Gunite is considered fully cured in 28 days.
After it is applied you are asked to wait 24hrs and then begin watering your gunite at least twice a day. During warmer months you may need to water 3-5 times per day. You cannot over water your gunite. It is recommended to continue watering for at least 2 weeks if not more.
More often than not, weather changes affect gunite pool installation. Remember, gunite needs at least 28 days to cure. So, when it rains, the pool construction process undoubtedly gets delayed.
Unlike the vinyl pool liner, gunite pools don't need that extra dirt excavated, so the patio can go in right away. Once the plaster is on, water can go in, and you're all set. So a gunite pool, from digging to swimming, takes about six to eight weeks to complete the full pool install.
Shooting the Gunite
At the end of this process the Floor is a minimum of 10” thick, the Walls a minimum of 8” thick and the Bond Beam is 12” thick. This makes for a strong Pool Structure. The pool is now plumbed to the Equipment Pad and pressurized through-out the entire Building Process.
Gunite or concrete is blown into the grid, forming the pool's shell. This is another place a pool builder can separate themselves from other builders. It's customer for the walls of the pool to be 4-6” thick and the bottom of the pool to be 6-8” thick.
Gunite/shotcrete is applied much drier than poured concrete. You can literally walk on it with in a few hours of it being applied. The drier application also gives it much better compressive strength than poured concrete for otherwise the same mix.
In-ground concrete swimming pools are usually durable installations that last for decades. However, gunite, shotcrete, or concrete walls may develop cracks over time. Small shrinkage cracks aren't a problem, but if the cracks grow large enough to insert a dime, the shell might be compromised.
Pool industry experts recommend you drain your pool and refill it every five to seven years. No two pools are alike, so there is no set number at which you must drain your pool.
The hardening, or curing, continues as long as moisture remains in the concrete. If too much water is lost from the concrete through evaporation, the hardening process slows down or ceases.
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The use of gunite without reinforcement should be limited to small or confined areas for gunite thicknesses not exceeding 20 mm.
Poor workmanship
Simple things like adding too much water to the gunite or shotcrete when spraying it on the rebar or failure to adequately tie the rebar in place when placing the rebar, may cause cracks.
Regarding strength, gunite is typically the strongest. Shotcrete is made from a pre-mixed concrete that is delivered to the job site, while gunite is made from dry ingredients that are mixed on site.
The advantages of gunite and shotcrete
To improve the strength and ductility of poured concrete, it is usually incorporated with wire mesh but sprayed concrete can be combined with steel fibre to increase this. Gunite and shotcrete are typically less expensive than poured concrete.
But many pool owners ask: “how often do you need to replaster a pool?” on average, a pool needs to be replastered every ten years or so. However, there are several factors that could cause this maintenance to come sooner or last longer.
Pool plaster will be applied over a scratch coat and will have thickness of 3/8 to ½ an inch. Once the new plaster layer is applied, the finish will be smooth troweled. This plaster layer will fill all hollows that we hammered out to ensure a long lasting finish to your replastered swimming pool.
Cons of Gunite Pools
Chemical Usage: Because the algae embeds into the surface, more chemicals are required to reach and destroy it. This requires more time and money to maintain the pool. Cost: Gunite pools cost more money to own than other type of pools.
During the construction of swimming pools (and prior to plastering), it is not uncommon for water to seep through the shotcrete or gunite shell into the pool's interior.
There are plenty of pros of gunite pools to be aware of. First of all, they last a long time and they don't take much time, effort or money to maintain. That fact is the reason why lots of people see gunite pools as being a good investment in terms of future costs.
Fiberglass pools have a lifespan of 20-30 years but can last as long as 50 years if they are built by a high-quality manufacturer and installed properly. Gunite pools have a lifespan of 50 years, however, they do require resurfacing every 7-10 years and need to be maintained regularly.
Black algae is a living organism that grows on porous swimming pool surfaces (think concrete, gunite, and plaster), and it shows up in the form of black spots. It has a nasty habit of settling into corners, steps, and other hard-to-reach areas, and it flourishes in both sun and shade.
Gunite pools are custom-built on-site and can be designed in a way that best fits with your existing landscape design. While the gunite pool building process takes longer than a fiberglass pool installation, this construction process allows for more flexibility in shape, size, and depth.
White, dark (black/grey), light (grey or blue), and turquoise/teal are popular gunite pool plaster colors. Choosing the right color of pool plaster can also help cover up mistakes. Because of the harsh chemicals in the water and UV rays, the plaster will fade and deteriorate over time.
For instance, gunite tends to dry faster than shotcrete, leading to a much smoother surface and avoiding significant cracks from shrinking.