The first 30 days after plaster
New plaster is curing and is extremely sensitive. Brushing daily, careful chemistry, and no premature chlorination or heater use are what prevent permanent mottling, streaking, and etching.
This window is the single highest-stakes month in the life of the surface, and it is not a DIY learning project.
The first season
Learn your equipment pad: what each valve does, what the pump and filter should sound like, what the pressure reads when clean.
Set a run time that turns the whole volume over, and resist cutting it when the electric bill arrives.
The first winter
Central Texas winters are mild until they are not. Freeze protection, run times during hard freezes, and knowing how to shut down safely will save you a cracked pump or heater.
