plaster alone. Second, people like quartz because you can introduce colors into your pool interior with it.

We use QuartzScapes® in our quartz spas and pools. People choose quartz for beauty (colors) and durability. Quartz is an "7" on the hardness scale compared to marble sand (what it replaces) at a "3" (diamond is "10"). Quartz costs about 50% more than traditional plaster.