Check out this web site for pics alansmithpools.com might help you make a decision
good luck

I am sorry I posted this on wrong question was meant for
someone else but that website might help you to I don't know I just clicked on the wrong one again sorry

"What are the real reasons behind using the pebble finishes?"

Our reasons: It's different from everyone else's.
It has a natural look which fit into our
backyard and neighborhood environment.
Pool looks cleaner...it doesn't show all the
debris which blows into it in our
dusty, windy area.
We have dogs. We saw too many plaster
pools, esp. dark plaster that had
scratches all over the steps. No such
worries with our pebble finish.

Thanks, Lindsey. I was looking for the smooth surface and your suggestion of the pebble sheen soulds good.

Besides being a smoother finish, plaster is also a lot less expensive than the pebble finishes, so it could save thousands of dollars depending on the size of your pool. We spent our budget on other features instead of a pebble interior finish.

There's also PebbleFina (in limited markets) which is a little cheaper than PebbleSheen and, from what I understand, even smoother. I have PebbleFina, but I haven't felt PebbleSheen, so I'm not positive. Just another option out there.

My reasons for choosing Pebblesheen

Extends life of the pool - we're in this house for the long run, so I don't want to have to replaster in 5-7 years.

Uniform Color - hides the debris, sometimes too well.

Feel to touch- I thought the Pebble Tech was too bumpy, but the pebble sheen has a nice feel to it. It's hard to describe.

Before this pool, I grew up in a vinyl pool, very smooth. I also slipped alot in it.

Nothing is as smooth or feels as good as a crushed limestone (marble) finish. IMO the trend towards exposed aggregate is at its peak and makes very little functional sense. It seems insane to wash away the creme and several years of the pool finish in the first day. A good plaster job can last 30 years when maintained properly. There is no proof that I know of that exposed aggregate finishes last longer than a marble finish.

I love my plaster. The pebble finish was never a consideration for us not necessarily due to budget. I love the look of an old fashioned white plaster pool, although we did add the blue 3M crystals. Maintain your chemicals properly and your plaster should last very long time.

We have colored plaster here (medium gray) and love it. I've been in several pebbletec/sheen pools lately and the reason I would say I prefer my plaster is debris, I was actually shocked at the amount of debris the pebble products HIDE (that then are stirred up when swimming, ick). I do have a thing about clean water though! I like that I can go outside and see any debris and either scoop up or vacuum up quickly. I also personally prefer the feel of plaster but wasn't opposed to the pebble finish texture.

We chose plaster due to cost, but have not regretted the decision. I LOVE the water color too, plaster doesn't have to mean the windex white, you can choose colors in plaster was well.

I'd say the main advantage to choosing pebble products is longevity.

Renovxpt, can you still get 30 yrs from plaster? I know when they made it with asbestos you could but thought that since they took out asbestos it was more like 10 yrs... So lets say you get 10 yrs from plaster and 20yrs from Pebble. Plaster at $4000 and pebble at $8000. You redo the plaster in 10 at another $4000 and after 20 yrs both need to be redone and you have put $8000 into each. So long term $ will be about the same. It comes down to what you want and the upfront money.

My pool is only 3 years old and it has asbestos in it. I saw the bags of asbestos next to the 3M blue crystal bags. I even joked with the installer about it that I'll be staying inside while they work.

neilaz, I saw a pool we built in 1986 last week that still has the original plaster and is in good shape with exception to some bleached out spots that resulted from a floater that sunk during the winter 10plus years ago while it was covered with a Loop-lok. I have no knowledge of asbestos as an admix. We used black marble from Georgia Marble, gray portland type 1 cement and probably used 50% acryl 60 in the scratch coat. We could have used some acryl 60 in the final coat as we were experimenting with different mixes at the time. We also added a liquid dye Tamms? It was the first black pool we did. That is the oldest that I have seen recently and honestly can't think of any that are 30 years old but this one will easily last another 7 if the same owner continues to care for it. He uses an erosion feeder as a primary sanitizer and shocks with calcium hypoclorite. He had an ozone generator for about 5-10 years. His current CY level is only 30 and he says that he has never dumped water from the pool with exception to draining below the skimmers every winter.

I can think of many plaster pools that are 15-20 years old with the original plaster and in very good shape. I cannot think of any that we have built that lasted less than 12.

I saw a diamond brite pool we did in 1998 that is still in very good shape and shows no signs of deterioration. They use ozone assisted by bromine as a sanitizer.

As stated in a previous post we have been using a silicone admixture to the marble for the last 8-10 years.

Even the smoother pebble finishes seem to scrape the toes far more than plaster. A buddy in the industry told me this, suggesting I wear Lava Walkers. I didn't believe him but he was right. Your skin softens and prunes naturally while in the water, and movements on the bottom create small skin tears I never had with plaster. I'm not talking bleeding or anything major but they are definitely an issue. Our pool is new so maybe this will mitigate over time.

I teach SCUBA in my pool, so, there is a lot of potential for tank dings. My pool was built in 1986 by Anthony Pools. After we were out of power for two weeks after IKE, all the skim coat came off. It was like walking on eggshells. I was talked into painting it with an epoxy made for saltwater barges. I hired their contractors and it started bubbling up almost immediately. I am now weighing my options: Pebble tec, plaster, repaint with a pool paint. Opinions, suggestions, testimonials?
Thanks