Review of "Ultraguard"

[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.mck...ardWithAllFix#

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.