Pool mastic replacement. DIY or not

Jump to latest Follow Reply
I like Sikaflex SL. There is a thread here somewhere outlining how to install. You can buy this at Home Depot. It is usually in the masonry area. Tubes run about $12.00 for the quart sized tube (you'll probably have to buy a bigger caulking gun!), and typical pools take 3-4 tubes.

Great stuff; it is actually made for bridge application. Jet fuel resistant too; in case you spill one of your adult beverages, it should be able to handle it :cheers:
 
Not meaning to hijack. Mine needs to be redone too. When I had it done several years ago by pool guys they sprinkled a very fine sand like material on it when it was still tacky. The mastic was a tan color That perfectly matches my tan stamped concrete. I don't remember the color of the "sand" but it blended right in and collects dirt at the same rate and color as the concrete.

Anybody know what this was and where to get?

Thanks, gg=alice
 
I used grey sikaflex and regular masonry sand poured on top very heavily. Then blew off the excess after it dried. Matched the stone I used very well
 

Attachments

  • P1010072.JPG
    P1010072.JPG
    63.5 KB · Views: 1,281
Back from the dead... I am interested in Santastic too and this is the only thread on this forum that brings it up.

As advertised the product looks great. Bags of product the consistency of sand are poured into gaps and cleaned up with water. The mastic remains flexible and forms a water tight seal, claimed to last a life time.


No one on here has used this stuff??
 
I decided to try the santastic mastic. I recently ordered and received the mastic. I have yet to install the mastic as the old mastic needs to be removed and it was a poor job putting it in. Plus some coping cracking appeared recently and wanted to get that addressed before any other repairs were made in case some large repairs needed to be done. Will give feedback on the mastic in the near future.
 
Installed the mastic today. Real easy! Hardest part is removing the old stuff. I like the way it fills the gap and is level with the coping and the deck if wanted. Used a grout bag. (like a pastry/cake decorating bag) filled the gaps and moistened. Added mixture as needed in low areas. Easy to work with. gonna keep an eye on it for the next few days and then see how well it handles the summer activities. Having used a caulking gun in other home improvement areas, this is, in my opinion, a lot easier to install.
 
So a local DFW company called Blue Horizon pools developed this stuff Santastic. I called them a few months back to ask about the product and was told that they stopped manufacturing it because of too many product failures. They have gone back to installing/recommending deck-o-seal only. They should really take those youtube videos down...

There are several threads on TFP where Sikaflex is recommended and I started to go down this route as it's a fraction of the cost Deck-o-seal. So here's the problem with the Sika SL product that's sold at Home Depot, it's only chlorine resistant to 5 ppm. Even the 2-part 2c-SL product can only handle 5 ppm. (See the PDS PDFs linked below). Deck-o-seal on the other hand is "resistant to most chemicals" per their documentation. So sadly, for the coping/deck joints it looks like deck-o is the only truly sustainable option. :(
I'll definitely use Sika everywhere else...
 
  • Like
Reactions: RocioA

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
I called www.ultimatepoolseal.com yesterday and spoke with owner. He was familure with santastic failures.
1-877-766-5654. He says his product will sometimes separate from one side or the other because is compresses real will but it will not stretch. When that happens you premix some product you have leftover into a playdough and pack it into the crack. Eventually you wont see anymore cracks and you will never have to remove or replace the product for the life of the pool. So he says. The advantage to this is you can align a higher edge of your deck to a lower edge of your coping because it will set up at a slant. Self leveling Sikaflex and Deck-o-seal will not. Disagvantage is you will have to fill in cracks as they appear. Another advantage is the product shelf life is forever and long as you keep it dry. I'm going to try it next week while on vacation. Will let you know the results. The worse that can happen is I'll have to replace it just like the deck-o-seal.. I did talk to a Guardian Pool Svc in TX that does this type of work and he told me to use sikaflex. he said it's a much better product than deck-o-seal and lasts longer. I live too far away from him to do the work. I'm still going to use ultimate pool seal. It looks easier to install and I like being different. That's why I switched to BBB and dumped the pool store!!
 
FYI - My son and I installed Santastic last summer. No go at all! Looked great for one season. I haven't removed it yet but it is peeling off and whenever I hose down my deck and coping area, big chunks come off....wouldn't recommend it at all. On my way to HD to buy Sikaflex SL....
 
I used E-Z Patch E-Z Joint Seal - comes in a caulk tube. Expensive, but you dont need to mix (the pros have the skills needed for mixing - pay extra for the pre-mixed tubes and you don't need to find/hire a pro).

here is what I did (do this on a partly sunny or cool day and wear kneepads):

1. slice the sides of the existing joint with a box cutter to seperate it from the walls of the gap (dig in as deep as you can). this is a critical step, you really really want to CUT/scrape as much of the existing joint out as possible at this stage.
2. peel out the existing joint.
3. remove the existing backer rod (may still be attached to the existing joint when you pull it out)
3. using a 4" angle grinder with a COARSE stripping wheel (NOT a wire wheel or a sanding disc), grind the remaining joint bits off the insides of the gap. NOTE: you WILL NEED A RESPIRATOR MASK AND GOGGLES. The fumes are terrible!!!!
4. vacuum any remaining debris out of the gap
5. lay the backer rod into the gap to achieve the required depth for the caulk (Depth of joint should be 1/3 to 1/2 the width of joint. (1/4" minimum depth)
6. cut the caulk tube and pour sealant into the gap until almost near the top.
7. continue cutting and pouring caulk until the gap is filled.

its a pain in the Rear, but its not difficult.
 
I used santastic magic last year. It lasted about 6 months. It looked great after the install but it just didn't hold up well. It seemed like the miracle product we've all been looking for but it just doesn't last. After a short time it started absorbing moisture and losing its shape.

I'm looking at doing decoseal next but the original mastic around my pool was a more sandy polymer. I can't figure out what the original guys used. It held up for about 4 years before cracking and peeling.
 
Just an FYI, I also tried Santastic a few years ago, and it lasted about a year until starting to deteriorate. Like others reported, it looks great at first, but does not last long. I am now looking for options to again replace the mastic. I found this thread while doing a search.

Only good thing I can see with the Santastic is it will be very easy to remove, since just spraying it with a hose can cause chunks to fly off!
 
Thanks for the information. Two questions, why not to use wire wheel, and what is stripping wheel made out of, coated nylon strings? I saw that at a store but seemed like it would not hold up against the cement. Second question: how to have good seal if decking has lifted above pool tile?
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply