Owning a gunite pool is a bit like owning a classic car. When it is tuned and clean, it turns heads and runs flawlessly. When things go wrong, the issues tend to appear in clusters. A hollow-sounding tile gives way to others, a small crack starts to trail, plaster roughens, and suddenly the pool feels tired. The difference between a nagging maintenance cycle and a one‑and‑done restoration often comes down to craft, sequencing, and materials. That is where full-service work matters, and it is what EverClear Pools & Spas has built a reputation on across North Jersey.
Gunite is remarkably durable. It also moves with seasons, soil, and water chemistry. The right repair approach respects those realities rather than fighting them. Over the past decade, I have watched projects win or fail not on the visible finish, but on everything under the finish: the bond coat, the prep of the substrate, the way waterlines are detailed, the order in which valves and fittings are addressed. If you are searching for pool repair near me and weighing which pool repair service actually understands gunite pool repair services, you are trying to sort all that in a single phone call. Let us unpack what full-service really looks like, and how an experienced pool repair contractor tackles work from tile to plaster without papering over root causes.
What a true full-service repair covers
The obvious scope is easy to list. Replace cracked waterline tile. Cut out and reset coping. Patch or resurface plaster. Regrout or recaulk expansion joints. Reseat lights and returns. Fix leaks. But a complete job integrates those tasks in a sequence that prevents new issues from blooming a season later.
Start with diagnosis. A white crystalline bloom at a tile joint might look like failed grout, but it often signals water migration through the shell or a compromised scupper line. Plaster that feels like 80‑grit sandpaper could be age, yet it can also be tied to aggressive water chemistry that will chew into new plaster unless corrected. An experienced crew will spend a morning tapping, sounding, dye-testing, and pressure-testing before they touch a saw. On more complex projects, hydrostatic testing and camera inspection of suction and return lines can save thousands in rework.
Then there is environmental timing. In North Jersey, spring and early fall bring the best windows for plaster and tile set: cool enough to slow cure and reduce flash drying, warm enough to keep materials workable. I have seen July plaster jobs chased by vapor bubbles and craze cracking when refilled too soon under high heat. EverClear schedules accordingly and stages shade or tenting when the schedule demands summer work.
A full-service team owns the transitions. The delicate interface between coping and tile, tile and plaster, plaster and fittings, and the expansion joints that let the whole thing breathe through winter freezes, all determine longevity. If the crew setting tile is not in sync with the plaster team, you can end up with a beautiful row of glazed porcelain that overhangs by a quarter inch, forcing a thin, weak plaster feather that chips the first time someone bumps it with a vacuum head. Full-service means one project manager directs tile layout with plaster thickness in mind, and coping heights account for both freeze-thaw heave and ADA edge expectations where applicable.
Tile replacement that stays put
Waterline tile does more than look good. It protects plaster at the sun and splash zone, bears the brunt of chlorine and UV, and moves with the shell through seasonal swings. The most common failure I see is tile bonded to dusty, painted, or efflorescent surfaces. The tile lasts about two winters, then starts to hollow.
Good practice begins with mechanical prep. Crews cut a clean horizontal line, remove the old tile and setting bed, grind down to sound gunite or shotcrete, and chase any hairline cracks until clean, opened surfaces can be pinned or injected if needed. If your pool was replastered previously and the waterline tile sits on old plaster, it can be tempting to adhere new tile directly to that. Resist it unless a pull test shows the underlying plaster bond is robust. Otherwise, you are building on a weak layer.
Setting materials make or break the job. For freeze-thaw climates, flexible thinsets and polymer-modified mortars rated for submerged conditions are mandatory. I prefer a medium-bed mortar for heavier stone waterlines to help flatten wavy substrates. Expansion joints at corners and every 8 to 12 feet of straight run, filled with pool-grade silicone or polyurethane sealant, let the line move without dominos. Grout choice matters too. High-performance cementitious grouts do well in most residential settings, but for salt systems, an epoxy grout can keep joints tight and resistant to efflorescence. It costs more and requires a meticulous wipe-down, so the crew’s familiarity counts.
A few tile patterns pose special demands. Glass tile, especially larger formats, needs back-buttering and white mortars to avoid shadowing. Natural stone skimmed as a cap beneath coping needs sealing on all six sides prior to install, or winter will pop corners. EverClear’s foremen carry moisture meters and pull a few tiles after a day’s set to verify coverage, something that takes minutes and saves grief.
Coping that survives winter
Coping failures usually trace back to two culprits: inadequate bed and lack of movement joints. In North Jersey, we see beveled precast concrete, bullnose brick, and full-thickness natural stone like bluestone or travertine. All can perform if installed with a continuous bed of mortar, tight coverage at edges, and a compressible expansion joint where coping meets deck.
When a project calls for reusing sound coping stones, the time goes into cleaning and flattening the bed, not just buttering the backs. I have watched masons try to bridge uneven bond beams with thick dabs of mortar. Those dabs shrink and crack. You might not see it until the second freeze cycle, then the tap test reveals hollows and a corner breaks away with little effort. EverClear’s crews shotblast or grind high spots and set a bond bridge between old concrete and new mortar for consistent adhesion.
Drainage around coping edges also commands attention. If your deck pitches toward the pool, rainwater will find that joint and push through. Adding a subtle back bevel under the coping edge and installing a high-quality sealant in a clean, primed joint prevents wicking. Where skimmers interrupt runs, the stone cuts must leave enough meat around the opening to resist impact and frost, or you will see cracks spider out from the skimmer throat.
Plaster, quartz, pebble: choosing the right finish
Traditional white plaster remains the most economical finish, and when water chemistry is kept balanced, it can look sharp for eight to twelve years. Quartz aggregate extends life and color stability, while polished pebble can double the lifespan with proper care. The right choice depends on budget, feel underfoot, and tolerance for variation.
White plaster rewards attention to the base. A sound shell gets hydroblasted or acid washed, then receives a true bond coat, not just a splash of slurry. Any delamination from prior resurfaces should be cut back to solid material, creating a clean edge for a feathered transition. When crews cut corners here, you will see bullnosing and delam rings appear around the perimeter within the first year.
Aggregate finishes are less forgiving of uneven trowelling. I have visited pools where the applicator worked too dry, leaving porous pockets ready to stain. The cure here is not an aggressive start-up that etches away the top layer. It is a clean water fill, gentle brushing, and a controlled plaster start-up guided by the finish manufacturer’s specs. EverClear assigns a technician to the first week of start-up, testing daily and tweaking pH, alkalinity, and calcium. That discipline pays back in smoother cure and fewer service calls.
Color selection comes with trade-offs. Darker hues deepen water color but make calcium scale more visible and absorb more heat, which can speed evaporation. Light finishes reflect grime but show trowel marks if an installer rushes. Pebble creates texture some swimmers love for traction, others dislike on delicate feet. During consultations, I recommend homeowners ask to see real pools in the field after a year, not just showroom samples. Sun, shade, and landscaping change the perception of color more than most expect.
Crack repair and structural realities
Gunite cracks are not all equal. A thin shrinkage crack that does not pass dye and does not mirror on the exterior often needs nothing more than stitching and cosmetic blending. A structural crack, especially one that changes width through seasons or shows displacement, calls for steel staples, epoxy injection, and sometimes soil evaluation. I have worked on pools where gutter overflows undermined fill soils along one wall, leading to a stubborn diagonal crack that reappeared every two winters. No amount of cosmetic work lasted until drainage was corrected and the subgrade stabilized.
Epoxy injection has a place. When done at the right temperature with surface routing that opens the crack into a V and ports spaced correctly, it can restore monolithic behavior. But epoxy alone is not a cure-all. Carbon fiber or stainless pinning spreads loads, and in some cases, cutting a controlled joint to relieve movement is smarter than fighting it.
EverClear’s project managers will often suggest a one-season monitor if the crack is ambiguous. Marking crack ends with date stamps and measuring width monthly sounds low-tech, yet it prevents chasing ghosts. When urgency demands immediate action, like water loss through a crack near a light niche, a combination approach stabilizes things until a full off-season repair can be scheduled.
Leak detection that is honest and thorough
A pool can lose an inch of water a week from summer evaporation alone, more during windy stretches. Before anyone starts sawing deck or trenching lines, a simple bucket test distinguishes evaporation from leakage. From there, dye tests at suspect points, plug tests on individual lines, and pressure testing narrow the field. On older pools, skimmer throats and light conduits are frequent culprits.
Pressure testing can be deceptively tricky. Air is compressible and can mask a slow leak. Water holds pressure differently, and temperature swings between morning and afternoon tests can skew readings. EverClear’s techs log pressures and temperatures, isolate sections, and work methodically. When a leak points to a return line under a poured deck, the conversation turns to options: saw-cut a narrow trench and replace a section, sleeve a line, or abandon it and add a new return in a better location. I push homeowners to consider overall circulation. Adding a new return can improve mixing and improve chemical efficiency, partially offsetting the disruption cost.
Not every leak is in a line. We see a surprising number at main drains where gaskets harden or frames corrode. Any main drain work triggers safety updates, including compliant covers and in some cases dual drains or a safety vacuum release system. A responsible pool repair contractor treats that as non-negotiable.
Equipment and water chemistry go hand in hand with surface longevity
You can install the prettiest tile and smoothest plaster. If your pump runs with marginal flow, your filter bypasses fines, or your chlorination is feast-or-famine, surfaces suffer. Scale and etching show up as ghostly maps across steps and benches, and newly grouted tile will haze.
EverClear’s full-service approach typically includes a quick audit of equipment. Pump sizing should match the pool’s hydraulic design, not just the horsepower stamped on a motor. Variable-speed pumps let you maintain long, low-flow runs that polish the water without the hammer of short, high-chlorine swings. Filters deserve attention too. Sand filters need correct media and occasional deep cleans to strip biofilm. Cartridge filters benefit from staged sets that you rotate and clean properly, not just a hose spritz. For saltwater pools, keeping salt cells clean and voltage calibrated extends both cell and surface life.
Balanced water chemistry is not a marketing buzzword. The Langelier Saturation Index gives you a practical way to avoid aggressive water that eats plaster or scale-forming water that crusts it. During the first 30 days after replastering, pH will rise daily. A plan to brush, test, and adjust keeps calcium in the surface where it belongs. My rule of thumb is simple: spend more time on the first month, spend far less over the next ten years.
Sequencing a renovation so it sticks
When homeowners ask why a job takes three to four weeks instead of one, the answer is staging and cure. Tile needs a minimum set time before grouting, grout needs time before submersion, and plaster wants a clean, dust-free environment to bond to.
EverClear’s crew sequencing typically runs like this. Day one to three: demo tile and coping as needed, substrate prep, crack chase, and any shell work. Day four to seven: set tile and coping, maintain clean joints, install expansion materials, and allow proper cure. Day eight to nine: grout tile, tool and seal joints, pressure test lines if not already done, address any fittings. Day ten to eleven: thorough wash-down, bond coat application if resurfacing, masking of fixtures. Day twelve: plaster or aggregate application, followed by immediate fill without interruption. Day thirteen to twenty-eight: start-up regimen with daily testing, brushing, and filter management.
If weather interrupts, the schedule flexes. The critical step is never rushing a cure to hit a calendar promise. A well-run project manager will call those plays openly and explain the why, which is often the difference between a customer who understands and one who worries.
Cost ranges and where the money goes
Pricing varies with pool size, access, material choices, and hidden surprises. In North Jersey markets, waterline tile replacement alone often runs in the low to mid four figures for a typical 16 by 32 foot pool, depending on tile selection. Replacing coping can add a few thousand more, with natural stone at the higher end. Full resurfacing with white plaster might start around the low five figures, while quartz or pebble finishes can climb by 30 to 60 percent.
Two cost drivers are easy to underestimate. First, substrate prep. Grinding, patching, and bond-coating do not show up in glossy after photos, yet they are where jobs succeed. Second, access and protection. Tight backyards mean hand-carrying materials, protecting landscaping, and staging equipment carefully. The crews that take time to tent, tarp, and clean daily are not slow. They are disciplined, and their work lasts.
If you collect multiple quotes, compare scope line by line. Are expansion joints specified? What grout and thinset brands are named? Is start-up service included or left to you? Is there an allowance for replacing compromised returns or skimmer throats discovered during prep? A transparent estimate is a good predictor of a smooth project.
When small fixes are smarter than big overhauls
Not every pool needs a full tear-out of waterline tile or a complete resurfacing. If your tile is mostly sound but scattered pieces ring hollow, targeted resets can buy years. If plaster is cosmetically mottled but smooth and chemically stable, a polish or on-balance treatment can improve appearance without invasive work. For coping that rocks slightly but is otherwise intact, removing and rebedding select stones, plus sealing joints, might solve the movement.
There are times, though, when partial measures cost more in the long run. Resetting tile over a delaminated substrate promises a callback. Feathering plaster into wide patches often telegraphs through and creates a quilt of shades that bother you every swim. Experienced contractors will tell you when the line has been crossed and step back if your budget pushes toward band-aids that will not hold.
A quick homeowner checklist before you sign
- Ask about substrate prep, bond coat, and start-up protocol, not just the visible finish. Verify materials are rated for submerged, freeze-thaw conditions, including thinset, grout, and sealants. Confirm expansion joints will be installed and specify locations in the scope. Request references for similar projects and, if possible, view a one-year-old job in person. Ensure leak detection includes pressure testing and a plan for safe main drain compliance.
Why local expertise matters
North Jersey winters are hard on pools. We get deep freezes, sudden thaws, and spring rains that swell soils. A contractor who works the region understands when to drain and when to brace, when to use cold-weather additives, and how to schedule around leaf drop that can stain fresh plaster. EverClear’s teams live in that cycle. They winterize the pools they renovate, which closes the loop between their repair decisions and what survives to May.
I remember a backyard in Wayne where a line of old maple trees dropped tannins like tea. The homeowner wanted a deep blue quartz finish. We planned extra brushing and a temporary leaf net during fill and cure. That one small step kept the new surface spotless. Details like that do not appear on a manufacturer’s spec sheet. They show up when your contractor has seen the same street in October.
The first month after plaster: what you should expect
Homeowners often think the job ends when the hose comes out. The truth is the first 30 days are the final phase of the project. Expect daily brushing for at least the first week, tapering after that. pH will climb steadily and needs frequent adjustment. Calcium hardness should be nudged into range, not slammed. If your pool uses salt chlorination, salt should not be added until the finish cures per the manufacturer’s recommendation, typically after 28 days, and the cell should stay off until then. Run the pump longer than usual, accept some cloudiness in the first week, and let the filter do its work. A well-managed start-up protects the investment more than any sealer or magic additive.
EverClear documents this plan and either handles it for you or trains you on the steps and provides a visit schedule. Clients who follow the regimen see smoother finishes and fewer spots or streaks. Those who pour in salt on day five often end up calling for spot polishing.
How EverClear ties it all together
Full-service means you are not left coordinating a mason, a tiler, a plaster crew, a leak detection tech, and an equipment specialist. It means the same project lead walks you through tile choices, explains why a specific thinset is worth the extra cost, schedules the plaster truck when the weather cooperates, and texts you water chemistry readings during start-up. When change orders arise, and they always can on older pools, you get options with clear pros and cons, not pressure.
There is also accountability after the check clears. I have seen EverClear techs swing by in November to check fresh expansion joints ahead of the first freeze and add a touch of sealant where a joint had settled. That kind of stewardship keeps small issues small.
If you are reading this because you searched pool repair services near me or gunite pool repair services after noticing a few suspect tiles or a rough step, it is worth a site visit before problems compound. A half hour with a practiced eye can save you a season of chasing symptoms.
Craft, sequence, and care
Pools are simple in concept and finicky in practice. Water wants to find a path. Concrete wants to move. Materials want to be mixed right, applied in the right conditions, and left to pool installation service cure uninterrupted. A full-service repair firm takes the friction out of that reality, so by the time you are skimming leaves in June, you are thinking about the next barbecue, not the last repair.
If your pool needs attention from tiles to plaster, choose a contractor that treats prep and start-up with the same seriousness as the finish. Ask to see their daily checklist. Ask who will be on your site, not just which subcontractor. And when you find a team that answers those questions plainly, put them to work and enjoy the quiet confidence that comes when things are done right.
Contact Us
EverClear Pools & Spas
Address: 144-146 Rossiter Ave, Paterson, NJ 07502, United States
Phone: (973) 434-5524
Website: https://everclearpoolsnj.com/pool-installation-company-paterson-nj