May 13
Posted: under Pool Restoration, pool paint, pool resurfacing, swimming pool resurfacing.
Tags: acid wash, pool paint, swimming pool paint, swimming pool prep, Ultraguard primer coat
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!
Apr 15
Posted: under Pool Restoration, pool paint, pool resurfacing, swimming pool resurfacing.
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.
Oct 23
Posted: under pool resurfacing.
Tags: plaster pool disaster, pool paint, pool resurfacing, ultracrete, ultraguard
Our newly built pool, which had a plaster finish, started to fail after 2 years. After many attempts of contacting Sylvan and Anthony Pools to correct the deteriorating plaster problem with no success, we realized [...] [...more]
Our newly built pool, which had a plaster finish, started to fail after 2 years. After many attempts of contacting Sylvan and Anthony Pools to correct the deteriorating plaster problem with no success, we realized how sensitive of a product plaster really is. Our builder claimed that we were at fault because how we handled our water chemistry maintenance. This was not true.
We did research on plaster and found out that there is a national crises called the “Plaster Disaster”, where consumers today have no recourse and are always blamed for the plaster failures by the pool contractor.
After speaking with the UltraGuard’s referrals and testimonials, we realized this was the only product to consider.
Thank you UltraGuard.
Steve and Christine Jandovitz, Fairless Hills, PA
Oct 16
Posted: under pool resurfacing.
Tags: gunite, marcite, plaster, pool paint, pool resurfacing
Your original Plaster Pool probably lasted 10-22 years. On a plaster swimming pool resurfacing, the life expectancy [...] [...more]
Your original Plaster Pool probably lasted 10-22 years. On a plaster swimming pool resurfacing, the life expectancy is ONLY 5-6 years and sometimes less. We have heard countless stories from customers who have tried plaster resurfacing only to have the product fail in little more than a year. Your best solution is to get away from plaster completely and use UltraGuard to resurface your swimming pool. Our two-part system forms a chemical bond with your swimming pool that will not flake, chalk, or delaminate. We guarantee it!