We are about a week away from plastering our gunnite pool. I bought five large coins, mostly silver but one copper, to place permanently in the deep end. I'm wondering if they will tarnish, and if so is there a lacquer or clear finish I could apply before attaching them in the pool to keep them shiny?
Tile Accents
- Thread starter CB3
- Start date
I would love to see the coins you have to put in the pool. I really don't know about they will react to the chlorine. What you can do it put another coin that is like the coins you want to use in a bleach water mixture and see what they do. I will have one of experts take a look at this and share what he thinkgs.
Kim
Kim
- May 23, 2015
- 24,474
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I would seal them BEFORE you attach them. If not, the metal will eventually oxidize over time and become tarnished looking. The bare metal can also "bleed" into the plaster and form an ugly ring. Copper will cause green and red colored stains and silver stains are typically dark grey or brown. Silver stains are impossible to remove once they become embedded.
Definitely find some kind of lacquer that is waterproof and seal them in it. There are many brush applied products as well as spray products on the market. You will want to seal all sides. Find something that is designed for architectural and outdoor use. You may need to reapply it every few years if you notice it thinning out.
How to Lacquer Metal | Architecturals.net
Will these coins be above or below the water line?
Definitely find some kind of lacquer that is waterproof and seal them in it. There are many brush applied products as well as spray products on the market. You will want to seal all sides. Find something that is designed for architectural and outdoor use. You may need to reapply it every few years if you notice it thinning out.
How to Lacquer Metal | Architecturals.net
Will these coins be above or below the water line?
The coins will be in the plaster at the bottom of the deep end. I will take photos and post when I get back to the house in a couple of days.
I am having trouble identifying the clear, waterproof (not resistant) sealer that could hold up to the pool environment. Once they are set in the plaster I doubt they could be refinished.
I have considered vacuum sealing them in clear food grade plastic, but I'm afraid repeated passes of a pool cleaning vacuum would wear through that eventually.
Another possibility would be to seal them in poured solid clear acrylic and set that in the plaster. That might get scratched over time.
I may may have to admit this can't be done and keep them shiny through the years, but I thought it would be fun and interesting.
I am having trouble identifying the clear, waterproof (not resistant) sealer that could hold up to the pool environment. Once they are set in the plaster I doubt they could be refinished.
I have considered vacuum sealing them in clear food grade plastic, but I'm afraid repeated passes of a pool cleaning vacuum would wear through that eventually.
Another possibility would be to seal them in poured solid clear acrylic and set that in the plaster. That might get scratched over time.
I may may have to admit this can't be done and keep them shiny through the years, but I thought it would be fun and interesting.
I took the cheap and easy route. I just throw them in the pool for the kids to retrieve. Putting them into the gunite was too complex with a high failure probability.
