Resurface, Reshape or Rebuild: Choices for an Older Pool

Start with what your family needs now

Families change, and the pool that suited you ten or twenty years ago may not suit you today. Kids grow up, parents want a place to relax rather than swim laps, or a spa and a sunny ledge would be used more than a deep end. The first question about an older pool is usually not what is broken, but what you want the space to do. Write down how you actually use the pool today, and how you wish you used it.

All American Custom Pools & Spas was founded in 1977 as a pool renovation and repair company, and the company still calls renovation its passion and specialty. It serves Fairfield County and Westchester County from its base in Bridgeport. That history means older pools are something the team looks at every week, not a sideline.

Resurfacing and replastering

The interior finish is the layer you see and touch, and it wears over time. Rough spots, stains, etching and flaking are common reasons to resurface or replaster a pool. Resurfacing is often the most visible change you can make, since the water color and the feel underfoot both come from the finish.

A finish is only as good as what is under it, though, so a careful contractor looks at the shell and the plumbing before applying anything new. Resurfacing over a hidden problem just puts a new coat on an old issue. Ask what is being inspected before the work begins, and what the contractor will tell you if they find something underneath. A straight answer to that question tells you a lot about who you are hiring.

Reshaping, resizing and changing the depth

A renovation can change the pool itself, not just its surface. All American lists reshaping, resizing and adjusting the depth among its services. A pool with a deep end that nobody uses might be reworked to give you more shallow space for lounging and play.

Changes like these involve the structure, so they take careful planning, and depending on your town and your lot they may need approvals of their own. They can also be the point at which a pool starts to feel like it belongs to the house again. If you are weighing a bigger remodel against starting over, ask for an honest opinion on both.

Tile, coping and decking

The edge of the pool takes a beating from sun, salt, ice and the movement of the ground. Cracked or loose tile and coping are both a cosmetic problem and a place where water can get in. Replacing or repairing them is one of the services the company lists, as is extending or repairing the decking around the pool.

These are good projects to combine. If the coping is coming up and the surface is also tired, doing both at once means the crew is on your property once, and the finished result looks like a single project instead of a patchwork.

Equipment, lighting and water features

Older equipment tends to use more energy and give less control. The renovation work includes upgrading old equipment to one of the many green, energy-efficient options on the market. Adding custom lighting and water features is also on the list, and a renovation is a natural time to do it, because the pool is already open and the plumbing is already exposed.

• Resurfacing or replastering the interior finish.
• Reshaping or resizing the pool.
• Adjusting the depth.
• Replacing or repairing coping and tile.
• Extending or repairing decking.
• Adding water features and custom lighting.
• Upgrading old equipment to energy-efficient options.

Repair, remodel or start over

Some pools need a simple repair. Some need a full remodel. A few are in the kind of shape where the honest answer is to rebuild, and a good contractor will say so rather than sell you a patch that won't last.

The way to find out is to have someone look at the pool in person. Bring a list of what bothers you and a list of what you would like to do with the space, and let the designer connect the two. Photos of the pool taken in good light, along with any notes on leaks, rough spots or equipment trouble, make that first visit more useful. All American's team works in both renovation and new construction, so the advice isn't pushing you toward one or the other.

To talk about an older pool, call (203) 433-6808 and ask for a remodel consultation, or book a design meeting to look at your options.