Hi all. I wanted to give back something to this site and forum which has taught me so much as a new pool owner by starting a new post on my EcoFINISH pool and provide a long term periodic update. My pool is 20 years old when I bought it and I came to realize it had a plaster delamination problem. After researching the options, I went with the AquaBRIGHT route by repairing the delamination spots in the plaster and then the EcoFINISH, we went with the Granite Blue surface. This was completed Sept 2017.
My observations after a full summer of use the following year:
- Look and aesthetics: the light blue specs in the granite color give is a great blue hue which is noticeable but which still allows great pool visibility into the deep end. The contrasting color sprayed onto the steps is a great look as well. I have not observed any change or degradation in the color at this point in time but it has only been 1.5 years.
- Feel: This is one of may favorite aspects. No one gets scrapes or scratches any more. The rubberized coating with orange peel like texture feels great on the skin. It is also slip resistant to the point where I probably didn't need the installer to roughen up the step areas by raising the height of the heat torch during install. Having that rougher texter is good insurance at the low end of the pool steps but I wish I hadn't done it at the corner steps in the deep end because the texture extended down the wall several feet and it is too scratchy in those spots and you feel it when you horse yourself out of the pool and drag a leg up it. But all in all, the finish is fantastic.
- Durability: So far, so good. I've been looking for bubbles in the coating and can't find any. I've seen some comments about how the AquaBRIGHT doesn't attach well to certain finishes but I can tell you it has adhered very well to the plaster. That combination of mechanical, chemical and thermal bonding on plaster has been a winner in my experience.
- Pool Chemistry: Generally less maintenance and upkeep than I experienced with plaster due I suppose to the inert nature of the coating. Most noticeably, the calcium level doesn't move at all. However, there is one big difference compared to before which is the PH stability. With the plaster, I had to fight high PH with regular additions of muriatic acid. With the EcoFINISH, my PH is on the low end and I actually had to buy some PH Up a couple times in the season to bring it up from 7.1 or 7.2.
Wild card: I experienced issues all summer with keeping my chlorine levels in the target range however I don't know if this was due to the EcoFINISH; I doubt it as I don't see how the inert finish would contribute to it. I had a cloudy pool early in the season because I didn't start the chlorine generator soon enough and had to cut the shock a little short due to a bridesmaid party at my house and with my wife keeping the temperature 83-84 that may have been a factor.
I'm attaching two images, one that day of installation with the pool empty and the second taken today 5/24/19 with water in it. I would say it looks even more blue on a sunny day.
I'll make another overall update end of season or beginning of next season and keep this post as a periodic long term observation. If you have any questions, let me know!
Steve
My observations after a full summer of use the following year:
- Look and aesthetics: the light blue specs in the granite color give is a great blue hue which is noticeable but which still allows great pool visibility into the deep end. The contrasting color sprayed onto the steps is a great look as well. I have not observed any change or degradation in the color at this point in time but it has only been 1.5 years.
- Feel: This is one of may favorite aspects. No one gets scrapes or scratches any more. The rubberized coating with orange peel like texture feels great on the skin. It is also slip resistant to the point where I probably didn't need the installer to roughen up the step areas by raising the height of the heat torch during install. Having that rougher texter is good insurance at the low end of the pool steps but I wish I hadn't done it at the corner steps in the deep end because the texture extended down the wall several feet and it is too scratchy in those spots and you feel it when you horse yourself out of the pool and drag a leg up it. But all in all, the finish is fantastic.
- Durability: So far, so good. I've been looking for bubbles in the coating and can't find any. I've seen some comments about how the AquaBRIGHT doesn't attach well to certain finishes but I can tell you it has adhered very well to the plaster. That combination of mechanical, chemical and thermal bonding on plaster has been a winner in my experience.
- Pool Chemistry: Generally less maintenance and upkeep than I experienced with plaster due I suppose to the inert nature of the coating. Most noticeably, the calcium level doesn't move at all. However, there is one big difference compared to before which is the PH stability. With the plaster, I had to fight high PH with regular additions of muriatic acid. With the EcoFINISH, my PH is on the low end and I actually had to buy some PH Up a couple times in the season to bring it up from 7.1 or 7.2.
Wild card: I experienced issues all summer with keeping my chlorine levels in the target range however I don't know if this was due to the EcoFINISH; I doubt it as I don't see how the inert finish would contribute to it. I had a cloudy pool early in the season because I didn't start the chlorine generator soon enough and had to cut the shock a little short due to a bridesmaid party at my house and with my wife keeping the temperature 83-84 that may have been a factor.
I'm attaching two images, one that day of installation with the pool empty and the second taken today 5/24/19 with water in it. I would say it looks even more blue on a sunny day.
I'll make another overall update end of season or beginning of next season and keep this post as a periodic long term observation. If you have any questions, let me know!
Steve
