Weighing the Pros and Cons of Pool Resurfacing
No doubt, your community pool is a source of summer entertainment for the homeowners in your community. With the 2016 pool season wrapping up, now is the perfect time to begin considering repair and improvement projects for the following year, such as pool resurfacing.
Knowing the facts about pool resurfacing can help alleviate any hassles and ensure your community enjoys a quality pool experience for years to come. To help you understand the facts about resurfacing, we’ve turned to the experts at American Pool Enterprises, the largest swimming pool management company in the United States. This is what we learned:
When you begin to see cracks in your pool, that’s the first indication it’s time for a pool resurfacing project. Typically, you have two options: paint or plaster. Although with only two options, this may seem like a simple decision, but it’s far from it. There are many factors to consider such as climate, the age of your pool, the location of your pool, your budget and what material is currently being used.
An excellent community association management company will be experienced in this area and can weigh in with its expertise and insight to make a recommendation for a reliable pool specialist. However, before you cross that bridge, consider these pros and cons of each option.
Pros
Knowing the facts about pool resurfacing can help alleviate any hassles and ensure your community enjoys a quality pool experience for years to come. To help you understand the facts about resurfacing, we’ve turned to the experts at American Pool Enterprises, the largest swimming pool management company in the United States. This is what we learned:
When you begin to see cracks in your pool, that’s the first indication it’s time for a pool resurfacing project. Typically, you have two options: paint or plaster. Although with only two options, this may seem like a simple decision, but it’s far from it. There are many factors to consider such as climate, the age of your pool, the location of your pool, your budget and what material is currently being used.
An excellent community association management company will be experienced in this area and can weigh in with its expertise and insight to make a recommendation for a reliable pool specialist. However, before you cross that bridge, consider these pros and cons of each option.
Option 1: Paint
(Acrylic, water, epoxy or rubber paint bases)Pros
- Appearance: Paint has a smooth and seamless finish.
- Choices: It comes in a wide variety of colors.
- Longevity: Epoxy-based paint has an expected lifespan of 10-years.
- Durability: Acrylic-based paints don’t last as long as epoxies.
- Limitations: If you choose epoxy-based paints, they’ll require catalysts and hardeners that need to be mixed precisely. Also, epoxy-based paints are only an option if your surface is currently unfinished or made up of a similar epoxy.
- Peeling: If debris gets into the wet paint (due to wind, for instance), it will likely peel later on.
- Time: The surface must be dry for five days prior to painting, after which it will take up to three days for the paint to dry.
- Potential dangers: If the alkalinity of your water is off or if the conditions for the application process were not perfect, you may experience blistering, peeling or chalking of the paint.
Option 2: Plaster
Pros- Appearance: It has attractive texture options, such as colored aggregate, exposed aggregate and polished.
- Ease: The prep time is simpler since the surface does not need to be dry for application.
- Durability: Plaster has a longer lifespan than paint.
- Customizable: Pebbles, quartz and glass beads can be added for a stylish look. Additionally, these fancy features can actually extend the lifespan of the plaster by approximately 10 to 12 years.
- Routine maintenance: Since plaster is semipermeable, water can slowly sleep through, requiring maintenance about every 7 to 10 years.
- Complexity: This application process takes several steps, including water blasting and application of a special bonding coat.
- Potential eye sore: If your water chemistry isn’t exact, the plaster can develop a mottled or whitened look.