Does anyone know how rubberized pool paint fails.
I have this white chalk in my indoor pool.
The pool was painted in March 2012.
I have this white chalk in my indoor pool.
The pool was painted in March 2012.
Rubberized pool paint
- Thread starter jk37000
- Start date
How was the surface prepped before painting?
What do your chemistry readings look like (i.e. pH, Total Alk, etc.)?
Pool paint requires much more maintenance and re-painting cycles than painting a wall in your house. In general epoxy based paints hold up much better than rubber paints when it comes to pools.
The pool was power washed, Etched with acid and power washed again.
Pool was left to dry for a week.
Pool painted.
Left to dry for a week.
Water added.
Worked well for the first summer and last year, the second summer, had this chalky substance show up.
CH = 250
CYA = 0
TA = 80
pH = 7.8
Copper = 0
Iron = .5
TDS = 900
Pho = 100
Pool was left to dry for a week.
Pool painted.
Left to dry for a week.
Water added.
Worked well for the first summer and last year, the second summer, had this chalky substance show up.
CH = 250
CYA = 0
TA = 80
pH = 7.8
Copper = 0
Iron = .5
TDS = 900
Pho = 100
We see this as pretty much the norm for any type of pool paint. Some sort of failure of the coating, seemingly no matter the type. Pool paints simply do not hold up well for very long. Sorry to rain on your parade.
jk,
Your experience is almost identical to what we read about any pool pain....year after year, regardless of brand.
Epoxy maybe a bit longer but not much.
Your experience is almost identical to what we read about any pool pain....year after year, regardless of brand.
Epoxy maybe a bit longer but not much.
I did get a response from the paint manufacturer. I thought I'd post it for comments.
1.) The amount of product applied, given the approximate square footage of the surface painted, was approximately 3.0 times the recommended wet film thickness for 1 coat
2.) Two coats are recommended
3.) Under normal circumstances we DO NOT recommend that previously painted pools be acid etched
4.) If etching is employed then the surface should be immediately neutralized with a solution of potable water and baking soda followed by pressure washing
5.) Interior pools should be allowed to dry/cure for a minimum of 10-14 days before being filled with water
6.) Since 14 months elapsed before the problem was observed it is most likely not related to the potentially problematic issues noted in 1 - 5
7.) Since the pool is an interior one UV degradation is probably not a contributing factor
8.) The problem at hand is termed “scale”. Scale is often confused with, and reported as “chalking” paint. In most cases the complaint is noted as “swimmers getting white powder on them when they use the pool”.
9.) In almost all cases, reports that the paint has chalked or oxidized are incorrect. The problem is usually one of water chemistry. When the total alkalinity of the pool is allowed to become too low, some of the minerals in the water drop out of solution. The most common mineral formation we see is calcium carbonate [this is what chalk is made of]. This “scale” is a problem that occurs in both painted and non-painted pools, but is far more noticeable on painted pools, The fine dust formed will normally be everywhere in the pool and will have a greasy or oily feel.
11.) Probable causes are failure to maintain a total alkalinity level of 125 – 150 PPM
12.) There are a number of steps that should be taken to alleviate a “scale problem:
13.) Adjust the total alkalinity to a range of 125 – 150 PPM and the calcium hardness to a range of 175 – 225 PPM
14.) Brush the sides of the pool for 4 – 5 days allowing the filter to run
15.) Add a water “clarifier” to the pool water following label directions. This will bind the small particles of powder so they will be removed by the water filter system. Run the filter for 4 – 5 days at 16 – 20 hours per day.
16.) Add a stain and scale control agent to the pool water.
17.) If this does not solve the problem, the pool may require complete water removal and muriatic acid wash.
1.) The amount of product applied, given the approximate square footage of the surface painted, was approximately 3.0 times the recommended wet film thickness for 1 coat
2.) Two coats are recommended
3.) Under normal circumstances we DO NOT recommend that previously painted pools be acid etched
4.) If etching is employed then the surface should be immediately neutralized with a solution of potable water and baking soda followed by pressure washing
5.) Interior pools should be allowed to dry/cure for a minimum of 10-14 days before being filled with water
6.) Since 14 months elapsed before the problem was observed it is most likely not related to the potentially problematic issues noted in 1 - 5
7.) Since the pool is an interior one UV degradation is probably not a contributing factor
8.) The problem at hand is termed “scale”. Scale is often confused with, and reported as “chalking” paint. In most cases the complaint is noted as “swimmers getting white powder on them when they use the pool”.
9.) In almost all cases, reports that the paint has chalked or oxidized are incorrect. The problem is usually one of water chemistry. When the total alkalinity of the pool is allowed to become too low, some of the minerals in the water drop out of solution. The most common mineral formation we see is calcium carbonate [this is what chalk is made of]. This “scale” is a problem that occurs in both painted and non-painted pools, but is far more noticeable on painted pools, The fine dust formed will normally be everywhere in the pool and will have a greasy or oily feel.
11.) Probable causes are failure to maintain a total alkalinity level of 125 – 150 PPM
12.) There are a number of steps that should be taken to alleviate a “scale problem:
13.) Adjust the total alkalinity to a range of 125 – 150 PPM and the calcium hardness to a range of 175 – 225 PPM
14.) Brush the sides of the pool for 4 – 5 days allowing the filter to run
15.) Add a water “clarifier” to the pool water following label directions. This will bind the small particles of powder so they will be removed by the water filter system. Run the filter for 4 – 5 days at 16 – 20 hours per day.
16.) Add a stain and scale control agent to the pool water.
17.) If this does not solve the problem, the pool may require complete water removal and muriatic acid wash.
Most of that is kind of sort of plausible, but this part is just wrong. Mineral scaling happens when TA is too high.
In my experience, pool paint just does not work. I would not use it in a pool. Epoxy used to work fairly well until they changed the formula to lower the strong solvents that create VOCs while the paint dries.
Their points 8 through 11 are nonsense. Scale will never leave a white residue on people and it will never feel oily or greasy. What they are describing is the paint dissolving.
Their points 8 through 11 are nonsense. Scale will never leave a white residue on people and it will never feel oily or greasy. What they are describing is the paint dissolving.
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