Hello to the TFP community! This is my first post. I read the site all winter in preparation for my first summer of caring for my very own, functional pool. I'm ready to 'dive in'. 
Background: We purchased our home last year, it was a foreclosure. Knowing nothing about the pool (or about pools in general), we contacted almost every agency in the phone book to help us get the monstrosity under control. Several of the 'professionals' who came out didn't even know what our pool was constructed from. Some said our only option was to install a vynil liner, some said said we must plaster the pool, some said just fill it in! Yikes! We were in trouble.
As it turns out, we might have the oldest pool in North America. After lots of consultation with many 'pool guys' we finally found one who was comfortable enough to work with us on getting the thing back to its former glory. According to him, the pool (which was constructed in the 1950's) was made with a concrete bottom, and steel (not stainless steel - just plain steel) walls. The company who constructed it is called Patterson Pools . . they are still in business - I called them last year hoping for some help - but was told that I must be mistaken since they haven't build residential pools since the 1950's. When I told them that's when my pool was constructed -they sort of laughed and said they really couldn't help. Oh well - worth a try.
So with a trusty guide we embarked on operation: Save the Pool. The sides were rusty. The motor was non-existent. Did I mention that the 'pump house' (which is partially underground) was filled with 4 feet of water? It was. Luckily the water was ground water and not pool water.
By last August we had a 'functional' pool. It was a whole lot better then where we started. The interior was primed and painted with epoxy paint, and the mechanicals were replaced. One thing we didn't do was to paint the inside of the skimmer inlet. The entire cavity (it is about 1 foot diameter, and 3 feet deep) is completely covered in thick rust. There had been a very disgusting rust streak down the side of the pool wall below the skimmer prior to painting it - and I'm concerned if we don't' do something about this rusty skimmer area that history will repeat itself.
I'm in the process of spring opening, and have found a nice green bloom of algae under the cover yesterday, so I need to SLAM it (and plan to use bleach) but I do not want to fill the water level up to the skimmer yet if I am going to paint the interior of the skimmer ( I seem to remember that epoxy paint needs 5 days to dry?).
Can anyone out there tell me if its ok to paint in there? If not, any other suggestions?
Thanks very much!!
Background: We purchased our home last year, it was a foreclosure. Knowing nothing about the pool (or about pools in general), we contacted almost every agency in the phone book to help us get the monstrosity under control. Several of the 'professionals' who came out didn't even know what our pool was constructed from. Some said our only option was to install a vynil liner, some said said we must plaster the pool, some said just fill it in! Yikes! We were in trouble.
As it turns out, we might have the oldest pool in North America. After lots of consultation with many 'pool guys' we finally found one who was comfortable enough to work with us on getting the thing back to its former glory. According to him, the pool (which was constructed in the 1950's) was made with a concrete bottom, and steel (not stainless steel - just plain steel) walls. The company who constructed it is called Patterson Pools . . they are still in business - I called them last year hoping for some help - but was told that I must be mistaken since they haven't build residential pools since the 1950's. When I told them that's when my pool was constructed -they sort of laughed and said they really couldn't help. Oh well - worth a try.
So with a trusty guide we embarked on operation: Save the Pool. The sides were rusty. The motor was non-existent. Did I mention that the 'pump house' (which is partially underground) was filled with 4 feet of water? It was. Luckily the water was ground water and not pool water.
By last August we had a 'functional' pool. It was a whole lot better then where we started. The interior was primed and painted with epoxy paint, and the mechanicals were replaced. One thing we didn't do was to paint the inside of the skimmer inlet. The entire cavity (it is about 1 foot diameter, and 3 feet deep) is completely covered in thick rust. There had been a very disgusting rust streak down the side of the pool wall below the skimmer prior to painting it - and I'm concerned if we don't' do something about this rusty skimmer area that history will repeat itself.
I'm in the process of spring opening, and have found a nice green bloom of algae under the cover yesterday, so I need to SLAM it (and plan to use bleach) but I do not want to fill the water level up to the skimmer yet if I am going to paint the interior of the skimmer ( I seem to remember that epoxy paint needs 5 days to dry?).
Can anyone out there tell me if its ok to paint in there? If not, any other suggestions?
Thanks very much!!
