Fiberglass Pool Resurfacing and Repair in Rockwall, TX

River Pools applies its gelcoat in 3 passes to a total of 25 to 30 mils, and warns that too thin a coat can blister from an improper cure while too thick a coat can crack. Latham's fiberglass care manual puts a finished gelcoat at seven to eight times the thickness of a normal coat of paint, which is why most scratches stay superficial.

Why gelcoat isn't resprayed in the backyard

Gelcoat is made to go on in a factory, River Pools says: it takes a long time to dry, must cure at a consistent temperature that would be nearly impossible to hold outdoors, and needs a very precise application. It still suits smaller repairs, but not a whole resurface of a pool in the ground.

Coatings made for pools in the ground

For a full refinish, River Pools points to a coating such as ecoFINISH, a polyethylene powder sprayed with a compressed-air gun and set with heat. The shell may be sandblasted first if paint or residue is stuck to it, a layer of epoxy goes over the whole surface, and the powder is sprayed onto the tacky epoxy in a few heat-cured layers, with a more slip-resistant final layer possible on steps, ledges and entries; it dries almost immediately, so refilling can start the same day. The coating's maker says re-gelcoating limits a pool to light colors such as white, baby blue, tan and light grey, and claims pools and spas finished with its coatings can be heated right after filling. Spa resurfacing covers the spa side.

Epoxy pool paint on fiberglass

Pool paint makers point fiberglass to epoxy. Benjamin Moore recommends only its Insl-x Epoxy Pool Paint for fiberglass shells, scuff-sanded with 150 to 180 grit, while Ramuc abrades bare fiberglass to a #80 grit profile for its epoxies, and Rust-Oleum says its acrylic pool paint must not be used on fiberglass at all. ecoFINISH, which sells a competing coating, argues the paint-to-gelcoat bond stays weak even after sanding. Pool painting covers paint on every kind of pool.

Latham's use and care manual says it in capital letters: draining the pool voids the warranty, because the shell is designed to stay full and will buckle and crack if it is drained without first relieving the groundwater pressure on it. Tallman Pools asks for its written authorization before any draining, and Thursday Pools adds that even lowering the water below the skimmer can void a warranty.

Groundwater, bracing and the floor

The water inside the shell counters the groundwater around it, Thursday Pools explains, and trouble starts when the groundwater outside rises above the water left inside. River Pools' steps for a repair drain are to pick dry weather for the whole drain and refill, check for and remove groundwater around the shell, brace across the pool's width, typically with 3 braces 18 to 24 inches down the side walls, and watch the floor for lifting or a spongy feel as the water comes out. River Pools leaves draining to authorized fiberglass pool professionals.

Rain and drain water in Rockwall

NOAA's Rockwall station averages 4.83 inches of rain in May, its wettest month, and 1.66 inches in August, its driest (1991–2020 normals). Drained water can't simply run to the street: the City lists chlorinated pool draining among its most common storm-water violations, its code allows only dechlorinated water with a pH of 6.5 to 8.5 to reach a storm drain, and its ordinance carries civil penalties of up to $2,000 per violation per day. Under the state's rules, pool drain water may instead be reused on the property, for landscape irrigation for example, without a TCEQ authorization, though the owner is responsible for doing it properly.