In the pool industry, the slow season can feel like a natural time to cut expenses, scale back operations or pause certain business obligations. But one thing that should never lapse — no matter how sparse your calendar — is insurance coverage. Maintaining uninterrupted coverage is not only a wise business practice but also protects your livelihood, reputation and long-term financial stability.
This is our annual plaster edition of PoolPro. Since I started attending the National Plasterers Council Conference in 2019, the world of pool finishes has evolved quickly — from new additives and cement formulations to shifting opinions on start-up methods. Even if you aren’t a plasterer, builders and servicers are deeply affected by the quality of a surface, so it’s worth staying up-to-date.
Learning often starts in the classroom, but when it comes to mastering plastering techniques, many industry veterans say on-site experience is the best education.
Pool plastering has always been part art, part science and a whole lot of patience.
Ask the mixer on any plaster crew, and they’ll explain their ratios are followed as closely as a grandmother’s secret cookie recipe — precise and based on experience as much as measurement.
White cement doesn’t usually make headlines. It quietly does the job, curing beneath the waterline while builders move on to the next dig. But now, it’s stepping into the spotlight. And when the backbone of every plaster finish starts evolving nationwide, it’s worth putting down the trowel and paying attention.
Known for its affordability and classic, smooth finish, plaster remains a popular choice for commercial pools, from hotels and resorts to apartment complexes, university aquatic centers and municipalities.
Subcontractors and general contractors rely on each other to get work done — subcontractors help with specialized knowledge or extra support on a job, and contractors secure the projects and create work opportunities.
Even with translation tools at our fingertips, nuances can still get lost on the jobsite. So how do companies bridge the gap between different languages and cultures? Across the industry, leaders say the answer lies in clarity, consistency and a willingness to meet people where they are.
When asked about Blue Moon Pools, owner Lupe Mariscal always goes back to the beginning — long before the company existed, and before he even had a full-time job.
When customers are anxious to jump into their beautiful, sparkling, newly built or renovated pool, it’s hard to curb their enthusiasm. The pool is filled. It looks ready. But as many pros know, it’s not quite there yet.
As any pool pro knows, dealing with finish breakdowns is inevitable.
There’s mottling and color variation, rough scale from high Calcium Saturation Index, dusting from low CSI or aggressive acids, calcium nodules, scale rings, cracks that leak — the list goes on. Some root causes trace back to water chemistry, while others stem from application, curing or environmental factors. In some cases, design plays a role.
It can be easy to think physics has nothing to do with running a pool business, but the three rules of physics show why we might be struggling with our effectiveness — whether in sales, customer communication, service quality or team efficiency.