Pool renovation without demolishing the shell
A pool with tiles falling off, peeling paint or a faded liner does not need a new pool: it needs a new finish. The structure stays, and what you see and walk on is replaced with a seamless quartz aggregate finish, with no joints and slip-resistant. It is half of the work we do.
Can a pool be renovated without rebuilding it?
Yes. If the concrete structure is sound, the old finish is removed, the surface is prepared and the quartz aggregate finish is applied over the shell. There is no demolition and no digging: you replace the skin of the pool, not the pool. The result is a new finish with no joints, a sandy feel and the water colour the quartz gives.
When it is time to renovate
Some signs cannot be fixed with a patch, because they come back every season:
- Tiles falling off or joints coming loose, with repairs that show.
- Regrouting every few years, which is costly and does not last.
- Peeling chlorinated rubber paint that needs redoing every few seasons.
- A faded reinforced liner, wrinkled or at the end of its life, which is around 10–12 years.
- Aged fibreglass or bare concrete that has become rough and tired.
- Broken tile edges that can cut, especially with children around.
Can you put a new finish over tiles?
Not over the tiles as they are. Loose pieces and any finish that is not firm are removed, and the surface is left clean and sound. Then the Bond-Tite bonding coat is applied, which is what makes the new finish grip the old shell. The same goes for paint: it is removed completely before starting.
That is why surface preparation is the biggest part of a renovation, and the part that decides whether the finish lasts. It is done by trained crews, who assess each shell before starting.
A renovation, step by step
- Assessment from photos. You send us photos and dimensions, we check the state of the shell and tell you what it needs.
- Surface preparation. Loose pieces and any finish that is not firm are removed, paint is stripped and the surface is cleaned. How long it takes depends on the state of the pool.
- Bond-Tite bonding coat. Applied over the prepared surface and left to dry for 24 hours before the finish.
- Applying the finish. Three days on average, with the quartz aggregate sprayed and trowelled on site.
- Filling. The pool is filled after 48 hours, not weeks.
How long does it take to renovate a pool?
The finish takes three days on average to apply and the pool is filled after 48 hours. On top of that comes surface preparation, which depends on the state of the shell, and 24 hours for the bonding coat to dry. From the photos we can give you the timing for your pool.
What time of year can a pool be renovated?
Whenever the temperature is between 10 and 38 °C and it is not raining. The best time is spring or autumn: the work is done without losing the summer and the pool is ready for the season.
Renovate in spring and the pool is finished by June. Leave it until June and you risk spending part of the summer with the pool under works.
Is it worth it compared with new tiles or a new liner?
Retiling means joints that come loose again and regrouting every few years; a new liner means replacing it again in 10–12 years. Quartz aggregate bonds with the concrete and, once applied, does not call for building work again. It is also cheaper than mosaic tile of comparable quality.
And you gain what the old pool did not have: a Class 3 slip-resistant surface, warmer water because the aggregate stores heat, and a look that changes the whole property. It works for private pools, communal pools, hotels and municipal pools.
About the quartz finish · See our projects
Tell us about your pool
Send us the dimensions and a few photos and we will reply with a material and lead time estimate within one working day, no strings attached.