About Painting a Swimming Pool
- One question that many people ask is "when is the best time to paint a pool?" It is always best to avoid the job during an extreme temperature season; so winter and summer would not be the best time. Stick to mid-season spring and fall when the temperatures are mostly calm. Different parts of the world experiences different weather patterns during these seasons. So, to be more precise, the best time to paint a swimming pool is during dry, warm weather. Other rules about scheduling are:
•Do not paint when the air is humid and moist. This will cause the paint to blister and peel.
•Do not paint right after it has been raining.
•Do not paint if the temperature is below 10 degrees.
•Do not paint over frosted or wet surfaces.
•Start any paint job mid-morning after the morning dew has evaporated.
•Make sure that you are finished by mid-afternoon. The paint needs to be almost dry before the sun sets.
•Pick a time when the 5 to 7-day forecast looks good for warm, dry weather. - Preparing the surface is first thing that has to be done. Many underestimate the importance in the proper preparation steps that needs to be done; the painting job will be a complete failure if this isn't done. Before starting the preparation, remember there are no quick fixes or short cuts to this.
Clean and dry the masonry surface completely. Any cracks, breaks and holes have to be repaired with a patching mixture that is made of rich grout or non-shrink materials. If the cracks are over ¼-inch, they must be filled with a cement mixture. Wet the area completely before applying the cement into the crevice; force the mixture into the crevice to properly fill it. Sweep the pool with a heavy-duty vacuum to remove all the dust after filling in the holes and cracks. - On new pools that have unpainted concrete, more work has to be done after the preparation and before the paint. Many professionals recommend new pools to stand for 2 months before paint is to be applied. During the 2 month waiting period, fill the pool with water so that the salts in the concrete can dissolve. Pools that are lined with plaster needs a stronger cleaner, like MARC 41, to get rid of the oil, grease and dirt. Also, acid-etch the pool with a descaler.
- There are different treatment procedures when working on a pool that has been painted before. The old paint needs to be removed first. Putting new paint over old paint repeatedly will cause the new paint job not to be durable. First use a wire brush or sandblaster to scrape and brush off the old paint. A paint stripper is also helpful. After this is done, perform the same surface treatment that is described in the "Treatment of New Pools" section.
- The best paint for the job is one that is durable and beautiful with an adequate amount of protection and resistance. There are many different paints on the market that is specially-made for pools, but not all of them are the best for your pool. Your best form of defense is to know about some of the products out there.
Find one that is not only the right color, but has the right chemicals. You want to stay away from paints that are moisture proof, ultraviolet light resistance, quick drying, alkaline resistant, or chemical and mildew resistant. These may sound like good qualities for pool paint, but they are all gimmicks. In the long run, these types of paints can cause corrosion and damage to the pool.
