Gunite/concrete pool paint options epoxy vs. gel

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mvoltin

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Aug 1, 2016
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atlanta, GA
There are number of posts with I feel like i am in a unique situation:

My pool (new built DIY) is finished in stucco over concrete (not sure if stucco is substantially different from gunite in composition). Its basically waterproof but ugly and needs to be painted. Painting is the only option; other finishes are cost-prohibitive. Also, it's fully covered - there is no sun/UV light hitting the pool.

Users on this forum have discussed substantial issues with pool paints and don't have high expectations but I will be happy if it lasts 4-5 years. Based on my research, here is what I have and any advise will be appreciated:

Avoid water-based paints.

Epoxy is strong, flexible and waterproof

Gelcoat - polyester based, not as weterproof and more brittle than epoxy but used extensively in fiberglass pools.
  • Can be obtained in any color. (tinted)
  • I was reading that chlorine may damage it but it's used in pools everywhere. Not sure if there is chlorine-proof gelcoat but I couldn't find any special.
  • From everything I have read about delamination and bubbling, it's usually caused by substrate (fiberglass or wood breaking down and then osmosis across gel coat), I cannot imagine that being an issue over stucco/concrete - nothing to delaminate and the rough surface should provide excellent bond after proper cleaning.

I am comfortable working with two-part paints and have done fiberglass work with both epoxy and poly; so, application is not an issue. The cost is also fairly close.

Any suggestions which route to go? Again, this is clean new stucco/concrete/gunite pool fully covered from sun.

thank you.
 
Here are the links:

It's Pool Repair Weekend!

I'd like to use this as a "working thread" for myself and any other pour soul who has the pleasure of facing the feat we will this (long) weekend. Can a pool 40x20 concrete "vintage" (ha!) pool be repaired in a long weekend? Or I guess more appropriately worded would be how well can such a...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

What would you do? Paint colors

Finishing up painting our pool (had to resand and repaint the floor courtesy of mother nature’s monsoon sent our way). When we bought our house the pool was “royal blue”. We went with ocean blue color six years ago when we repainted and I never did like it. So this time around going back to the...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

If your wallet can take the it then plaster is the way to go if at all possible.
 
Thank you, Kimkats.

Read the posts you referenced (all 11 pages of the first one) and dozens more. I didn't get terrible impression - they used water based paint in the sun and it held up reasonably well for 3 years. I am planning on using epoxy paint in a covered pool and will be happy if it lasts 2 years or more (it should last 5 years if waterborne lasts 3?).

Having to spend $500 every 2 years (the worst case scenario) on paint seems to be much better than spending $10,000 every 10 years for plaster (even better when considering present value of that money). Reading the post you referenced encouraged me even more...

I am not trying to argue but want to understand - I have been devouring information on the web and this forum and cannot get why everybody seems against paint, yet the majority of people who actually use it get at least 2 years out of it? I really don't want to go wrong route here but want to make sure it makes sense whatever decision I make.

P.S. If painting is OK, what about the gel coat? - it's accepted finish for fiberglass pools and lasts 10+ years. It's also paint used on the bottom of boats. Why wouldn't one use it instead of epoxy on concrete pool if the substrate is clean and smooth?
 

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First, I guess prices are going crazy now. My estimate for full chip out and replaster for a 12K pool was just over $5k, about three years ago. That's still not as good as your paint budget over 10 years ($2500), but includes none of the DIY labor. With diligent TFP care, you could easily stretch the life of plaster to 15 years, maybe even 20. In which case your paint cost projections would be a bust, even if you don't count your labor. If plaster is now really $10K, yikes. So much for that math.

Regardless, there's something else to consider. And this depends on a lot of factors, so may or may not be an issue for your pool. In some plaster pools, the water is part of the structure. In two ways:

- It's the weight of the water that is holding the pool to the ground. Exterior ground water can float even a gunite pool right out of the ground. No fix for that. Total loss. There goes your budget.

- And it can be the pressure of the water that is holding the plaster to the walls. Relieving that pressure can result in blisters forming in the plaster, and ruining the finish. This is more likely for aging plaster, but I saw it for myself in my six-year-old pool when it was drained.

So painting a pool is not like painting a house. Removing the water completely every couple of years is risky. Pay attention to the surrounding water table when you do it, and hope that the paint layers you've been applying can keep the old plaster from popping off.

Good luck, let us know how it turns out!
 
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Thank you, I will continue reading and will report back on the decision and longevity. I am so grateful for all the info this forum has given me and will report back so that others can benefit.

Also, just to answer Dirk's question: These are valid points for 99% of pools but I think my situation is little different in respect to the ground water: - My pool is right against a structure from three sides (house/garage/driveway all of which drain water away from the pool) and it has paved patio from the forth side that also directs water away. The house is on a hill and when I dug the pool area it was completely dry and stayed dry for weeks. So, I am assuming the ground water pressure should be less likely a problem but I understand the point about the plaster popping out when emptying the pool.

Again, I will continue exploring the options - have to decide the finish with a week or so.

P.S. The pool itself is an interesting built and hope it will work - I will post info in a separate thread in a few days: it's under a deck against house/garage/driveway. Not big- about 11,000 gallons with built-in hot-tab as part of the pool (not on a separate level). The plumbing is done in a way that water either circulates in the entire pool or just in a hot-tub area. Idea is that I will put fiberglass divider between the hot-tub and the rest of the pool when I want to heat up just the hot-tub (and divert circulation only there). This was done for number of reasons but the primary was that the limited pace under the deck and wanted to maximize entire area for the pool that is going to be used much more than the hot-tub alone. Also, combining them makes pool much nicer to use - kids/adults can swim into hot-tab area and sit and enjoy the jets any time - it's part of the overall pool space. Not 100% sure it will work but we will see in a few weeks...
 
mvoltin said:
Also, just to answer Dirk's question: These are valid points for 99% of pools but I think my situation is little different in respect to the ground water: - My pool is right against a structure from three sides (house/garage/driveway all of which drain water away from the pool) and it has paved patio from the forth side that also directs water away. The house is on a hill and when I dug the pool area it was completely dry and stayed dry for weeks. So, I am assuming the ground water pressure should be less likely a problem but I understand the point about the plaster popping out when emptying the pool.
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What is shielding the soil surrounding your pool from rain has very little to do with what I was describing. If your area's water table is such that ground water is going to float your empty pool, it's going to happen. That water is like an underground lake. Diverting rain from falling in one section of a lake doesn't affect the level of the lake. Wherever that water drains to will still fill the lake. And some lakes dry and then refill, seasonally, so the fact that your excavation was dry doesn't prove anything either. I think being on a hill makes a difference. More to the point, you're making an unfounded assumption, you don't actually know if you're going to have this issue or not. If you're right, great. If not, you could destroy your pool. And the solution might be as simple as painting your pool during the right time of year. I was just cautioning you to check on the water table situation for your area, and keep it in mind when you drain.
 
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