Pool startups
The first 30 days decide the next ten years.
New plaster is still curing when the water goes in. What happens in that first month is what determines whether your surface stays smooth and even or ends up mottled, streaked, and rough.
What startup care involves
This is the most hands-on month in the life of a pool, and it is not a place to learn as you go.
Fill and initial balance
Fill water in the Hill Country is hard and rarely neutral. The first balance sets the tone for the entire cure, especially calcium hardness and alkalinity.
Daily brushing
Plaster dust has to be brushed off the surface repeatedly during the cure or it settles, bonds, and leaves permanent texture and color variation.
Controlled chemistry
Chlorination timing, pH control, and LSI management through curing. Adding the wrong thing too early etches or stains a surface that is still soft.
Equipment sequencing
Run times, heater use, salt cell activation, and cleaner introduction all have a correct order. Skipping ahead is how new pools get damaged.
Builders and replaster crews
If you install pools or replaster them, handing the startup to someone who treats it as a checklist protects your warranty work and your reputation. We are happy to coordinate directly with the crew.
New plaster going in?
Reach out before the fill starts. The best startup begins before the water does.