Pool Tile Cleaning & Calcium/Scale Removal

Your Pool Tile Deserves to Shine

That white crusty buildup along your waterline is not just dirt. It is calcium scale, and it makes your beautiful pool look neglected and ugly. The longer it sits, the thicker it gets and the harder it becomes to remove. Regular cleaning cannot touch it. Scrubbing with a brush barely makes a dent. You need professional tile cleaning to restore your pool's appearance.

We provide expert pool tile cleaning and calcium scale removal throughout Cupertino and the Bay Area. Using professional techniques and specialized equipment, we remove years of buildup and make your tile look brand new again. The difference is dramatic, and your pool instantly looks cleaner and more inviting.

What Causes Calcium Scale Buildup

Calcium scale forms when minerals in your pool water evaporate and leave deposits behind. This happens naturally in all pools, but it is especially common in California because our water is naturally hard. Hard water contains high levels of calcium and other minerals.

As water evaporates at the waterline, it leaves these minerals behind. Day after day, the deposits build up. What starts as a faint white film becomes a thick crusty layer. The buildup typically appears right at the waterline where evaporation is most active. It can also form on steps, spa spillways, and anywhere water splashes and evaporates frequently.

Two types of calcium scale form on pool tiles. White calcium carbonate scale is more common and easier to remove. Gray or brown calcium silicate scale is harder and takes more aggressive treatment. Both types are ugly and both require professional cleaning to fully remove.

Several factors make scale buildup worse. High pH levels accelerate scale formation. High calcium hardness in your water provides more material for deposits. Warmer water temperatures increase evaporation. This is why scale builds up faster during California summers. Our weekly maintenance service includes water chemistry monitoring to slow scale formation, but eventually all pools need tile cleaning.

How We Clean Pool Tile

We use several different methods to clean tile depending on the type of tile, severity of buildup, and specific situation. Here are the main techniques we employ:

Bead blasting: This is the most effective method for heavy calcium deposits. We use a specialized tool that shoots tiny glass beads under pressure to gently remove scale without damaging tile or grout. Bead blasting strips away even thick stubborn buildup and leaves tile looking perfect. The glass beads are softer than tile, so they remove scale without scratching or pitting the surface.

Acid washing: For moderate buildup, we apply professional-strength acid solutions that dissolve calcium deposits. We carefully control acid concentration and contact time to remove scale without damaging tile finishes. This method works well on ceramic and porcelain tiles but requires careful technique to avoid etching.

Pumice stone: For light to moderate scale on durable tile, we use pumice stones to physically scrub away deposits. This manual method is gentler than bead blasting and works well for regular maintenance cleaning. It takes more time but avoids chemicals and specialized equipment.

Pressure washing: High-pressure water can remove loose scale and clean tile surfaces. This works best for light buildup or as a finishing step after other methods. Pressure washing alone cannot handle heavy calcium deposits.

We assess your tile during our initial visit and recommend the best cleaning method for your specific situation. We always use the gentlest effective method to protect your tile while achieving perfect results.

Why Clean Pool Tile Matters

Beyond aesthetics, cleaning your pool tile provides several practical benefits. Clean tile makes your entire pool look better maintained. When potential home buyers see a pool with clean sparkling tile, they perceive the whole pool as well cared for. Dirty scale-covered tile suggests neglect even if the rest of the pool is fine.

Removing scale also protects your tile. Heavy calcium deposits trap moisture and chemicals against tile surfaces. Over time, this can damage grout, cause tiles to loosen, and lead to expensive tile repair or replacement. Regular tile cleaning extends the life of your tile installation and prevents bigger problems.

Clean tile is also easier to maintain going forward. Once we remove heavy buildup, lighter maintenance becomes much simpler. You can keep tile cleaner longer with regular brushing during our weekly service visits. Many customers schedule professional tile cleaning once a year to keep their pool looking its best.

What to Expect During Service

Tile cleaning typically takes 2 to 4 hours depending on your pool size and how much buildup needs removal. For light cleaning, we can often work with water in the pool. For heavy buildup or certain cleaning methods, we may need to lower the water level a few inches below the tile line.

We protect your pool and surrounding areas before starting work. Drop cloths cover decking near work areas. We contain debris and rinse everything thoroughly when finished. The work area looks clean when we leave.

You can usually swim the same day after tile cleaning, though we recommend waiting a few hours if we used acid treatments. This gives any residual chemicals time to fully dissipate. If we needed to lower water level, we refill to normal level and adjust chemistry before you swim.

The results are immediately visible. Your tile goes from dingy and encrusted to bright and clean. Colors that were hidden under white scale suddenly show through. The transformation often surprises homeowners who forgot what their tile originally looked like. If your pool needs other services like our deep cleaning or algae treatment, tile cleaning makes a great addition for a complete pool restoration.

Frequently Asked Questions