QUALITY EPOXY POOL PAINT

Formulated Performance Targets

Our water-repellent Primer was specially developed for concrete, marble plaster and cement type surfaces with water-resistant qualities (unlike many available pool paint systems consisting of thinned-down versions of their top-coat as a primer, or not utilizing a primer at all). Many pool paints and epoxy systems are advertised as a self-priming top-coat product. The fact is; any top-coat epoxy may naturally offers good bond strength. However, the problem with this approach is:

1. For good bonding, a low-viscosity liquid to deeply penetrate the large variety of possible substrates.

2. For top coat, a higher viscosity, thicker type epoxy is required that will result in a coating thickness that will offer a longer lifespan under external conditions.  This is important as any epoxy layer will be worn down from the top to the bottom layers over time.

Obviously both of these atributes cannot be achieved in a "one-coating-for-all type solution".
A compromise between penetration depth and lifespan of the top-coat must be made in order to offer a one-layer-self-priming type solution.

Our epoxy formulation is not diluted by high levels of solvents (or water) which will reduce the special qualities of any epoxy.

The Top-coat epoxy provides qualities like chemical resistance, gloss, water resistance and colour stability. Of course there are several ingredients added to the basic resin and curing agent combinations to enhance or add certain qualities e.g. anti-sagging agents to prevent that the epoxy layer becomes thin at the top of the wall and thick at the bottom, also products that will enhance flexibility, self-leveling products for smoothness, enhancers for chemical resistance and a large quantity of quarts to provide abrasive resistance and long-lasting gloss etc.

Note that this Epoxy formulation is nothing similar to normal paint products which are air-drying systems (not resin and curing agent combinations). Normal paints rely on the evaporation of solvents into the air to dry. Normal paints does not offer the bonding, toughness, chemical resistance etc. to the level that epoxies can offer.

The main feature is that the curing process is a chemical-reaction-driven process where very strong and impenetrable honeycomb-type molecular structures are formed which are more resilient with better weatherability qualities.

QUALITY

Quality is one of the most important aspects in this market known for its pitfalls, watered-down products and fly-by-nights. We reference you to our previous customers on our home page, some with contact details listed by permission. Our track record can be verified by independent ratings and testimonies published on Hellopeter.com

We have tested a number of available epoxies advertised for swimming pools, just to find that very few of these epoxies can survive the harsh chemical and challenging conditions of submerged pool surfaces. Therefore we have developed product combinations and methods that are unique and specially designed for swimming pools.

The main problems we found with some epoxies are:

Weak bonding with and/or penetration into the base materials due to inferior primer coat qualities, resulting in peeling, blistering, cracks etc.

Discoloring (yellowing) due to pigment ionization, UV radiation or untested/inferior ingredients.

Blistering due to dampness from high water tables building up pressure from outside the pool and behind the coating.

Staining due to weak resistance to water and chemical penetration.

Contamination and damage due to long drying times and weak water-spot resistance especially during the rainy season.

Chalking, the process whereby the coating is releasing its binder elements and powders into the swimming pool water, effectively loosing thickness, bond-strength and overall deteriorating the coating due to chemical wash and UV exposure.

 

How did we overcome these challenges?

First, we made sure our tough and durable primer is specially developed and can be applied under adverse conditions.

First we ensured that this primer penetrates into the substrate material up to a depth of 3 - 4 mm. 90% of de-lamination problems with paint or epoxy coatings are due to improper preparation of the surface and/or unsuitable primers.

We apply a strong concrete Primer and three Topcoat layers to strengthen the coating against reverse-osmotic pressure. In 90% of these cases, the problem can be overcome by proper pre-inspection for the presence of water behind the marblite plaster and if detected, the use of a water-sealing agent and our "Wet-Smart" primer is important.

Reverse osmotic pressure is a condition that can occur on in-ground structures due to underground water tables and water accumulation against the pool sides. These underground water tables can be due to nearby water bodies e.g. dams. lakes. rivers, the ocean or fountains etc. Water may penetrate through the concrete layer from the outside of the pool over a period of months or years. On most older marblite plastered pools this is not a common problem except where the pool is situated against a hill side, flower boxes against and around the pool and or heavily soaked garden soil due to heavy irrigation. Evaluation of the surroundings and pre-inspection as described in our installation instructions is a must on all swimming pools.

On newly built structures we strongly advise the use of a proper bonding liquid in the plaster cement (for cement plastered swimming pools e.g. Sika WM200, Coprox water sealant, etc.) as well as the use of our "Wet-Smart" Primer as a precaution against moist penetration from the outside. See our installation instructions and DIY videos for more details regarding pre-inspection of the pool structure.

We have also developed our epoxy products to offer as low as three-hour water-spot resistance during summer time conditions. We have selected ingredients that improves water-spot resistance. Visit our section on tests to see how we tested our products against chemicals and also water-spot resistance.

We are constantly testing new technology in raw materials and will continually replace older technology with newer technology as per manufacturer's specifications and extensive test results. We will then test new formulations by our own methods unique to this market with sunlight, chlorine and acid to prove the higher expected quality.

No Compromise

We believe that every industry has its own professionalism and we can combine our strengths and experience with the technical developers and chemical engineers to provide you with the best quality product and service that can last a lifetime. In this environment where quality is critical, we prefer not compromise on quality. Our products and service is our pride and we will constantly listen to our customers and try to improve our products and methods on an ongoing basis.

Today, we believe that we offer our clients one of the most durable and excellent swimming pool epoxy coatings available on the market, making use of the latest trends and developments available from the international chemical industry.

Our prices are also very competitive, visit our Price list for online pool size calculations and prices, or phone us today for a free quotation. You may also make use of the Information Request Form.

New Developments and Tests

At Pool Solutions we are constantly developing and researching new technology. The chemical industry is constantly developing new and better epoxy resins, additives and curing agents. That is why during 2004 we have again upgraded and vigorously tested our formulations to profit form these latest developments. In Nov 2007 we have again upgraded our product to utilize the latest in UV-resistant Titanium Dioxide white pigment and liquid colourants. During 2017 we introduced new epoxy technology for imporved UV- and chalking resistance. In 2019 we again tested and upgraded to a new formultion with the latest in UV-resistant materials and aditives. Our initial main goals for developing our product were the following:

To develop a primer-coat that is capable to adhere better to new, even damp concrete and cement-plastered structures as well as existing marble plaster surfaces.

To develop a top-coat epoxy that offers excellent waterspot resistance. This was necessary to overcome application problems during rainy seasons when rain could contaminate, discolor and ruin our final coat within three hours after application.

To develop a top-coat epoxy that is immune to acid and chlorine to the extend that normal swimming pool chemicals can be added directly to the pool without special precautions and without the risk of permanently discoloring the top layer. See our recommended chemicals on the FAQ page.

To develop a product that will offer a targeted workable lifespan of up to 8 - 10 years under well-maintained conditions. UV resistance and chalk resistance is of importance and this will be tested as new technology becomes available within the price class of the product/market.

Other Features and Results

Our top-coat offers high colour stability and stain-resistance against water or chemicals. Excellent water-spot resistance offers applicators the ability to apply the top-coat with much less risk, even on rainy days. On warm days (25-30 deg C) water spot resistance is reached within 3 hours. Should it then rain, no damage to the gloss and/or color will occur.

The pool in the photograph below was finished at 12H30 on a warm day in Nov 2004. A thundershower started at 15H30 while the application team was still nearby. Due to past experiences with epoxies from other suppliers, they rushed back to the pool, expecting a ruined top-coat. They were astonished to find that there were no signs of damage to the gloss coat. It rained again heavily at 19H00 that evening, washing dirt and red/brown garden soil into the pool during the night. The next day at 12H00 we arrived to have a look and was shocked by the red muddy pools of water, leaves and dirt that has accumulated in the deep end and on the steps.

Normally, this would have meant staining of the top-coat due to the red muddy water and residue from the leaves before final setting of the compound qualities. We expected ring-mark contamination because of the time the dirty water was left standing on the newly-applied top coat.

We cleaned and dried the pool. Our new topcoat formulation was a winner! We were pleasantly surprised to find that the pool was completely and beautifully protected by the new epoxy formulation. The photograph below shows the steps shortly after cleaning where pools of red muddy water and leaves accumulated overnight.

Some of the problems common to older or cheaper type epoxies are listed below: (please note that most of these problems will also be present if a normal paint product is used to coat submerged and chemically rich surfaces):

• Poor water absorbtion resistance

• Long curing times or inductions time required during application to resist blushing (whitening of the paint layer when water is added to the swimming pool)

• Very weak water spot resistance (when applying the product during rainy seasons or high humidity conditions that could cause staining, discoloring or loss of gloss)

• Staining by chemicals (acids and chlorine) added directly to the pool

• Chalking due to low UV resistance causing the breaking-up of the binder elements in the coating structure, causing slow disintegration of the layer

• Fading and yellowing due to low UV resistance within 6 months to 18 months

• Water absorption weakening the abrasive resistance and bonding strength of the layer, resulting in blistering and/or peeling etc.

Chemical resistance

The photographs below show four different epoxy coatings tested to determine it's resistance against staining by undiluted acid and chlorine. Undiluted Hydrochloric acid and HTH dry-chlorine were used to perform simultaneous tests on all four epoxy coatings as shown below. Cotton balls were used to keep the spots wet over a period of 72 hours. Separate cotton balls were saturated with acid and over-saturated water/chlorine mix.

Four panels were coated with different epoxy coatings according to the suppliers instructions and left for seven days to cure before testing.

The test panels were left under test for 72 hours. The photographs below show the results.

Product 1 & 2 (From Competitors)

After only 24 hours the products from two manufacturers seem to be stained by the undiluted acid and chlorine tests.  The yellow-brown stains could not be removed without damaging the layer which indicates that the coatings have absorbed the chemicals into the layer itself.  These products also lost it's gloss and yellowing appeared after a few months.  Chlorine tests left a lighter yellow mark than the acid. The products were easily stained by acid and to some degree by chlorine.

Another observation was the high rate of chalking on pools previously coated with these products.   We suspect both these manufacturers use the same basic formulation.  Chalking is the release of high concentration of pigment into the water due to chemical-wash combined with UV-exposure causing a milky appearance in the pool.  The result is that the layer will thin-out very quickly.

The expected lifetime (apart from suffering severe colour loss, thinning or de-lamination) of these coatings are estimated between 6 months to 2 years. Adding chemicals directly into the pool will stain these layers over a short period of time. 

These products are sold at the same price level or close to our own prices, but are definitely weakened by larger additions of solvents or water to the formula, lower priced additives, resins and curing agents that are used.   See the tests below on our previous and latest products.

Our aim is not to discredited any opposition as we believe that there are good products like our own in this market, some which we haven't tested.  But we must warn that clients should be careful and investigate the supplier's website registration date, obtain references to substantiate warranty periods. Ask questions like: Do they have a specialized primer? Are they using the same type of basic epoxy resin and curing agent for both top coat and primer? This is not good. How do they protect the pool against reverse osmoses (water ciphering through from outside the pool)?  How many layers do they apply? If this is done by one thinned-down topcoat primer or no primer at all - you can expect problems.  This is the one major problem coating underground structures.  If dampness is allowed from outside to reach the top layer, blistering bubbles is normally the result.  We apply one very saturated and specially developed primer coat to stop dampness from the outside.  After the pool is properly sealed, we will apply 3 chemical-resistant top coats. In some cases we will pre-treat the pool surface with water-barrier agent first.

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Product 3 (Pool Solutions Product 1)

This older product (before Nov 2004) from Pool Solutions showed only slight discoloring from the direct acid tests and no staining by strong chlorine could be detected.  Adding acid into the swimming pool while filled with water would not stain the product as this slight stain occurred after exposure to direct, undiluted acid over a period of 3 days. However, we have even further improved the formulation by using more expensive curing agents, additives and chemical resistant ingredients in our products.

Product 4 (Pool Solution's Latest Development)

This latest development from Pool Solutions could not be visibly stained by constant exposure to direct undiluted chemicals over a period of even 3 days.  After three days the wet acid and chlorine residue spots could be wiped of with a cloth to leave a clean and shiny white surface.  This latest development allows the user to add chemicals to the pool without special handling or special precaution when used according to manufacturers specification. 

The hard plastic-like gloss finish proofed to be impenetrable by the chemicals.  Our latest development offers higher gloss and an impenetrable layer against approved chemicals.  Chemicals can now be added directly to the pool even in undiluted form. Follow the manufacturers instructions regarding dosages.

We have achieved the following product quality through constant development and research:

• Excellent water resistance with no absorption into our product.  This means our product will not be weakened, softened, fading due to water absorption like normal paint products and cheaper and/or older technology epoxies.

• We have shortened touch-dry curing times of our top-coat  to 7 hours at 25deg Celsius.  The advantage is that rain or other dirt will not damage or discolor the newly applied coat after 3-4 hours of drying time. Even should dirt be washed into the pool and left overnight it can be washed and cleaned the next day without staining or loss of gloss. 

• Exceptional water spot resistance means that even if it rains on our newly applied product, even when not fully cured, the product will not be discolored or damaged. 

• Chemical resistance.  Undiluted hydrochloric acid and chlorine were tested directly on dry surface of our product for 72 hours with no staining or absorption.  This means approved chemicals added directly into the pool will have no effect on the our epoxy coatings.

Starting out in 1998, QUALITY always was one of the most important aspects in this market known for its pitfalls and fly-by-nights. 

We have tested a number of available epoxies advertised for swimming pools, just to find that very few of these epoxies can survive the harsh chemical and submerged conditions in a swimming pools.  Therefore we have developed product combinations and methods that are unique and specially designed for swimming pools.