6 Years Neglected to Swim-Ready
A full walkthrough of one Cape Coral pool restoration — from first assessment through drain-down, acid wash, refill, and a full travertine deck sand-and-seal. Every stage below is documented with real project photos.
Initial Assessment
6 Years of Neglect
The pool hadn’t been serviced in six years. Standing water had gone through repeated algae blooms, leaving a thick mat of green and mustard algae across the floor, walls, and steps, with heavy buildup at the waterline. Before any equipment touched the water, we walked the whole pool and cage to document the starting condition and scope the project.
Drain-Down & Debris Removal
Pumping Out & Hand-Shoveling the Muck
A high-powered trash pump drained the pool and began pulling out the heaviest sludge. What the pump couldn’t move, we shoveled out by hand, bucket by bucket, bagged it, and hauled it off site.
Sodium Hypochlorite Rinse
Killing What Was Left Behind
With the bulk of the debris out, we rinsed the entire shell with sodium hypochlorite (SH) to kill off any organics still clinging to the surface, then pumped the resulting slurry off the pool floor.
Acid Wash
From Dark to Light
Next, we acid-washed the entire bowl. This is where the transformation really shows — the pebble finish goes from a dark, stained grey to its true light color as the acid cuts through the staining left by years of algae.
Refill & Water Clarity
The Pebble Finish, Restored
With the acid wash complete, the pool was refilled. The pebble finish came back to its original light color with no staining left behind, and the water settled crystal clear.
Cage & Deck Wash
Algae Off the Screen, Weeds Off the Deck
With the pool itself restored, we turned to the surrounding pool cage and travertine deck. The cage frame and screens were washed to remove years of algae streaking, and the travertine was cleaned by hand — including pulling weeds that had taken over joints that were missing their sand.
Joint-Sand & Sealer Prep
Taping Off, Staging Materials
Before sanding and sealing the travertine, we taped off drains and edges to keep sand and sealer out of the plumbing, and evaluated every joint. Years of erosion had left many joints bare, badly in need of fresh sand.
Flood-Coat Sealer
Waterproofing, Algaecide & UV Protection
The travertine was surface-cleaned and pH-prepped, then left to dry. The next day we returned and flood-coated the joints and stone with a premium matte travertine sealer — adding algaecide properties and UV protection on top of the waterproofing.
The Finished Project
From Six Years Neglected to Swim-Ready
The finished result: crystal-clear water, a restored pebble finish, a freshly sanded and sealed travertine deck, and a pool cage clean of algae streaking. What started as a pool untouched for six years is swim-ready again.
Have a pool in similar shape?
We handle green-to-clean recovery, full acid washes, and paver/travertine sealing across Cape Coral and Southwest Florida.
Request a Free Quote Call (941) 257-3033