Pool painting using industrial products

[q8670]

Hi All,
Most pool companies in my area (around Toronto, Canada), all use Ramuc High Build Epoxy when painting pools.
There is one very experienced sand blasting company that has painted commercial pools for many years that says Ramuc High Build Epoxy is not a durable product.
He uses:
Two coats of epoxy Macro Epoxy 646 from Sherwin Williams.
Third and final coat using PPG Durethane.
I have attached some info on both products.
Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

[ajw22]

You have products available in Canada that are not allowed in the USA.

@Lake Placid commented about paints in...

Pool paint / epoxy - how to safely empty pool?

hello! Bought our new home last fall, and are now pool owners. Previous owners used a pool company , but upon testing I found extremely high CYA and some other chemical imbalances, so we chose not to continue with that company. We rode out the season and closed it up. Now, I’ve had to lower...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Lake Placid]

Durability of all pool epoxy paints has been effected for years in the states due to the EPA forcing reformulations of the products years ago. Just a sad fact for a "cleaner environment".

 

[q8670]

Do you think there is anything to the the point that the paints and coatings marketed for 'pools' are safer for humans than the products Macro Epoxy 646 from Sherwin Williams and PPG Durethane? Or due to the chemical reaction that occurs; will there not be any dangerous leaching?

 

[Lake Placid]

Do you think there is anything to the the point that the paints and coatings marketed for 'pools' are safer for humans than the products Macro Epoxy 646 from Sherwin Williams and PPG Durethane? Or due to the chemical reaction that occurs; will there not be any dangerous leaching?

I’m not sure about your concern for leaching buts it’s a definitive possibility. Often times that data is buried in tech bulletins that I haven’t taken the time to research in this case. I’d also be concerned about proper adhesion/longevity as you are wanting to mix several different components that may not be designed to lay on top of each other. For instance, many high build epoxies will not lay over rubberized membrane style paint coatings. Thus the prep work to transition from an Olympic Paralon to Olympic Poxolon or Zeron would require blasting all the old rubberized surface prior to coating with new.

You should research any and all tech bulletins and prep guidelines as the products you are wanting to utilize may not work in concert together. You have off the shelf solutions that may not be as durable as you wish, but are known to work vs. trying to cobble something together that may cost you more time in research, money in prep and materials, and still yield unsatisfactory/unproven results.

 

[Capt. Obvious]

I am in the middle of a project where I doing this. I'm using Macropoxy 646, with an overcoat of Sherloxane. Both products are used in water treatment and sewage plants, and for water storage applications so I'm confident the service life in my pool will be much longer than a standard off the shelf consumer pool paint.

As for the possibility of leaching chemicals, I'm not really worried about it. Both the products I am using are routinely used in water treatment plants and USDA approved for use in food manufacturing facilities. Neither are specifically approved for potable water, but according to Sherwin-Williams technical support that is not because they contain any specific compounds that would prevent them being used for potable water, but because they did not spend the money to have them tested/approved for that purpose because they have other similar products that would usually get used instead for that purpose (such as Dura-Plate 6000).

 

[q8670]

I am in the middle of a project where I doing this. I'm using Macropoxy 646, with an overcoat of Sherloxane. Both products are used in water treatment and sewage plants, and for water storage applications so I'm confident the service life in my pool will be much longer than a standard off the shelf consumer pool paint.

As for the possibility of leaching chemicals, I'm not really worried about it. Both the products I am using are routinely used in water treatment plants and USDA approved for use in food manufacturing facilities. Neither are specifically approved for potable water, but according to Sherwin-Williams technical support that is not because they contain any specific compounds that would prevent them being used for potable water, but because they did not spend the money to have them tested/approved for that purpose because they have other similar products that would usually get used instead for that purpose (such as Dura-Plate 6000).

How many coats of Macropoxy 646 are you using?

 

[Capt. Obvious]

I'm not sure yet. At least two coats, but it depends on how much build I can get when I apply it. It will essentially be replacing the gelcoat on my walls so I want it to be on there pretty thick (I'd like 20-30 mils). Same scenario with the concrete portion, I want it thick enough to fully cover the concrete.

I'll also be doing at least two coats of the Sherloxane.

 

[Lake Placid]

I'm not sure yet. At least two coats, but it depends on how much build I can get when I apply it. It will essentially be replacing the gelcoat on my walls so I want it to be on there pretty thick (I'd like 20-30 mils). Same scenario with the concrete portion, I want it thick enough to fully cover the concrete.

I'll also be doing at least two coats of the Sherloxane.

Are you planning to use a wet film gauge or just eyeball it on installation?

 

[Capt. Obvious]

Probably a bit of both.