PebbleCrete

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Why PebbleCrete®?

PebbleCrete® has been used in swimming pools, driveways, patios and most notably, swimming pools for years. It’s one of the most popular and durable swimming pool materials available on the market. It not only has a very unique feel and texture to it but also has added the benefit of being strong, with a beautiful appearance on its side.

Driveways and walkways, etc. are generally easy to do; it’s a basic formula of pebbles mixed in cement. You can also add liquid or powdered dye into the mix to give it a more unique look. After troweling out, simply power-wash the surface to get a textured look.

Swimming pools have a completely different material and application requirement than out-of-water PebbleCrete materials. In fact, using PebbleCrete created for driveways or patios to a swimming pool is a disaster waiting to happen if used in swimming pools.

This website is a guide on how to apply PebbleCrete® to a swimming pool properly, so you can enjoy your pool for years and years to come.

PebbleCrete® our flagship product
gives your swimming pool a natural feel that you will love

Please click on the samples to get a full-size view – Oval watercolor samples can be lighter or darker depending on the sun’s position on the sky, clouds water quality and other variables.

The diversity ofPebbleCrete®

allows a designer, homeowner, or developer to create anything from a contemporary style swimming pool to a more traditional looking pool and, given an almost endless range of colors, pebble shapes, and sizes, to give your pool the perfect feel, unlike a traditional plaster or all tiled pool.

PebbleCrete®

PebbleCrete® is also the perfect choice for swimming pools with fiber optic lighting and large pools such as those in condos and waterparks.

The diversity of PebbleCrete® allows a designer, homeowner, or developer to create anything from a contemporary style swimming pool to a more traditional looking pool and, given an almost endless range of colors, will give your pool the perfect feel, unlike a traditional plaster or all tiled pool. PebbleCrete® is also the perfect choice for swimming pools with fiber optic lighting and large pools such as those in condos, resorts and waterparks.

PebbleCrete® allows the customer to create different types of swimming pools; whether it’s a modern-style pool or the more traditional style pool. The versatility of this material allows swimming pools to be built in any shape or form; this allows your pool to have a personalized feel to it. In fact, each pool is uniquely different from PebbleCrete®.

• Ability to add Fiber optic lighting and more - PebbleCrete® is a material that is a perfect choice for adding fiber optic lighting, to view photos of fiber optic lighting installation please click here.

• Ability to create large pools with unique designs - PebbleCrete® allows designers to create large pools for water parks, condos, resorts and more. It’s a very unique and versatile material that gives the appearance of solid and uniform monolithic shape as opposed to the uneven look of tile do to grout lines when using tile. To view comparison photo please click here.

When thinking about a swimming pool, it is essentially a water bowl that is constantly under attack. From hot days to cool nights, People swimming with body oils, lotions, creams, sunscreens, people peeing in the pool, bird and animal feces and germs as well as bacteria which make the water polluted.

The appearance of water can be deceptive; even the clearest looking well or tap water can and will have bacteria, iron, calcium and high-or low-PH, which will be destructive to swimming pools, fittings, finishes, pumps, and equipment and people if left untreated.

The concept of water toxicity and unbalanced P.H is pretty well understood throughout the world; however, in many developing countries water maintenance is often ignored.

• When swimming pool water is unbalanced, it becomes acidic and in this state can cause itchy skin rashes and will start to eat the cement compounds from the cement, which is the base product of all cement, mortar and tile grout, which is why it is important that the proper cement be used when mixing PebbleCrete® for swimming pools.

• Pebble Pools Thailand has developed a modifier polymer additive that is used in all their PebbleCrete®, PebbleSupreme and PebbleGlass products; this helps to reduce the effects of unbalanced water. Pebble Pools Thailand has had years of experience in this field.

Using the correct cement and ratios of aggregate (pebbles) to cement is an important step in creating a strong barrier that helps resist unbalanced water.

• Impurities in aggregate – all aggregate mined from a mountain, or collected from a river or seashore has impurities, with iron being one of the most common.

• Do NOT use Aggregate that is created for out-of-water applications - Metal and other impurities must be removed prior to being used in a swimming pool. This is one of the important 1st steps in ensuring a trouble-free swimming pool by not using a product that is designed for out-of-water application.

Using tiles at the waterline, and also on exterior walls, especially if the walls are intermittently wet and dry, when for instance there is a overflow edge or waterfall is a good option.

PebbleCrete® looks better underwater and holds up better when submerged.

One of the disadvantages of an all-tile pool is that the grout used in a tile pool is not as strong as PebbleCrete®, and even epoxy grouts will deteriorate long before a PebbleCrete® pool shows any signs of deterioration. This is because of how PebbleCrete® is formulated and the size of the aggregate plays an important role also.

With PebbleCrete there are no hard edges or broken tiles that can cut the swimmers head,legs or feet.

Pebble Pools Thailand has formulated a unique and modified polymer that adds even more strength.

In cases where acidic water is left untreated in an all-tiled pool, the grout will be eaten away and water will enter behind and stagnate behind the tiles. Once this happens, no matter how many times you re-grout it, it will continue to happen again and again and In severe cases where acidic water is left for an extended period in a tiled pool, the shell of the pool can be destroyed. To view pictures please click here

In a a case where , a PebbleCrete® pool that has a damaged surface, can be repaired with a fresh layer of cement, troweled over the damaged PebbleCrete® surface or it can even be sanded smooth to form a Terrazzo finish – either way the pool will look brand new.

There is a picture of pool that was badly damaged by inexperienced workers trying to do an acid wash and left high-strength acid in the pool overnight; this pool was repaired at a nominal cost by using the “re-coat with cement.” To view pictures please click here

Unique

pool designs

Fiber

optic lighting

Application of PebbleCrete® requires trained workers and proper application methods.

Application methods do vary to some degree depending on the country

• In the U.S - the exposure of the pebbles is done with a light water spray prior to drying
• In the Philippines - it is generally with sponges
• In Vietnam – It’s done with paint rollers
• In other countries - it’s done with a high-pressure wash or by using strong acid and brushes.

Other factors in creating the perfect PebbleCrete® Pool

• The adhesion of PebbleCrete® to the existing shell of the pool - in many cases requires a bond coat, and especially on areas of the pool that are constantly wet and dry; such as:
a) water lines,
b) overflows
c) Outside walls of negative edge pools.
• Generally in these areas tile is an option and a small amount of tile actually highlights a PebbleCrete® pool, in much the same way as a nice picture frame showcases a beautiful painting.

Pool construction in S.E.A and common issues

Pool construction throughout most of South East Asia is either built from block or formed poured, whereas the West is mostly gunite or sometimes Shotcrete.

• One issue with a block pool is that it should be rendered with plaster prior to tile, or PebbleCrete® with close to 100% adhesion to the block; this is best accomplished by applying a proper bond coat prior to the rendering.

• Some contractors may feel that this is “overkill” but it is important to remember that if there is hollow space between the pool shell and the rendered plaster it may very well crack, and that crack will likely transfer to the PebbleCrete® or tile that is on top. The same problem exists in a form-poured pool; many times when the concrete is poured, the forms move, thus leaving a waved wall, so it then becomes necessary to render the wall making it straight and true.

• If the plaster is applied too thick with no bond coat this will likely result in delamination and cracking of the render, which may then transfer to the PebbleCrete® as described in the above paragraph.

• This gives the appearance that the PebbleCrete® has suffered a failure, when in fact it is the substrate below that has cracked first and transferred the crack to the PebbleCrete® or tile.

Curing

time of PebbleCrete®

Also, it should be noted that PebbleCrete® is designed to cure underwater; this curing period is most important in the first 30 days after the PebbleCrete® is applied.

During that time it is recommended that you lightly brush the pool daily if possible to remove plaster dust and will also even out the color, which is similar to polishing a gold ring. “It will really make the pool shine”; therefore, any clear-coat sealer used will not allow what is described above to happen, and can result in a pool with uneven color.

Dyed

PebbleCrete®

It is also important to note if you are going to be applying PebbleCrete® that is dyed, the quality of the dye is very important and it is well-known in the pool industry that dye from the U.S.A is the best. PebbleCrete® from Pebble Pools Thailand uses dye exclusively from our U.S. suppliers, assuring our customers the highest quality finish.

How do you choose?

As a pool owner, when trying to decide what company or product to use for either a new pool or refurbishing an older pool, there are many choices from both the U.S. and Australia.

One thing that they have in common is the claim that their product is the best, which of course is not possible … so how do you choose?

• To start, only use a company that specializes in Swimming Pools. If they are a company that specializes in driveways and walkways, then it’s best to cross them off the list.

• Do they put a clear-coat sealer over the PebbleCrete® after application, prior to filling with water? If so, this is an indication that their product may be of inferior quality, perhaps even sand-based, as opposed to being pebble-based.

The problem with a sealer is that it will break down after several years underwater, giving the inferior quality “PebbleCrete®” full exposure to the swimming pool water from then on.

• Be aware that the pebble (aggregate) used in PebbleCrete® is not all the same; many companies use aggregate as fine as sand, granite chips, sandstone, marble, etc., all which have little strength compared to natural Quartz Pebble, which will give the best results.

• PebbleCrete® from Pebble Pools Thailand uses Quartz Pebbles and solid PebbleGlass of different sizes and characteristics that, when applied, mesh together, providing a strong, smooth barrier.

At Pebble Pools Thailand, we source the strongest aggregate available throughout the world. Once applied, the aggregate itself helps to act as a barrier against water penetration; this is why in the application guide for PebbleCrete® we provide to all our customers be followed when using our products.

PebbleCrete® is a world class product
and is replacing tile and here is why

Lack of adhesion with tile - tile glued to the pool surface never has a 100% bond this will allow water to enter through the grout lines of the tiles and travels between the tiles and the pool surface where the water than stagnates and becomes acidic.
Once this happens the acid will start eating the cement that holds the tiles in place in severe cases will even eat the swimming pool structure as shown in the photos here.
With PebbleCrete this is never an issue as the bond between PebbleCrete and the pool surface is 100% even on a curved or rounded surface.

Tiled swimming pools are dangerous as outside corners cannot be rounded so there are sharp edges, also when tile start falling off or get broken they leave sharp edges in the pool that can cut both feet and hands

PebbleCrete® from Pebble Pools Thailand has been formulated especially for the South East Asia market using our exclusive next-generation Polymer additives which makes PebbleCrete® stand the test of time against unbalanced acidic water.

Another reason is that tile in Asia has been relatively inexpensive for many years since for the most part it is manufactured in Asia so there is an abundant supply and in addition, many people have experience installing it.

Now PebbleCrete® once considered too expensive to use is rapidly replacing the use of tile because Pebble Pools Thailand the distributor of PebbleCrete® has a manufacturing plant located in beautiful Phuket Thailand thereby offering factory direct pricing to all customers both large and small.

PebbleCrete® from Pebble Pools Thailand is a natural product mined from the earth allowing it to be carefully crafted into any natural-looking monolithic shape.

There are now many experienced applicators of PebbleCrete® to be found throughout South East Asia with installation costs in the same range as tile installation.

What

is better; PebbleCrete or Tile?­­

With swimming pools becoming larger and larger by the year, it has become increasingly important that whatever the product used for the interior not fail as the amount of time to repair these large pools is extensive and expensive.

In one instance PebbleCrete® was even used inside the wave machine generators at one water park and has withstood the test of time, had tile been used it would have likely have been ripped off by the strong current in just a matter of days.

PebbleCrete® bonds 100% to the surface of the pool and its monolithic design is unlike tile where there can be hundreds of grout lines giving a similar appearance to a bathroom floor or countertop as the pool shown in this photo has a PebbleCrete® "Cool Blue " center stripe and stairs surrounded by tile.

APPLICATORS

Are you interested in becoming an applicator of PebbleCrete® then contact please contact at pebblepoolsthailand@gmail.com and let us know a little about who you are and what you do.

Water Engineered Technologies (Thailand) Ltd

Pattaya Sai 3 Muang Pattaya, Amphoe Bang Lamung, Chang Wat Chon Buri 20150 https://poolsasean.com
+66 (0) 848428317 (T) 098932253

J-TECH SUPPLY
Sauna & Pool Builder

Phuket
Phone: 0841911288 | 0887652182
techsupply@gmail.com

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