Pool Remodeling & Resurfacing in Texas

The shell and the finish have different lives. A well-built gunite or shotcrete shell can last for many decades, and Texas pools from the 1960s and 1970s are still in service after remodels. The interior finish is a wear item and is replaced several times over the shell's life. Fiberglass shells are also long-lived, with the gelcoat surface being the part that ages. Vinyl liners are replaced on a shorter cycle. Equipment such as pumps, filters, heaters and salt cells is replaced more often still. This directory does not publish year counts because they vary with chemistry, soil and workmanship. The best predictors are an engineered shell on Texas clay, proper steel and shell thickness, and consistent water balance.

That is a personal decision this directory cannot make. The case for a pool in Texas is a swim season that runs from April into October in most of the state. The costs are ongoing: water to replace evaporation, electricity for the pump, chemicals that burn off fast in sun, periodic resurfacing and equipment replacement. There are responsibilities too. City barrier rules apply, insurance may rise, and summer water can get too warm to refresh without shade or a chiller. Alternatives include a spool or plunge pool on a small lot, a stock-tank cowboy pool for a few seasons, a covered patio with fans, or a community pool membership. Homeowners who swim often and keep up maintenance tend to be happy. Those who want the look without the use often find it a chore.

Texas pools can reach bath temperature by July, and Houston's humidity keeps them there overnight. The options are evaporation, shade and mechanical cooling. Running a fountain, aerator or deck jets at night cools the water through evaporation, which also costs water. Shade sails or trees over part of the pool cut daytime heat gain. Removing a solar cover at night lets heat escape. A heat pump with a chiller mode, or a dedicated pool chiller, cools water on demand and is the only method that works in high humidity, where evaporation is weak. Lighter interior finishes absorb less heat than dark pebble. Builders can plumb for a chiller during construction so it can be added later without opening the deck.