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.mck...ey=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.