Advanced Pool Finishing

A two man crew arrived on 04/22/2014 (Thursday) from Advanced Pool Finishing (APF). They confirmed the project's logistics and the proper operation of all of my pool equipment, then began to drain the pool using a high capacity pump. The old water was pumped, at my request, directly into a nearby storm drainage ditch (behind my house) instead of into the street or onto the property. They had brought extra hose length to accommodate my request. The bottom drain cover and the (ground) plug was removed. The pump remained active throughout the project to remove the ground water seeping in through the removed ground plug. (If the ground plug is not removed and you have a high ground water table, the entire empty pool can float upwards and/or crack.) On 04/23/2014 (Friday), a three man crew arrived. They began to pressure spray the old surface to remove all loose particles. Two existing cracks were repaired and so was one area where a piece of steel rebar was too close to the surface, causing rust to leach out onto the old pool surface. They also ground out & around all fittings and water-line tiles so that the new surface coating (an aggregate material) would be flush with those pre-existing items. An adhesion coating was applied to all areas to be resurfaced and the stair tiles were replaced. On 04/26/2014 (Saturday) at 9 AM, the crew arrived and began the surface application process. Gary, the company's owner, was on site as the crew chief and also provided much of the hands-on labor. Whatta Guy! By 3;45 PM that day, they were finished replacing all fittings and with the resurfacing. I was then instructed to begin refilling the pool, which took 2 garden hoses exactly 24 hours. On 04/28/2014 (Monday), Allen from APF arrived to add 10 gallons of muriatic acid to the pool water to kick-start the chemical balancing process. For the next two weeks, the entire pool needs to be brushed and the water chemically balanced EVERY DAY. That is extremely important to the proper curing of the aggregate used to resurface the pool. Although I know how to properly treat & balance pool water, I opted to go with their outsourced service (Stephen Carnie of Pool Sharks - SUPER GUY! 843-200-0351 ). That way, if anything goes wrong, it's not at my hand and their warranty applies. I have never been more impressed with a crew's professionalism, work ethics and dedication to their profession. One guy has been with them for ~15 years. They all know their responsibilities and they all work very well together. I can't praise them highly enough. The crew cleaned up the job site extremely well after every visit and especially after their final visit. They even pressure washed the cement deck around the pool to wash away any construction residue. If you are reading this review, you need to be aware of a few things when taking on this type of project. They will need access to your property. Don't make it difficult for them. Schedule your project carefully. Do not cause them delays as that has a rippling effect on others will further impact your own project. Be considerate of scheduling conflicts and delays. Rain may delay a project that precedes yours and therefore delay your start date or work by a few days. This is inevitable in this type of business. They also may be called out for an urgent matter on another pool project that they just finished. Some homeowners aren't always properly responsible in the care of their pool and equipment. This may necessitate an urgent repair which delays your site visit. One homeowner's pool equipment wasn't properly working when the crew showed up to start work. Of course it delayed that project by having to first make repairs which then caused delays for another project. They told me several stories about things that can go wrong on projects that are not their fault. So be informed as to how that can delay your project. Ask questions and listen to them. In my personal opinion, they are a very conscientious team of professionals. (And, no! I am not related to them because I wrote a glowing review. I am retired after having been a methods-procedures analyst and systems analyst.)