Old Pool, First-Ever Plaster Or Stay With Epoxy?

Chuck_Davis

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Aug 6, 2010
176
Durham, NC
Our pool was originally installed with epoxy over concrete. It has never been plastered. (The homeowner that installed this pool was actually a pool contractor. This is not the only aspect of the pool that leads me to question his sanity and/or competence.)

We had the pool refurbed and painted with Olympic Zeron in 2011. There was a lot of osmotic blistering, but overall the paint held up pretty well until last year. Five years life was about what the company that did the refurb predicted.

I don't yet have any quotes, but our choice for this spring would appear to be repainting with epoxy or (if possible) prepping the surface and applying plaster for the first time.

I'd appreciate comments from the community on the cost-benefit of the two approaches. We plan to be in the house for 5-10 years.

For epoxy I'm considering AquaGuard 5000. Does anybody have experience with that product? They offer a 10-year (roller application, 3 coats) or 15-year (spray application, 1 coat) warranty. They claim that their product goes on especially thick (up to 60 mil when sprayed).

When the pool was pressure washed in 2011 to prep for the new epoxy, some epoxy came off and some stuck, resulting in a very uneven surface. The pool company had to do a lot of extra surface prep and (thank goodness) absorbed the cost of applying 4-5 coats of epoxy to (mostly) even out the surface.

Does anybody know the realities and practicalities of prepping a 20 year old pool that has never been plastered, and that has had several coats of epoxy applied, for a first-ever coating of plaster? Does the surface preparation experience in 2011 indicate potential problems?

We are in Central North Carolina and don't close the pool in winter. I am using the BBB care plan.

Thanks!
 
I think your best bet is to talk to some local pool builders and rely on their expeirience. Try contacting Brian at East Coast Pool Finishers in Greensboro. He should be able to tell you what will work and what won't. He recently replastered our pool in Chapel Hill and we were very happy with his recommendations and work. He does quite a lot of work in Durham and Chapel Hill.
 
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