Calcium removal, Phoenix north valley
Calcium off your pool tile. The glaze stays on.
Stubborn white scale blasted off the water line, grout, spillways, waterfalls, fountains and negative edge walls, from Anthem to Paradise Valley, with media chosen for the surface.
Chapter 01
Why the white line comes back, and why scrubbing loses
Phoenix has naturally hard water, so calcium build up on pool tile and the surfaces around it is inevitable. It gathers as a white line at the waterline whenever the pool's pH runs too high for a stretch. That kind can be cleaned off and kept in check with proper pH balance.
The second kind comes from underneath. Calcium can bleed through the grout from the surface below and show up between the grout lines. It can be cleaned, but nothing stops it from returning, so those spots need a periodic treatment.
There's no need to spend hours on either one with a pumice stone or harsh chemicals. Specialized equipment safely removes the stains and makes the tile look almost like new again.
A spillway wall of dark glass tile with three scuppers, white with calcium above and glossy below
Six to eight inches down, then the right media
Andy starts by lowering your water level 6 to 8 inches with a commercial grade water pump, which fully exposes the calcium staining. The pool is not drained for tile work.
Then he decides which media can safely blast your surface. Glazed tile, natural stone or rock, Pebble Tec and brick each get their own. The scale and calcium build up come off, and the surrounding deck is rinsed and hosed off. The same method reaches the water line, grout, spillways, waterfalls, fountains, negative edge walls and flagstone.
The spent media and calcium settle on the pool floor. Andy's own custom-fabricated portable pump and filter takes them out, and the pool is left looking nearly new.
Chapter 03
After the blast: swim now, clear in a day or so
You can use the pool right after the job. No harsh chemicals hazardous to your health go into the work.
Depending on the media for your surface, the water can look cloudy at first. Once the pool has filtered, it's back to clear in 24 to 36 hours.
There's no sealer, on purpose. Ceramic and porcelain pool tile carries a clear glaze. Companies that blast with the wrong media destroy it, then apply sealer to cover the damage, and that sealer yellows over time under UV. Elite uses the correct media for your surface and doesn't damage the tile, so sealant isn't needed.
Andy Davidson, Owner Operator, Elite Pool Tile Cleaning, L.L.C., an Arizona LLC since 2016. Eco friendly and guaranteed not to scratch, etch or damage your tile. Call (480) 818-7235 for a free quote.
Where the band shows up
Seven surfaces, one method, and a long gap before the next visit
Expect Andy to work on the water line, grout, spillways, waterfalls, fountains, the negative edge wall and flagstone, in glazed tile, natural stone or rock, Pebble Tec or brick, from a north valley backyard in Anthem to a spillway in Scottsdale or Cave Creek.
- Most pools: two to four years
- There's no set time, because it depends on water chemistry, but most pools won't need another service for two to four years.
- Calcium hardness: 200 to 400 ppm
- Keep it in that range. If it runs too high, drain the pool halfway.
- Average pool: $350 to $450
- That's the general range for an average size pool with average staining. A few simple answers and some photos get you a free estimate over the phone.
Nobody has to be home. Andy needs access to the pool, a source of power and a source of water.
Call (480) 818-7235, or send photos of your waterline. See the before and after gallery, the FAQ or the other three services.