Review of "Ultraguard"

[Tredge]

I posted a couple of months back about my pool resurfacing project.
http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=886
I learned a lot from these forums.

I decided to go with an epoxy solution after I chipped all the old failing plaster and patched the potholes with mortar mix.

The product I used was Ultraguard 4500, their mid-grade Epoxy.
http://www.poolrestoration.com/

The key was surface prep....and had I to do it over again I might have smoothed out the plaster a little better. As it is the pool is textured and not smooth....but thats not all bad.

As for Ultraguard it looks to be a nice surface!
There is a bond coat and a finish coat.

The Bond coat is thin but created a really nice hard shell over the plaster and fiberglass walls. The stuff looks indistructable.

The Finish Coat is a lot thicker and I had to race to get it on the pool before it hardened. The End result is a squeeky smooth clean finish. Hardened out of the bucket it feels like a plastic, on the pool it feels almost like glass.

I cant see it ever popping off by itself...it will certainly never come off of the paint equipment I used :) Time will tell if it stands up over the years and I'll be sure to report with pictures.

[SLS]

I would love to see full pool pictures after you fill the pool and it is up and running. Looks great! Two pats on the back for restoring a pool!!!

[SWMADISON]

Hi Tredge,

I haven't seen much from others concerning Ultraguard. I've ordered the DVD from the company to see their spiel. I'm a little surprised there isn't more discussion concerning epoxies. My inground pool is a hybrid with concrete bottom and then the three foot fiberglass wall for the top. Maybe pools that need epoxy/paint are the minority as to type of pools. I hear about plastering quite a bit but that doesn't look like it fits into what I have.

I hope I hear from others who may have experienced ultraguard or a similar epoxy.

SWMadison

[slater1182]

any updates on Ultraguard? how is it performing?

[windfix]

Thanks, Tredge for some good info on this product. I refinished our pool with the top-line 6000 product, but who knows if there is really a difference. Ken, the proprietor had good advice and was very willing to receive calls for consulting. I did not find the instructions really well organized, seemed like I had to jump around between documents, lots of which were promotionals. I do think the product is great. I have posted a series of shots here at the URL below. I also refinished our lanai with stone tile, and replaced the pool coping, so there are more photos there than just the ultraguard.

http://picasaweb.google.com/paul.mckimmy/LanaiRenovation?authkey=yuOD6VLZCHI

Aside from Tredge's comments and the instructions that come with ultraguard, a few tips: Do NOT keep rolling this stuff after it starts being difficult. It seems like you're trying for max coverage, but the roller pulls up bumps that become permanent - some can be sharp. Just stop and throw the rest of the mix out, continue with the next bucket.

Another tip - count on grinding the pool surface. It was a surprise to me, but my pool surface gave off granular/dust particles when rubbed - even after an acid wash. The grinder treatment took an extra day and was a pain, but worth it.

Last tip - spend lots of time patching with acrylic/mortar mix and grind it smooth. The finish coat does not hide the surface imperfections, and you can make it look really good if you just spend some time on it.

We love the results, and I am sure its stronger and more permanent than plaster. The only disappointment I have is that somehow the last few session s with a roller dried a slightly off color, making patches visible if you look closely. Surface ripples mask this, so not the end of the world. Also, the blue has faded a bit on the steps within a few months. I am not too concerned about it, the color is still great and it looks so much better than the old surface that I can not complain. Also, I did this myself for a few thousand dollars rather than contract someone to do plaster for $9,000

[jimbeamalki]

Well, here's my story: Called UltraGuard today, lady took my number and said the guy would call me back, which he did within an hour. I explained about my inground 17' x 34' x 8'deep (at one end) pool, concrete bottom with 3' sides that were supposedly laminated porcelain on steel. Explained pool was built in 1962 and that I had maintained pool completely by myself since 1975 (when we bought the house). Explained that concrete was solid with no cracks, and that the sides had developed 2-3 dime-quarter sized holes that I had successfully patched with PC-7. Had ground paint off pool bottom 4-5 times over the last 32 years, painting with Poxolon, then switching to Ramuc acrylic water-based in 1992. Had lightly sanded bad spots on sides in 1992 and painted completely with Poxolon, switching to Zeron in 2003. Had nice intelligent conversation, no screaming or yelling, etc. End result--Guy flat out refused to sell me the product---said what I'd been doing was fairly successful and to stick with it. Got to admit, I was dumbfounded. Over the years of grinding down, I figure I've lost 1/8 to 1/4 inch of concrete, which has exposed pieces of what I would call sandstone--these small areas seem to hold moisture (from both sides), which is where the paint tends to bubble and flake after a few years, and that's why I wanted to try the UltraGuard. Wow--almost seems like there are laws about not selling your product to certain people. Upside--wife will be happy I'm not blowing $1500+ on UltraGuard.

[windfix]

Seems like a straight shooter if he advises you against his product. Either he doubts it will work on that surface or recognizes that you don't need it, in either case I think that's a positive for the product.

[Tredge]

2 years and holding up very well. No signs of any problems at all.

[dansam5]

IG Gunite in poor shape.
I bought the UltraGuard 6000 with bond coat, then asked Windfix for some advice concerning surface prep. We seemed to share the same issues of flaking plaster after acid washing, etc. Windfix was VERY helpful (thank you) with some tips regarding equipment and surface details.

I've taken the advice to grind and smooth the surface very seriously and it is taking a long time. I am almost smooth and will be patching holes in paster which went to concrete with the mortar mix this week. I will also be smoothing the floor with the suggested leveler as found in the FAQs at poolrestoration.com. The unopened buckets of UltraGuard await completion of the surface prep. My goal is a tight smooth surface on which to apply the bond coat.

I will post photos and document the process in more detail for those who might choose to embark on the UltraGuard journey.

[tsuma]

Here in Houston we have a 21,000 gal., IG pool with 12-year old pitted and rough plaster over gunite. There's also some cracks due to the gumbo/unstable soil. We've been quoted $6000 just for basic, wet-cure replastering, but would really like to explore the benefits of this coating for a smooth surface to reduce algae buildup.

So, we would love to hear more about tools and techniques. Also, how well your Ultraguard is holding up now, after 2 (and 4) years.

Thanks!


IG Gunite in poor shape.
I bought the UltraGuard 6000 with bond coat, then asked Windfix for some advice concerning surface prep. We seemed to share the same issues of flaking plaster after acid washing, etc. Windfix was VERY helpful (thank you) with some tips regarding equipment and surface details.

I've taken the advice to grind and smooth the surface very seriously and it is taking a long time. I am almost smooth and will be patching holes in paster which went to concrete with the mortar mix this week. I will also be smoothing the floor with the suggested leveler as found in the FAQs at poolrestoration.com. The unopened buckets of UltraGuard await completion of the surface prep. My goal is a tight smooth surface on which to apply the bond coat.

I will post photos and document the process in more detail for those who might choose to embark on the UltraGuard journey.

[windfix]

I've passed the one year mark with our Ultraguard pool. Slight fade to the blue finish, but nothing I care about. There has been NO algae at all, except in the very tiny holes (3 of them, smaller than a dime) that I did not patch well enough prior to coating the pool.

[windfix]

We had two small (6") bubbles form on our shallow end after a year or so. Just this weekend, they broke up and I now need to patch them. The fractured pieces, however, reveal that the ultraguard is still bound to the pool surface, and it was the underlying material that broke up, forming the bubble. Yet another piece of evidence that you need to grind the &^%$# out of the surface and make sure it is solid before you start.

[tsuma]

...very tiny holes (3 of them, smaller than a dime) that I did not patch well enough prior to coating the pool.

I'm seriously considering this product for my 12 yr. old, heavily pitted plaster/gunite pool.

What did you patch the holes with?

Did you prep with TSP/Acid or Ultraguard's "penetrating bond" mix?

Can you see a difference in their claim that algae don't adhere to the surface as well as they do to plaster?

Thanks.

[windfix]

Prior to the ultraguard coat, I patched with mortar mixed with liquid acrylic (instead of water) - obtained from Home Depot.

2 years later now, and I had two 6-8" bubbles form, then break in the ultraguard. The plaster subsurface was still stuck to it, so a failure of the plaster - not the ultraguard. I used a tintable epoxy product called All-Fix to patch these holes: http://picasaweb.google.com/paul.mckimmy/PatchingUltraguardWithAllFix#

So far, a very good solution that nearly matched the color and is as close to invisible as you could hope for. This stuff is like putty and cures underwater.

[windfix]

Well, I got 5 years out of our ultraguard, but I was less impressed than I hoped to be - I expected 10 or more. Ken has now retired but still taking my calls to advise on the resurfacing. There was no offer of any response to Ultraguard's "guarantee" though. The epoxy wore or dissolved away, esp. in the shallow end and on the pool steps. I believe I may have caused this by letting the total alkalinity run unchecked, and creating corrosive water. Anyway, my mortar patches became visible. I had another 3-4 bubles form and break in the epoxy - likely caused by the plaster below. Anyway, I am using Ultraguard again. I will be grinding the hell out of the surface, making as many smoothing repairs as possible and then paying closer attention to my pool chemistry... an expensive and time-consuming lesson. I intend to double up the coating on the shallow end and triple-up on the steps; just in case.

[Marin]

Epoxy paint is a 5-10 year solution. Properly cared for, plaster is a 25+ year solution.

I do 5-10 epoxy paint coatings a year, here's my advice;
-Do not completely smooth the pool surface, especially steps. The coating is slick, so a little tread is a good thing.
-Follow the prep directions to a "T".
-Do not apply the coating when temps are above 90F or the surface will be in direct sun. It will blister the surface. Yes, I have painted jobs at night and I have used large tarps to create chade.
-Wear a respirator and have air movement. The air down in a pool is dead and can create a bad situation quickly. We use a 36" drum fan to circulate the air.
-Someone mentioned above they did touch up and it was a different shade. You need to do a complete coat in one application. Subtle differences in humidity will effect the sheen and shade. Plan for that.

I'm probably forgetting more than that, I'll reply again as it comes to me.