Flagstone Coping, Seal or Don't Seal
- Thread starter Slick50
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,446
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I sealed our flagstone coping with deckoshield plus sealer and it is not at all slippery. It didn’t alter the color of the stone either. Ron.
I used a 3 inch nylon bristle brush. It says if the stone needs two coats to put the second coat on before the first one dries. I found mine only needed one coat , I tried to put on a second coat but it just beaded up and didn’t penetrate , which tells you one coat is sufficient. I used it on the flag stone coping, the lueder stone around the spa , and limestone capping on my raised beds.
Very nice...thank you very much for the info, I guess i will buy some and try it. My stone just keeps on chipping, I thought it would eventually stop but it hasnt.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,446
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I doubt a sealer will keep your flagstone from chipping. It is the quality of some stone used in Texas.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,446
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Go for it. It supports the sealer companies. Our economy needs all the support it can get.
BowserB
Silver Supporter
- Jul 29, 2018
- 777
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Hi, Ron. It's eleven months since your June 2020 comment on this product. I'm considering an SWCG (for reasons obvious if you keep up with the news)--again, after being dissuaded by two authorized Pentair dealers in the past. Both talked about my flagstone coping as being at risk from salt. I did a DuckDuckGo search and one of the first things that popped up was Deck-O-Shield Plus. Now that you've had it for a while, is it still working as far as you can tell? Appearance wise, has the sealant added any gloss, semi gloss or satin look to the stone? My wife is adamant that the look of the stone not be changed. She's still complaining almost a year after I used a polymer filler on one stone that was flaking badly. Thanks.
Hi Bill. Appearance wise the stone has kept its natural color , with no added sheen. The flagstone was holding up well till the Texas snow storm of 2021. I’m now seeing some flaking of the stone in some spots. I believe it has more to do with the freezing temps than with the salt. That being said , I don’t regret installing the swg for one minute. The convenience factor alone makes it worth putting up with any slight damage to the stone , if in fact it actually does do any damage. Like I said I believe the small flaking I’m getting is from freeze damage and normal weathering of soft flagstone. Your post reminded me it’s been a year since I applied the deckoshield , I’m on the fence as to whether I would gain anything by reapplying another coat. Hope that helps. Ron.
BowserB
Silver Supporter
- Jul 29, 2018
- 777
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Thanks, Ron. I'm not a DIY'er when it comes to PVC, electricity, and stuff, so I need to go pro. Also for Pentair's full warranty, an authorized dealer must install. I'm getting quotes now. The first one was kind of a shocker at $3,400 for an IC40, power, and installation including salt. I had an old quote from January 2020 from another dealer for $1,900 excluding salt, so I've asked them if their quote is still good--I'm sure it isn't, but I'll see. That's it so far. I've had two dealers decline based on not recommending SWCG. I think I can handle the salt part of the install...right? I figure: Buy bags, dump bags into pool, wait for dissolve, check salt again seems like the procedure. I'm at 1200 now, probably due to use of liquid chlorine.
Any cautions you might suggest about application? Worries about dripping into the pool when you paint the vertical sides of the stones? I was thinking about getting my wife to sit on a float holding a cardboard under the edge as I paint. Your original post was a big help already. Thanks again.
Any cautions you might suggest about application? Worries about dripping into the pool when you paint the vertical sides of the stones? I was thinking about getting my wife to sit on a float holding a cardboard under the edge as I paint. Your original post was a big help already. Thanks again.
Adding the salt is easy , both Home Depot and Lowe’s carry it. If you don’t have it already I suggest getting the Taylor K 1766 salt test. Pool math app will tell you how much to add. I would add less than recommended , wait 24 hours, and test again. That way you don’t overshoot your recommended level. It’s easier to add a little more than to have to remove some. When you add the salt make sure your swg is set to off or set to zero percent and leave your pump running for 24 to 48 hours to make sure it’s fully dispersed. When your salt is at the recommended level set your swg to the percentage you want and enjoy
. When you dump the salt In have your brush ready to push it around till it dissolves.
The deck o shield is very thin so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have some one catch the drips. They recommend 2 coats applied wet on wet. That means apply the second coat before the first one has dried. Easier to do with cool temperatures and out of direct sun light. Ron.
. When you dump the salt In have your brush ready to push it around till it dissolves. The deck o shield is very thin so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have some one catch the drips. They recommend 2 coats applied wet on wet. That means apply the second coat before the first one has dried. Easier to do with cool temperatures and out of direct sun light. Ron.
BowserB
Silver Supporter
- Jul 29, 2018
- 777
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Yes, I always undershoot when adding chemicals, except liquid chlorine, which over doing never hurts and is self correcting anyway. I was planning to get a bag of salt a day at HEB, once I accept a quote. I already have a K1766 test kit I bought over a year ago just to see what the salt content was, since I understood that chlorinating with liquid chlorine leaves salt behind. Right now I'm at 1200 ppm before adding any salt. BTW, I'm having little luck finding Deck-0-Shield here in west Houston. The distributor name sent to me by the mfr is out of stock. Walmart lists the product online, but it's out of stock there, too. I'm on a list at Walmart to be notified when back in stock. It seems everything pool related is in short supply.
Rich807
Bronze Supporter
I feel for anyone afflicted with flagstone coping. I had it put around my 1st pool build & some of it never quit flaking over the 6 years 5 or so years I was there until moving to another house. Swore I'd never do that again & with my current pool life is so much better having concrete.
Wow, I guess we got lucky, we had our Flagstone coping cleaned and sealed about four years ago and it still looks great today. We had the flaking problem and sand building up in the pool. I recall they did it in a day. Don't recall the product, but we have not had any problems since. Now we need someone to repair the little joint going around the outside of the pool, any suggestions? We live in Katy Texas, just outside of Houston.
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