Whether driven by hurricanes, heat waves, winter storms or an aging electrical grid, outages are a recurring stress test for pool pros. While power loss itself is unavoidable, the damage that often follows is not. What separates a manageable disruption from cracked equipment, fried electronics, green water and customer fallout is how outages are handled before they occur, while systems are offline and, most critically, when power returns.
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.
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 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.
What’s your favorite pool finish to work with — and why?
Every year, one of the issues I look forward to most is our 30 Under 40. This feature spotlights the incredible young leaders who are shaping the future of the pool industry. The class of 2025 is no exception — they are builders, service pros, innovators and entrepreneurs who embody the grit that keeps this trade moving forward.
Chemical guesswork, improperly wired pumps or neglected filters — whether pool pros are one-polers or own a fleet, they’ve seen the results of homeowner DIY mistakes and fielded the frantic calls that follow.