Swimming Pool Paint

A Guide To Painting Swimming Pools

Every year many questions are asked about painting and protecting pools. Polybond technical department aim to give fair, informative, uncomplicated answers, however, there are a whole list of factors which need to be taken into account when specifying the right system for the right pool.

Starting Out

Painting a pool is normally a straightforward job which can be undertaken by most enthusiastic owners. Rarely are there technical problems which cannot be quickly overcome. Using a little commonsense and technical advice, the majority of pools are painted successfully. Sometimes things do go wrong and paints fail for one reason or another. We hope that by going through these check lists and reading this leaflet that some of the most obvious problems can be avoided.

Before painting, the pool should be thoroughly inspected, if you are in the process of acquiring an old pool, there are questions which must be answered by the previous owner or their agent. Like an old car, a maintenance history is very important, keep the information to hand - it may even help to sell your property at a later date.

Whilst the check lists and problem guides below are for the DIY pool owner, the information is just as valid for commercially run pools. We have tried to express most of the information in lay-mans terms but as with all technical subjects, if in doubt please do not hesitate to contact us.

Checklist 1 - The Pool History

1. Who built the pool?
2. Was it professionally constructed or a DIY job?
3. How much money was spent in its construction?
4. The land in which the pool sits? Inclined site, terraced, flat, surrounded by trees etc.?
5. Has the property any history of subsidence?
6. Are there any underground streams or watercourses within the vicinity?
7. How was it originally finished? Rendered, tiled, lined, painted?
8. If painted what was the make of paint used? Solvent or water based? Single or 2 pack?
9. How many coats of paint are there on the surface?
10. Was the pool professionally painted?
11. How was it prepared?
12. Have you a maintenance schedule and record?
13. How has the water been treated? Direct or metered chemical dosing? Do you have any records?
14. Is there any existing maintenance contract with a supplier? Are there any warranties?
15. Have you got old work receipts and addresses of contractors etc.?
16. Has the pool been left filled or unfilled for any length of time? If so, how long?
17. Does the pool lose water? Any leaks?
18. When empty are there signs of water ingress? Especially around the drain for example.
19. The time of year it was painted? The weather if known?
20. Any other useful observations for the record?

Finally on buying a property with a pool the obvious question before taking it over - are there any on-going problems which you should know about.

As pool paint specialists, Polybond can offer advice and assess pool problems. We can also suggest ways to put them right prior to painting. However, we need as much background information as possible to come up with the correct specification for your pool. Keeping a works record, like a car service record will pay dividends in the future and keep you in the swim.

Checklist 2 - When re-painting a known, existing pool

1. Have the walls and floor of the pool been damaged or abraded during the season?

   Y or N

2. Are there any obvious cracks showing old or new?

   Y or N

3. Is the condition of the paint above the waterline different than that below ? i.e. colour, texture.

   Y or N

4. Is there a great discolouration in the old paint-work?

   Y or N

5. Do you know how many coats of paint there are on the surface?

   Y or N

6. In your knowledge, has it ever been stripped back to the original base?

   Y or N

7. Are you losing any water during the season?

   Y or N

8. Is there any sign of the existing paint breaking down? I.e. blistering, cracking, delaminating, chalking etc.

   Y or N

9. Do you know the make and type of paint used previously?

   Y or N

10. Are you sure you know the composition of the surface?

    Y or N

If you have put a ring round any of the red answers, it could indicate problems and we suggest that before painting you contact us for advice.

Remdeial Work

As paint manufacturers, our main priority is to supply and advise on successful application and performance. All remedial work must be completed before applying the Swimming Pool Paint system. Some of this work can be done by the owner, however structural and some leaks, shot blast paint removal must be carried out by the experts.

Beofre painting, the pool must conform to the following:

1. Is it structurally sound, no cracks, leaks, holes etc.
2. All old paint-work must be sound and clean, free of residual pool chemicals, dirt, mould, algae etc.
3. All surfaces must be dry and grease free, especially along the waterline.
4. Surfaces must ideally be continuous and smooth to achieve the best results.
5. Drained down so that water will not siphon back before the paint has dried.
6. Any rust should be treated with a suitable primer before over coating.
7. All holes and minor cracks should be filled with suitable filler for underwater use.
8. Non structural cracks, ie. Around lights, steps, grab handles etc should be sealed with a polyurethane type sealant. (A special primer will be required to paint over this product).
9. If re-painting, check that the paint is sound all over with no blistering or trapped water. Take great care if re-painting a pool which ahs been coated more than 3 to 4 times over the last 4 to 5 years. Underlying paint films eventually break down and should be removed back to the render (See below).
10. That you have read thoroughly all painting instructions on data sheets and contacted our technical department if you are unsure about anything.

Typical Pool Surfaces

Pool Type	Can Be Painted	Standard System Swimming Pool Paint	Specialist System*
Fair faced rendered brick / block construction	Yes	Yes	Yes
Concrete shuttered	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ceramic tiled	No	No	No
Rendered and composite finish i.e marbelite or marbeline	Yes	No	Yes
Rubber Liner over render	No	No	No
GRP moulded	Yes	No	Yes
Steel tank sectioned	Yes	Yes	Yes

The Pitfalls

Painting any water retaining structure is not that straight forward, great care should be taken before carrying out the job including reading all the relevant technical data carefully. Swimming pools experience many forms of pressure. Not only from the environment into which they are built but from external forces. I.e weather, chemical systems which are introduced into them and the physical usage they get etc.

If the builder has done his job well, then the pool will be structurally sound for the whole if its life, unless some unforeseen ground movement takes place or the owner decides to make alterations without considering the integrity of the existing structure, then major problems should be avoided. Problems normally occur through general wear and tear through the life of the structure. To a certain degree, a lot of problems are exacerbated or are directly the fault of the owner through either neglect or ignorance. Leaving pools empty for long periods of time for example and constant change of ownership with little or not maintenance is a factor as is lack of investment. However, when it comes to the final line of protection for any pool, the paint work or final finish, its performance will depend almost totally on the general condition of the pool itself. To help you get it right, here are some of the pitfalls to look out for :

Painting a Pool Successfully Depends Upon:

• Thorough preparation of the surface.
• The soundness of the surface.
• Compatibility with and condition of existing paints and coatings etc.
• Age of the underlying layers of paint.
• Structural soundness of the whole pool.
• The way in which the paint is applied.
• The conditions, including the weather, the time of day the paint was applied.
• The time allowed before re-filling.
• The temperature and chemical dosage of the water.
• The amount of the physical wear applied to the paint work whilst in use.

Identifying Problems

1. Bubbling or blistering of old paints - Two main causes : one of solvent entrapment the other through water ingress from behind (see 4 below). To rectify : remove all paintwork back to a clean substrate and re-paint as new. If it is a small isolated problem, rub back to a hard sound edge, prime and re-paint.
2. Old paint is oxidizing or chalking (Colour coming off on the fingers when rubbed or even staining water) - A sign of aging and or weakness in the old paint film probably caused by overdosing of chemicals and temperature of water. To rectify : the complete paint system should be removed.
3. General discolouration and a patchy look - Caused by extensive use over several seasons or more. The effect of chemicals, mould, algae and abrasion especially on the floor. To rectify : If the paintwork is generally sound, it should be cleaned and treated with a fungicidal wash, abraded then re-coated using a thinned primer coat.
4. Large blistering on base of pool only. Water in blisters is discoloured - this is normally a sign that the base is being affected by moisture build up from the background i.e. water has impregnated the base concrete or moisture was present on the surface at the time of application. To rectify : the pool needs to be stripped back thoroughly and allowed to dry out. Check the structure and drainage around pool. Use a Polybond specialist system or consider re-rendering before repainting. This can also be caused by solvent entrapment - the paint dries too quickly or solvent goes into old, porous paint layers and remains trapped behind the final paint film only to erupt when the pool is filled (if in doubt contact our technical dept).
5. Blisterubg on walls especially noticable below the water line - This is generally caused by solvent entrapment (see 4 above). To rectify : Nearly always needs to be stripped right back prior to re-coating.
6. Paint delaminating - Stripping Off - Incompatible paint systems used. Poor cleaning of surface ie painting over contamination, fats, oils, mould or even algae. Surfaces were not completely dry at the time of application. Especially noticeable at the waterline. Can happen when trying to paint composite surfaces such as marbelite or marbeline also GRP without a special primer. To rectify : Abrade off all delaminating paint and re-coat.
7. Minute blistering (Smaller than a 1p coin) In large areas, especially seen on external pools - Can be caused by painting in very hot direct sunlight. The paint will actually boil, creating these bubbles, weakening the film, creating pinholes, allowing water in behind the film. To rectify : Strip off damaged area either totally or locally. Rub back to a sound, firm edge. Prime and re-coat in cooler conditions.
8. General paint failure over all pool.. Large blisters, loose paint contaminating water, A strong smell of solvent - Normally due to paint layer overload! Too many old layers of paint that will no longer support the new paint film. The old paint becomes porous and spongy and readily retains and traps solvents. To rectify : Strip off completely back to the original render by blasting and start again.
9. Overall paint failure similar to above but with fewer obvoius blisters. A strong small of solvents, paint remains soft to touch and peels away easily - The pool has been filled too quickly - the paint has not been allowed to dry properly. To rectify : Strip back completely and start again ensuring that sufficient time is allowed for drying.

Please remember that the above symptoms are a general indication or a guide only. It is possible that there are other factors causing the problems you are experiencing. Before taking remedial action, please contact us for our opinion. It may be possible for a technical visit to be arranged but there would normally be a call-out charge for this service.

Product Reference No : SPP

Amendment date August 2002

Easy to Apply and Quick to Dry

The claims made in this document are made in good faith and are based on exhaustive tests carried out over a long period.
Polybond Ltd., their agents and their distributors cannot accept any liability for the behaviour of their materials in individual cases.

A printer friendly copy is available here	An Information Sheet is Available here
An Application Guide is Available here	A Health and Safety Reference Datasheet is available here