Pool Renovation in Çeşme, Alaçatı & İzmir
The shell stays, the pool is renewed.
Pool renovation for a worn finish, ageing coping, tired plumbing and filtration that no longer keeps up. We keep the sound shell and renew the finish, the coping, the lighting and, where it is wanted, the overflow system. The three renovations we have published from Çeşme and Ilıca took 5 to 6 weeks.
When does a pool need renovating?
A single symptom can usually be solved with a limited repair. When three or more of the signs below appear in the same pool, it makes more sense to deal with the whole than to patch each item separately.
Finish and grout
Widespread cracking, blistering or fading in the finish, or grout that is starting to crumble. Once it is no longer confined to one area, a patch is not enough.
Recurring water loss
Water loss that keeps returning despite repairs. The source of the leak is confirmed first, and the scope follows from it.
Filtration that falls short
The water takes too long to clear and the filter needs backwashing far too often: the filtration no longer suits the volume of the pool.
Signs from the plant room
Noise, vibration and heat. These are often the early warning of a pump fault.
An older skimmer system
Surface cleaning is getting harder, and an overflow channel or a hidden weir is wanted instead.
Aesthetic ageing
The pool's colour, lighting and surrounding paving no longer match the updated architecture of the house.
How does a pool renovation proceed?
Each layer holds because the one beneath it is sound. That is why the order does not change, and why every step ends with a checkpoint.
- 01
Survey and scope
Before the pool is drained, water loss, equipment, the finish and the paving are examined on site. The items to renew, the finish, colour, lighting and overflow system are settled.
- 02
Strip-out
The pool is drained in a controlled way and the old finish and worn layers are taken back to the shell. Only now can the true condition of the structure be seen.
- 03
Structural repair and waterproofing
Cracks in the shell are repaired according to their cause, the surface is levelled and the waterproofing is reapplied. This is the step that decides how long the renovation lasts.
- 04
Plumbing and equipment
Suction and return lines, valves and nozzles are renewed. The filter and pump are resized to the pool's actual volume.
- 05
Finish
The new ceramic, mosaic or chosen finish is applied, the joints are filled and the required curing time is observed.
- 06
Commissioning
The pool is filled, the plumbing is pressure-tested and checked for leaks, the chemistry is balanced and the equipment's running schedule is set.
What does a pool renovation renew?
A renovation keeps the sound structure of a pool and renews its worn layers: the shell stays, while the waterproofing over it, the finish, the plumbing and the equipment are overhauled. Demolishing the pool and building it again is rarely needed in a villa pool. Which items are renewed is decided at the survey, with the pool in front of us.
The finish, coping, overflow, lighting and paving examples below come from the three renovations we have completed in Çeşme and Ilıca. Narrower jobs that involve only grout and tile are covered in our article on pool grout and tile renewal, and replacing fittings on the pool lighting page.
- Lining
- The old finish is stripped and replaced with ceramic or porcelain. The three jobs used 60×1.20 verde ceramic, 33×66 ceramic and 33×66 verde lamarca porcelain.
- Coping
- The coping is replaced, or the existing stone is treated. Bursa black and tundra grey marble were laid; in Ilıca the Bursa black marble was made anti-slip.
- Hidden weir and overflow
- Depending on the shell and the plumbing, a pool can be converted to a hidden weir or a deck-level overflow. We did a hidden-weir conversion in Ilıca and a deck-level one in Çeşme.
- Lighting
- Fittings and nozzle frames are renewed to suit the new finish. In the 4×6 m pool in Çeşme, anthracite LED was chosen to match the ceramic.
- Waterproofing, plumbing and equipment
- Cracks in the shell are repaired and the waterproofing reapplied. Lines, valves and nozzles are renewed, and the filter and pump are resized to the pool's volume.
- Surrounds
- The sun deck and the paving around the pool are renewed in the same job. We have laid 60×1.20 anthracite granite, rock-face grey granite and the same 33×66 porcelain as the pool.
How long does a pool renovation take?
Renovations where we renew the coping, the finish and the lighting together typically take 4–6 weeks in Çeşme. All three jobs we have published fell within that range: the full renovation of a 4×6×1.80 m pool in Çeşme took 6 weeks, the hidden-weir renovation of a 4×8×1.60 m pool in Ilıca 6 weeks, and the conversion of a 3×6×1.50 m pool in Çeşme to a deck-level overflow 5 weeks.
Scope sets the duration. A job that renews only the finish and grout is shorter; a renovation that goes down to the shell and also renews the waterproofing and plumbing takes considerably longer. The curing times for concrete and grout cannot be shortened.
The best period is winter and early spring: the pool is closed anyway, and strip-out and structural work can proceed without haste. For a pool that is ready in early June, planning needs to have started in winter. How the scope is decided is set out step by step in our pool renovation guide.
Related projects
The plumbing, equipment and lighting that get renewed.
The pipework and fittings, filter, pump and light fittings that are replaced in a renovation. Brands and specifications are on each product page.
Plumbing & Fittings
Circulation & Filtration
Questions about pool renovation
How long does a pool renovation take?
Renovations where the coping, the finish and the lighting are renewed together typically take 4–6 weeks in Çeşme. The three renovations we have published were completed in 5 to 6 weeks. Work that goes down to the shell and also renews the waterproofing and plumbing takes longer, and the curing times for concrete and grout cannot be shortened.
How much does a pool renovation cost?
The price is given item by item once the pool has been seen on site. The cost is set by the pool's volume and geometry, the finish chosen, whether the overflow system changes, how much of the plumbing is renewed, any heating or automation added, and access to the site. Cracks in the shell that only show once the finish comes off can widen the scope, so the budget leaves room for them.
Can a skimmer pool be converted to a hidden-weir or overflow pool?
In most cases, yes. We added a hidden weir to a 4×8 m pool in Ilıca and converted a 3×6 m pool in Çeşme to a deck-level overflow. The overflow channel, the balance tank, the new plumbing lines and the levels of the surrounding paving are planned together; the structure of the existing shell, the space in the garden and the capacity of the plant room shape the decision.
Does the pool have to be fully drained for a renovation?
Yes: the finish, grout, waterproofing and shell repairs are done on a dry surface, so the pool is drained. Draining is controlled, because on sites with a high water table a pool emptied suddenly can be damaged by ground pressure. For equipment renewals confined to the plant room, draining is usually not needed.
When should a pool renovation start?
Winter and early spring are the best period. The pool is closed anyway, so no use is lost, strip-out and structural work proceed without haste and the curing times can be observed comfortably. For a pool that is ready in early June, planning needs to have started in winter.
Is a repair enough, or is a renovation needed?
A single problem with a known, contained cause is solved by a repair; if you are calling a team out several times a year for the same issue, a renovation is the better answer. When repairing one item already means draining the pool and partly stripping the finish, piecemeal repairs add up to more than a renovation. To decide, the shell and the waterproofing are assessed first, then the plumbing and the equipment, all on site.