Pool tile will inevitably always end up with a calcium build up regardless of how well you maintain your pool especially is Arizona.  There are certain factors that can increase the amount of calcium and the speed in which it deposits as well as factors that prolong it.  Either way you will at some point in the life of your pool need to clean your tile and or Pebble Tec.  What is the best method to remove calcium deposits from pool tile and Pebble Tec?

Often times you will turn to your pool service company or favorite pool store and ask them if they can clean it.  In most situations they will tell you no and recommend that you do it yourself with various products. Currently the most popular do it yourself method for cleaning pool tile is pumice stone.  There is a product called Pool Stone that is very popular.  You use this stone to scrape away the build up that has accumulated on to the swimming pool tile.  There are a few drawbacks with this particular method however.  First being that it is very time consuming, an average size pool will take you several weekends to clean, and in most situations you wont be fully satisfied with the results.  The second issue is that the stone quickly crumbles and you need to make sure that you buy a large amount.  The average price of these pumice stones is $5.00 to $12.00 each, so the price can add up very fast. The last concern is the depth of your pool.  If your pool is more than 5 feet deep you are going to find it very frustrating to clean the tile in the deep end.  And most important, when you clean with these types of stones you are very likely to scratch the pool tiles.  Scratched tile will develop calcium much faster because there will now be a course surface to build on too, therefore increasing the speed in which the calcium returns.  Also calcium will collect in these scratches to the point it becomes visible when the pool tile is dry.

When it comes to your pool you want to protect your investment and take the best care possible.  In a situation like this you are better off  hiring Arizona Bead Blasting to do the work for you.  You will find that there is very little cost difference when you add the price of the products plus the time it will take.  Arizona Bead Blasting offers a quality service specializing in the removal of calcium and a process that will not damage the pool tile, Pebble Tec or stone.

Better uses for pumice stone:

“Pumice is widely used to make lightweight concrete or insulative low-density cinder blocks. When used as an additive for cement, a fine-grained version of pumice called pozzolan is mixed with lime to form a light-weight, smooth, plaster-like concrete. This form of concrete was used as far back as Roman times. Roman engineers used it to build the huge dome of the Pantheon and as construction material for many aqueducts.

It is also used as an abrasive, especially in polishes, pencil erasers, cosmetic exfoliants, and the production of stone-washed jeans. “Pumice stones” are often used in beauty salons during the pedicure process to remove dry and excess skin from the bottom of the foot as well as calluses. It was also used in ancient Greek and Roman times to remove excess hair.[8] Finely ground pumice is added to some toothpastes and heavy-duty hand cleaners (such as Lava soap) as a mild abrasive. Pumice is also used as a growing substrate for growing horticultural crops. Some brands of chinchilla dust bath are made of powdered pumice.” (Wikipedia)