Cost of pool resurface

[donburks]

Is there a square ft estimate to resurface a pool. kind of resurface vs cost?

[PoolDoc]

No such thing.

Prices vary widely according to locale and surface techniques available.

I can tell you that using high quality epoxy, the material costs (Zeron = $100/gal; Zeron @ 125sft/gal; Gunzite = ~100/gal; Gunzite @ 80sft/gal) run about $2/sft + probably $1/sft for solvent, tape, roller heads, plastic sheeting, etc. You can do that, yourself, if you like. Dry warm - not hot, not cold, not wet, not dusty - weather is the best time for epoxy.

Doing that way, if you DIY, you're looking at ~3/sft, for 4 - 5 *full* days of work, with 2 days spent painting, and 2 - 3 days on material procurement, cleaning, taping and other prep and clean up. If you want to go that route, look at kelleytech.com -- they have very complete technical guides.

[PoolDoc]

I'll add 2 more things:

1. Epoxy info and sourcing:

I've just added some Kelley Tech products in to a new PoolForum A-Store page, here: http://astore.amazon.com/poolbooks?node=66 This is not a complete listing; Amazon doesn't carry the full Kelley Line. Instead, I tried to put up some paint examples, but then focus on the other tools and gear you'll need.

2. Ultraguard page: http://www.poolrestoration.com/
Before you DIY epoxy, read through this. The complaints they show (mostly from Kelly Tech products) are valid.

=> Most epoxy pool paints wear by chalking, and in spring, they *will* leave chalked paint on hands & feet. Ultraguard epoxy may include a UV protector that prevents chalking.

=> Ultraguard has a strong warranty BUT they force you to go through a meticulous prep process. Fail to document the process, and you have no warranty. Most of the Kelly failures shown on that site are the result of prep failures. ALL EPOXY PAINTS fail with poor prep, including Ultraguard!

=> Ultraguard *may* be a better epoxy paint ('coating'!), but they definitely do have a better process for enforcing correct surface prep.

==================================================

IMPORTANT: Every type of pool refinishing out there depends heavily on (a) correct prep and (b) correct installation. No surface finish I know of is 'installer-proof': no matter how good the product, poor installation will ruin it. Epoxy is very demanding, in that you MUST follow the instructions, but it is easy, in the sense that anyone who is able to use a few tools and work hard and carefully can install it. Other products, like plaster, require experience. Plaster DIY is almost impossible.

Epoxy is not a good product for contractors: they tend to be on a schedule, and will go ahead and apply the paint, even if the weather is not right. Plaster is more of an all-weather application: if it's not raining, and if it's not freezing, you can apply. But in EVERY case, poor installation will ruin even the best products.

Do *NOT* find some finish product on the internet, and then hire a local contractor to install it, even though they have never used that product before. That is a recipe for disaster!

Good luck!