So your swimming pool is freshly plastered. It looks great, and you’re filling it with water. If you have a garden hose, it has already taken up an entire day to fill. At this point, you wonder if you can dive in. The part of you that hesitates here is right.
You can swim 48 hours after plastering a pool and filling it with water. However, it is recommended to shower before and after swimming because any dirt can get lodged into the plaster. It is only after 30 days that the pool plaster is fully cured.
In this article, we will go over the things you need to know if you’ve freshly plastered your pool. You will learn the fair waiting period and the effects of swimming too early. You will also learn what you must do to avoid scaling and stagnation in your newly plastered pool. So bookmark this post, and let’s get started.
What Happens If You Swim In A Pool After Plastering
The effects of swimming in a pool after plastering are contingent on how soon you swim. If you swim within the first 28 hours, you’ll come out with skin rashes and ruin the plaster to the point of it requiring a re-do. Let’s break down the effects by time periods after that.
- Don’t swim in the first 28 hours – This can harm you and ruin the pool plaster.
- Avoid swimming in the first 48 hours – The pool chemistry changes every 2 to 3 hours in this period, and you can throw the pool chemicals off balance.
- You can swim after 2 days but have to be cautious – From day 2 to day 14, you can swim in the pool but have to shower before and after. In this period, the pool plaster can get dirt baked into it, which can create permanent stains on pool walls.
- Up until day 30, you can swim, but the water cannot be heated – It is crucial to swim with caution during this period. The pool plaster is still vulnerable to stains, and any steep imbalance in pool chemistry can affect the plaster. More importantly, you cannot vacuum the pool during this period, nor can you turn on the water heater.
The Ideal Waiting Period After the New Pool Plaster
Even though it sounds excessive, the ideal waiting period to swim after plastering the pool is 28 to 30 days. Only after 30 days can you heat the pool and be confident that the pH of the water will hold for a while. If you get the water dirty, you don’t need to worry about it permanently staining the plaster.
You can also use wheeled vacuum robots to clean the pool. All of these lead to the conclusion that your pool is 100% ready for swimming 30 days after it has been plastered and filled. Please note that the waiting period begins after you fill the pool once it is plastered and not right after plastering it.
Fresh Plaster Care For Swimming Pool Owners
Not swimming in the pool within 2 days of plastering and filling will protect your body. But what about protecting your pool? Here are the best practices for handling a pool from right when it is freshly plastered to when it is ready to swim.
Fill It Up With Water
Fill the pool up once the plaster is dry to touch. It is crucial to understand that dry pool plaster is not the same as cured plaster. The pool plaster needs to cure underwater for at least 10 days. And the countdown begins once the pool is filled.
Brush the Pool Walls Two Times a Week
While water can get rid of plaster dust, some dust can be stubborn. You need to expose the plaster by getting rid of stray dust with gentle brushing. This cannot be too frequent, though. Two times a week is the ideal frequency for brushing the plastered areas of the pool.
Do Not Heat the Pool
For up to a month after the pool is plastered and filled, heating should be avoided. Your water heater can prematurely warm the plaster and cause it to deteriorate. If you can swim in the water without heating it, then you’re free to do so after 10 days.
Avoid Swimming in the Pool
Avoid swimming in the water from the moment your pool is plastered and filled up until 8 days. During this period, swimming can be mutually harmful as it can stain the plaster and result in skin rashes. The latter is because the pool plaster bleeds excess plaster dust and material into the water, making it more alkaline quite rapidly.
Maintain pH Balance
Because of the above, you need to maintain pH balance at a far higher frequency. You must add pool chemicals and test the water every 3 to 4 hours during the circulation period. Even if you’re not swimming, your pool does need chemicals. Plaster raises the pool’s pH, which can cause scaling in the pool plumbing.
Circulate the Water for 8 Hours
Water circulation is important as it keeps the water from stagnating. More importantly, it cycles away excess plaster dust and ensures the actual plaster that is going to stick gets to cure.
Keep Your Pets Out of the Water
While swimming might be okay after 10 days, swimming with your pets certainly isn’t. The pool plaster requires 14 days to cure for regular water. In this period, any dirt can get lodged into the plaster and get baked into a permanent stain. After 14 days, the plaster is okay for regular temperature but is vulnerable to heat.
Use a Skimmer To Get Stray Leaves and Debris Out
From the first day up until the 14th, you should skim the dirt and debris from your pool so that it doesn’t affect the pool plaster. After that, you don’t have to be very frequent with the skimming and cleaning.
Final Thoughts
You can swim after 14 days of plastering as long as you don’t turn on the water heater. If you want to heat the pool before you swim, you need to wait 30 days. That’s how long it takes for the plaster to become permanent.