Plaster issues....going to paint

[kevreh]

Hi;


After owning my house for 7 years its time to drain the pool and address the plaster. Basically, its wearing off in places. The pics below show the nature of it, even though it looks worse now that the pool is empty and dry.

I have a few questions;

-Am I correct in saying this is plaster? For a pool 30 years old is there anything else it could be (based on the pics below)?
-Is this normal wear and tear or accelerated by high PH (new SWG about a year ago)?
-Why the circles?

The surface is stable, not flaking or falling off (except for a couple flakey areas on the steps). Where its worn off is very thin, say, no more than a 1/16 inch. So I don't think it needs a filler or anything(?) For the "paint" I plan to do 2-part epoxy (probably the Olympic Zeron).

Before anyone says anything, yes I know re-plastering is better :lol: . The $$ for that just isn't an option right now.

I'll continue reading previous threads here on the repair process. If anyone has any good reading on preparing the surface for paint feel free to post a link. At this point I plan to do the acid wash, tsp, then rinse.



TIA,
Kevin

 

[PoolGuyNJ]

High pH typically forms scale.

Yes, it's plaster and it is shot. The hole is a likely from a delamination blister that popped.

Check for other blisters. If you don't remove and fill them, the paint will fail. Plaster patch is less $$ than Poxyfil but may take longer to dry.

Watch the weather! War and dry spells are needed.

Prime it with Gunzite.

Paint with Zeron.

Here is their web site. Lots of good in and when you call, they know the answers.

http://www.kelleytech.com/olympic/default.asp

Scott

 

[kevreh]

Thanks for the feedback. No blisters/loose plaster to speak of. The directions at the site you sent are *very* detailed. Thing I'm not sure about is how deep the rough areas can be before needing filler. 1/8"?

Thanks again....
Kevin

 

[PoolGuyNJ]

That is up to you. What can you live with in terms of visual defects?

Scott

 

[kevreh]

Yeah, the cosmetic "splotchiness" you see isn't deep, just mostly cosmetic. Should easily be covered by the epoxy. The circles go a little deeper, maybe 1/8". Guess I'll need to fill those.

Can't find too much out there on poxyfil. I have some Patch It from Leslies....not sure if that would be suitable or not since its such a thin application.

Kevin

 

[Guest]

Must....resist....urge.....to....comment....on.......paint........

Can you patch for now and save up for a re-plaster at a later date? I'm sorry, but I just know how this is going to end......

 

[kevreh]

Yeah? Hows that? I've read where some people have issues, while others have had good outcomes. Seems like if you don't pay attention to details/instructions it can go bad. As others have said preparation is key. Also, seems like all pool "paint" is lumped into 1 category when there's different products at different qualities and (of course) price points.

Do you happen to have any observations about the epoxy paints?


Thanks,
Kevin

 

[Guest]

Well, after almost 15 years in the business, I have never seen a painted pool make the 2 year mark, regardless of prep or product. I have seen and heard a lot of claims (which seem to make the sale), none of which come to fruition.

I'm just trying to save you the time, effort and expense of the process and offer some real world insight. I have nothing to sell you, so this isn't about me Just hate to see another person go through the painted pool experience....

Like I've said many times before, if paint was a viable option, you'd see all kinds of guys listed in the Yellow Pages. Slim pickin's, at best, and for good reason.

 

[PoolGuyNJ]

I admit that to a certain degree,I agree with Bruce. I have found the Kelly/Olympic line of epoxy paint to last longer than acrylic and rubberized paints. Pretty tough stuff. It does last longer, assuming you do the prep well and let it cure an appropriate amount of time.

When painting steps and slopes, remember to add some pool sand to the paint for an anti-slip texture. Just sprinkling it on top looks like Crud and wears off too easily. The Kelly site says sprinkle but don't.

When the time comes to decide whether to repaint of plaster, the old will need to be chipped out. A sandblaster won't cut it.

Scott

 

[kevreh]

Good tip on the sand...I was going to go the sprinkle route but will not now. When you say: "When the time comes to decide whether to repaint of plaster, the old will need to be chipped out." do you mean the epoxy will need to be chipped out? Don't quite understand what you wrote.

The whole re-plastering vs. painting thing is a bit of a sore spot for me. Money not being an issue, I'd love to go the better route. For that matter I'd love to drive a BMW too :-D

But $4k+ isn't do-able. Plus, I've read that the plaster of today isn't like what it used to be and expect about 5 years from it, based on who you talk to. So, if my epoxy costs are under $1k (based on my needed coverage) and it gets me a couple years so be it.

I'm just trying to get to the truth, beyond "re-plastering is better and paint sucks".

:?
Kevin

 

[Guest]

The whole re-plastering vs. painting thing is a bit of a sore spot for me. Money not being an issue, I'd love to go the better route. For that matter I'd love to drive a BMW too :-D

But $4k+ isn't do-able. Plus, I've read that the plaster of today isn't like what it used to be and expect about 5 years from it, based on who you talk to. So, if my epoxy costs are under $1k (based on my needed coverage) and it gets me a couple years so be it.

I'm just trying to get to the truth, beyond "re-plastering is better and paint sucks".

:?
Kevin

If you want to drive a BMW, but you buy a Yugo and expect it to perform like a BMW, then you have a problem :-D Now, if you are willing to accept that you want a BMW but will accept the Yugo, then that is a different story!

Paint is a short term consolation for a pool. It will not last, and it costs less (and is not as widely accepted; kinda like a Yugo!) than plaster for a reason. My thought is that if I want a BMW I'm not going to "waste" that money on a Yugo; I'll save the Yugo money and add it to the BMW fund until I can get what I want, just like I would save the paint money to apply to plaster later.

Today's plaster is not formulated like the plaster of years ago. The old formulation was cement and silica. Today it is cement and limestone, which is much softer (silica is a 7 on the Mohs scale, limestone is a 3 and your fingernails are about a 2 1/2). Still, you should achieve 10 years of service from plaster today (most plasterers will provide a 5 year bonding warranty, which may be what you are being told). That is 5 times the life of paint, and not at 5 times the cost (plus you are not doing the labor!).

I drive Chevy's, but Mama drives a BMW It was worth waiting and saving for. I also have a PebbleSheen pool; also worth waiting for! Sometimes you do get what you pay for! In the end, it is all what you are willing to accept. Good luck!

 

[kevreh]

Ok, after some soul searching I decided to go the plaster route. Actually went with Diamondbrite. Found a local plasterer who offered it at a price that was too tempting to pass on.

Plaster color is French Grey. Wow, what a difference!! Almost looks like blue food coloring was added to the water. Assume its the quartz in the Diamondbrite doing this.

Also decided to re-do the tiles too, with glass 3/4" tiles. After a good amount of reading and research I found a tile and thinset/technique I could trust. Doing the tile was a bit more than I thought it would be, mostly cause the learning curve.

Picts below....

 

[Guest]

Very pleased to hear you did not paint :-D Great looking pool!