Choosing the best pool coating for your pool determines your pool’s longevity, safety, and overall aesthetic. You must consider possible UV damage, bacterial growth, PH levels for safe swimming conditions, and the strength of the original concrete seal when deciding which coating you’ll apply.
Three interior pool coatings can be applied, each with its disadvantages, advantages, and risks.
The main factor controlling the quality of your pool coatings comes from proper surface preparation. The quality of this initial work can mean the difference between a new coating that bonds appropriately to its original surface and one that does not.
Surface preparation includes acid etching, sandblasting, and concrete grinding to achieve a smooth and bondable surface.
Three Kinds of Pool Coatings and the Pros and Cons of each
1) Basic Epoxy Paint Pool coating option:
Basic epoxy pool paint is a resinous paint applied to concrete (or other) surfaces. The unique characteristics of this adhesive material will harden and create a water-repellent seal capable of enduring chemical and UV exposure for approximately 7 – 10 years. It seals the pool. Epoxy paint gives an essential aesthetic, a blue colour, for a pool. By choosing certain shades, different outcomes are possible. Most people will choose light blue paint to mimic the clearness of tropical waters. In contrast, some may use a darker shade to draw more sunlight to warm the pool subtly.
Pros: The main advantage is that epoxy pool paint is the cheapest and easiest to apply. Ontario Specialty Coatings will install this paint system after the concrete has been blasted and ground to a smooth base finish that eliminates an uneven connection.
Cons: While Basic pool paint is durable and lasts approximately seven years, there are additional variables that can chip away at its health.
- Improperly balanced PH will erode the paint and cause chalking.
- Low alkaline water will break down paint particles in the water, giving it an opaque appearance.
- Paint peeling or blistering will occur from deterioration.
- Years of chemical and harsh UV exposure can cause the paint to appear faded, requiring an acid wash to look fresh again.
If choosing basic epoxy pool paint, be aware of your pH levels for longevity out of this coating.
2) Epoxy Resin System Pool coating option:
An upgrade from a basic pool paint system is the epoxy resin system, a superior barrier product. This epoxy system is required to create a suitably smooth surface on your concrete interior before any application can occur. Overall, this amount of quality is worth it.
Pros: Its heavier viscosity means this coating will have a better defence against an improperly balanced PH level.
- Aesthetically it looks pleasant, and you can notice a depth to the colouring.
- The chemical resin is a much thicker substance that professionals can seamlessly spread around the pool’s basin, creating a surface resistant to algae, water, and chemicals.
- Since it is thicker, the epoxy resin coating will not chalk or fade as quickly as the thin layer of basic pool paint.
Cons: While epoxy resin is chemically resistant, its only downside is susceptibility to degradation from UV rays over time.
3) Thermoplastic System Pool coating option:
Perhaps the most expensive but most resistant and durable technology to apply is the Thermoplastic system. The application of this is unique. A particular flamethrower-like device creates the thermoplastic layer by slowly feeding out plastic beads. The beads are melted as they are released; the sprayed coating is then left to harden.
Pros: It is currently the best option of the three, with the only downside being the cost.
- The result is a surface that lasts five or more years longer than an epoxy resin system.
- It is a pH-neutral coating, seamless, UV stable, resistant to algae growth, and does not chalk or chip.
Cons: The cost is relatively high due to its complex application.
Once you have resurfaced your original pool surface, you may want to consider another pool project; a safe poolside surround. Two options are available.
Would you like to learn more about what surfaces you can recoat with a Rubber Poured in Place (PIP) Coating? Read our article ‘Can a Rubber Coating go on Top of Any Surface?’
1) Rubber Surfacing for a Pool Surround: By far, rubber resurfacing is one of the more popular choices for an outdoor area that will see lots of locomotion. It is a spongy surface that will prevent falls if someone drops a drink by the poolside. Additionally, it provides safety for those who like to get a running start on a dive.
Read more about the quality options of rubber surfacing and why Ontario Specialty Coatings uses only the highest quality rubber surfacing in our article ‘Low vs High-Quality Poured Rubber Surfacing’
The slip and UV resistance are desirable, considering it is next to the water where you do not want to take any risks with your leisure time.
2) Epoxy with Polyaspartics Surfacing for a Pool Surround: Epoxy resurfacing with added polyaspartics is also offered, and it adds additional UV and chemical protection alongside the benefits of rubber resurfacing. Indeed, just like the rubber system, the epoxy poolside surround is also non-slip, non-porous, and comes with the ability to create coves, which are smooth transition slopes.
Coves are ideal for safe walking in specific areas. Like the previous applications, epoxy systems, unlike concrete, are resistant to organic overgrowth, adding more health and safety benefits to your outdoor pool area.
Please call Ontario Pool Coatings at (519) 302 8800.
Or contact us online for a quote for your new pool coating.
May 15, 2020 9:59 am