Over the years we have received many emails and letters from customers who used epoxy swimming pool paint to refinish their pool. Within a short amount of time, many of the pools were showing signs of epoxy pool paint failure, and the distraught pool owners were again searching for a solution to their pool refinishing [...] [...more]
Over the years we have received many emails and letters from customers who used epoxy swimming pool paint to refinish their pool. Within a short amount of time, many of the pools were showing signs of epoxy pool paint failure, and the distraught pool owners were again searching for a solution to their pool refinishing needs. A number of the testimonials came with photos, and one client referred to swimmers emerging from her pool looking like smurfs!
The main reason that epoxy pool paint fails is that it is paint and not a coating that is made for water containment. If you are not permitted to put water in your pool for 5 to 7 days after the application of the refinish, you are using swimming pool paintand it will last only about 2 years if that. UltraGuard has the only industrial coating in the pool industry today and the only true epoxy high build that will not chalk, blister or flake providing the pool is prepped properly.
Refinishing your pool is a big job that you want to do right the first time. Don’t waste time on epoxy pool paints which will fail and cause you to undertake the job too soon. Check out our no nonsense warranty, get the details on how to choose a finish for your pool, do the job once, and then enjoy your pool!
So you have opened your pool for the season, and are surprised at how ragged it looks. Perhaps this is the year to do that repaint job you’ve been putting off? Here are some tips for prepping your painted concrete pool for a new paint job.
The first thing you must do is find [...] [...more]
So you have opened your pool for the season, and are surprised at how ragged it looks. Perhaps this is the year to do that repaint job you’ve been putting off? Here are some tips for prepping your painted concrete pool for a new paint job.
The first thing you must do is find out if you have a rubber based paint. Take a slither of you paint to a paint store to be tested. If they don’t have the time to do this for you, buy MEK in the solvent department. Place the sliver of paint in a glass with the MEK and let sit for 4-5 hours. If the chemistry of the paint changes in any way, slippery, slimy or starts to dissolve, it is a rubber-based paint. If there is no change you can use the UltraGuard primer bond coat.
Step one - Wash the pool with Tri-sodium Phosphate (TSP)
Every pool must firsrt be scrubbed with TSP. This product can be bought at home or hardware stores and is now available in liquid form. The TSP should be applied in 15 to 20 foot sections and immediately rinsed after each section. Do not permit mixture to dry on the wall.
A pump should be kept at the bottom drain to evacuate the liquids at all times.
Step two - Acid wash the pool
The acid washing causes etching of the pool. Depending upon the hardness of your water the acid content will very. First add water to a 5-gallon plastic pail then add the acid according to directions that are on acid container. Always wear gloves and goggles. Pour acid solution onto the walls in sections by walking around the top of your pool. When the bubbling stops rinse immediately. Do not permit the solution to dry on the wall. When the walls are completed then do the floor.
Step three – Wash the pool again
Immediately after the acid wash, the pool must be scrubbed once again with the TSP, which will neutralize the acid. The TSP and acid will act as a barrier if the pool is not thoroughly washed down.
Step four – Sanding the pool
The entire pool must be lightly sanded with a 36-grit sanding pad on a small hand grinder with a fiberglass-backing pad. You can also get this at a home or hardware store that sells tools. The pool must be clean and dust free prior to the primer bond coat.
Keep in mind that every pool needs a different in prep. That is why we speak to every one of our customers prior to applying the UltraGuard. We consider these additional instructions as proprietary, so contact us today for information on repainting your pool for the season!
Green algae is a common swimming pool problem. It is often caused by incorrect chlorine levels or other chemical maintenance issues. An aging plaster pool with a rough surface is the ideal place for algae to adhere. Often, an acid wash is the only solution, but also makes the problem worse, as it makes the [...] [...more]
Green algae is a common swimming pool problem. It is often caused by incorrect chlorine levels or other chemical maintenance issues. An aging plaster pool with a rough surface is the ideal place for algae to adhere. Often, an acid wash is the only solution, but also makes the problem worse, as it makes the surface rougher, which more easily harbors algae, and is apt to cause scrapes and sore feet for the bathers.
Refinishing your pool with an Ultraguard product can greatly decrease the need for expensive chemical treatments to get rid of green algae. The smooth, tile-like surface does not allow algae to adhere. It can be washed off easily with a sponge and mild detergent. And the smooth surface does not cause blisters, scrapes or bleeding as an aging plaster surface is prone to do.
In addition to these benefits, the cost of maintaining your pool water will be less, because the Ultraguard surface does not interact with pool chemicals as a plaster surface does. As a result, less chemicals are needed to maintain the proper balance for your pool water.
We have been asked over and over again about the difference between Swimming Pool Paint and UltraGuard. Pool paint, and even epoxy paint, are just what they claim to be: Paint! UltraGuard AC is an industrial pool coating, and has many benefits that paint cannot provide.
UltraGuard AC can flex, and it won’t become brittle. It [...] [...more]
We have been asked over and over again about the difference between Swimming Pool Paint and UltraGuard. Pool paint, and even epoxy paint, are just what they claim to be: Paint! UltraGuard AC is an industrial pool coating, and has many benefits that paint cannot provide.
Before Ultraguard AC
UltraGuard AC can flex, and it won’t become brittle. It won’t chalk or turn yellow after application. It never has to be removed because it is the most durable permanent swimming pool surface in the world.
The smooth non-abrasive surface of Ultraguard AC will not roughen over time, and the non-porous surface cannot host algae or stains. The water proof barrier provided by Ultraguard AC gives an aged pool a new structural membrane.
Because UltraGuard AC does not have to be scrubbed, acid washed, or painted ever again, and because it requires less swimming pool chemicals and maintenance, it saves YOU effort, time, and money!
Most paint products have clay products and additives, which are water or oil based.
Products, which are based with solvents such as MEK, Acetones or zylenes, usually have a pot life of 3-4 hours. Any coating at time of mixing with a 3-4 hour pot life is a paint and positively not a EHB. [...] [...more]
Most paint products have clay products and additives, which are water or oil based.
Products, which are based with solvents such as MEK, Acetones or zylenes, usually have a pot life of 3-4 hours. Any coating at time of mixing with a 3-4 hour pot life is a paint and positively not a EHB. Any product that needs to be heated or a solvent added to it usually will break down and oxidize in a short period of time and will chalk.
If a product contains over 20 percent powders such as some epoxy paints they are not true 100% solids and contain too many powders this will in time cause flaking and delamination. Some can have up to 68% powders, which will never stand up to any kind of water containment. Epon epoxy resins are for floor applications, which a lot of companies use for pool coatings, and they will not stand up to chlorine chemicals. Any product that is water based also is usually a paint product.
Only industrial coatings have any longevity. The easiest way of knowing if it’s a true epoxy high build coating and not the typical epoxy paint, is to find out how long after applying you can add water to your pool. If you must wait 5 to 7 days and be concerned about rain or humidity you know its paint.
If it is called paint do not apply on swimming pools there is a reason it is called paint. Paints and coatings are always a temporary application. For true liquid containment pool coatings, read on…
