Pebble Tec & Pebble Sheen Cleaning in Lakeway
Pebble finishes need a gentler touch than ceramic tile. We use glass bead media at carefully controlled pressure to remove calcium and mineral buildup without disturbing your pebble surface.
Pebble Tec Isn’t Like Regular Tile
Pebble Tec, Pebble Sheen, Pebble Fina, and similar pebble aggregate finishes are the most popular high-end pool surfaces in Lakeway for a reason — they look beautiful, they’re durable, and they hide minor imperfections that show up on plaster.
But they have one weakness: the wrong cleaning method can blow individual pebbles out of the surface, leaving permanent pockmarks that can only be fixed by replastering the entire pool.
That’s why so many cleaning methods that work on ceramic tile are wrong for pebble finishes:
- Pressure washing can dislodge pebbles, especially on older surfaces.
- Sandblasting strips pebbles off entirely. Anyone offering to sandblast Pebble Tec should be avoided.
- Acid washing etches the cement binder that holds the pebbles in place, weakening the surface over time.
- Aggressive scrubbing scratches the smooth pebble surfaces and dulls the finish.
The correct method is bead blasting with fine glass bead media at low pressure. The glass beads are smaller and softer than the pebbles, so they lift calcium off without disturbing the surface.
What We Remove from Pebble Surfaces
- Calcium scale at the waterline
- Hard water staining across the pebble surface
- Mineral buildup that’s dulled the finish
- Algae trapped in the textured surface
- Discoloration along the waterline
- Calcium on tile bands above or below the pebble finish
- Scale on attached spas with pebble interiors
The result is a pebble surface that shows its original color and texture again — usually a noticeable difference from the dulled, hazy appearance years of calcium creates.
Why Our Process Works for Pebble Surfaces
We adjust three things specifically for pebble finishes:
Media choice. Glass beads only. We don’t use Kieserite salt or any coarser media on Pebble Tec, because the cement matrix between pebbles is more porous than ceramic tile glazing and could absorb residual mineral content.
Pressure level. We drop the air pressure to the low end of our normal range — typically 50 to 70 psi. That’s enough to lift surface calcium but not enough to dislodge pebbles.
Angle and dwell time. We work at a flatter angle to the surface, with shorter dwell time in any one spot. This distributes the media’s impact rather than concentrating it.
These adjustments mean Pebble Tec jobs take slightly longer than equivalent ceramic tile jobs, but the result is a clean surface with the pebble matrix fully intact.
Should You Seal After Cleaning?
Pebble Tec themselves recommend against most aftermarket sealants, and we agree. Sealants that look glossy when first applied tend to haze over within 6–12 months in Texas sun and chlorine exposure, leaving a duller surface than you started with.
There are exceptions. If you have unusually heavy calcium return on a specific pool, we can discuss specific penetrating sealers during the assessment. For most Lakeway pools, the right answer is: clean every 2–3 years, keep your water chemistry balanced, skip the sealant.
Pebble Tec Cleaning Questions
My pool installer said never to clean Pebble Tec. Is that wrong?
What they meant was “don’t clean it the wrong way.” Most aggressive cleaning methods damage pebble finishes. Bead blasting at low pressure with fine glass media doesn’t — it’s the method even Pebble Technology Inc. acknowledges is safe when performed by a trained operator.
Will my pebbles look different after cleaning?
They’ll look the way they did when your pool was new. Most homeowners are surprised at how much color the pebbles have once the calcium and dulling minerals are removed.
Is it safe for older Pebble Tec?
We’ve cleaned Pebble Tec surfaces 15+ years old without damage. The key is using the right media and pressure. We adjust both based on the age and condition of your specific surface.
Do you also clean the waterline tile band?
Yes. Most Lakeway Pebble Tec pools have a glass mosaic or ceramic tile band at the waterline. We clean both surfaces in the same visit.
Get a Free Pebble Tec Assessment
If you have a Pebble Tec, Pebble Sheen, or other pebble finish pool in Lakeway, we’ll come out, look at the surface, and tell you honestly whether bead blasting will restore it.