Use a product called Pool Patch, it works better on repairs than regular pool mix. But, you have to be fast on your repairs because it'll set up fast even when doing underwater repairs.

IMO, you shoud STAY AWAY from any type of pool paint. Live with your existing plaster and do your repairs. But DON"T PAINT a concrete pool. Wait until you have the funds to replaster the pool.

No matter what the paint or fiberglass MFG says about his products for refinishing plastered pools don't be swayed their direction period. Trust me on this.

See ya,
Kelly

I'm not one of the experts, just a homeowner trying to learn enough to figure out what we want to do with a replaster on our own pool. I wouldn't put paint in a pool. I've dealt with enough paint jobs and fixing bad ones on dry surfaces to not want to deal with one in a wet environment plus plumbing, a filter and so on. Now that I've thought about it a few minutes, I seem to recall some hotel pools with peeling painted bottoms from my childhood. Can't think of a good painted pool surface.

The thread linked immediately came to mind when reading your question. It should convince you that Kelly is telling it like it is. While searching for the thread to link, I found other threads with more problems. Looks like you might buy some time but pay a lot more to fix the fix later. If you can't replaster, I'd do the patching like he suggests and wait until you can. Even a basic white plaster last a lot longer -- and longer still if you watch your water chemistry. That's what I've had for 8 years now and it was here 4 or 5 years before we owned it.

Save yourself a headache. Good luck with the patching job.

I agree about painting however the pool has already been painted several times and sandblasted 4 seasons ago when we bought the house.
Replaster estimates were a minimum of 17-20K and thats just not in the budget right now.
I am hoping to buy about 4-5 years and then replaster....

Wow! I think you just made the point against painting. Are those actual bids or just talking? How many bids? How large is your pool? Is the plaster underneath so bad they would have to remove it too? Are you talking about replaster or a total renovation (tile, deck and equipment changes)? There was another thread where a number of PBs said they wouldn't bid lower off season, but because their costs are the same any time of year, but this one makes me wonder if you are dealing with folks with plenty of new pool or easy replaster jobs that they just don't want to get into a messy one unless they can make a premium on it.

I realize getting all that paint off to get plaster to adhere is going to drive the cost up, but if all I wanted to do was replaster with white plaster on my pool without paint, I could have that done for about $3K.

I posted a link to a web page where a guy replastered his own pool. I wouldn't touch that on my pool, but if all my bids were in your range, I just might decide to get handy. Ouch!

Have you looked at what it would be if you removed the paint yourself (labor intensive, but doable) and then had it replastered? If the paint is the best you can do and you're already dealing with it, just make sure you aren't going to make anything worse for the replaster down the road.

I had 2 estimates done one was 19,500 the other 17,000 even plus tax. Just to prep the surface and replaster, no tile work or equipment changes
I had called at least 4 other restoration companies and nobody wanted to touch it. I even tried to get quotes for a liner but again nobody was interested.
Not that it matters but I'm located in Canada.

Either way I need to patch the wet are with something that will cure while holding back the water...
Suggestions??

Where in Canada?

Burlington, Ontario.

The first reply mentioned Pool Patch.

Hope you get more help and can push it out as long as you need to. I'm really sorry you have such a big project ahead of you. I can't help but think that you could get one of the million pool guys from the southern US to vacation in Ontario, pay for their whole trip and a nice stay in exchange for some work -- maybe during the fall, and still come out way ahead. Good luck however you tackle it.

I hate to sound like a SPAMMER, but I'm with Lasca!!!!!
For prices like this I could fly up with a crew, rent rooms for 3 to 4 days, purchase a portable mixer, perform the work, then leave you with a mixer of your very own or sell it to a pawn shop, and still come in less than the prices you were quoted.
I'm curious, what big city is Burlington Ontario near to.
My primary wholesaler, the largest pool supply wholesaler in the world, has branches in Canada.

See ya,
Kelly

Hi Kelly, I'm near Toronto, Ontario

Hydaulic cement will fill the cracks. It isn't too hard to work with but will harden quickly. Once it starts hydrating, you will have ~30 seconds of workable patch. Make small batches.

Sand blasting before plastering is a must. Don't use epoxy paint if you are serious about eventually plastering. Epoxy paint may not come off and plaster may delaminate.

I assume the dollar figures were in Canadian, not US dollars. That might account for some of the perceived sticker shock some have expressed. The cost of doing business in Canada is higher than in the US too.

Scott

Thanks Scott, The area is not a crack but a circular area and because the patch will be very thin at about 1/16 to 1/8 inch, I am concerned about the cement flaking off or not curing properly....

A patch that thin won't hold any water back, you'll need to chip into the wet spot before patching it back up with hydraulic cement.

Burlington, eh, I'm definitely plastering pools in the wrong part of canada.

So , what would the minimun thickness be?
1/4 inch feathered out??

Either chip it deep enough to find out why it's damp or find a sealer product to go over it. just covering it up with hydraulic cement / patch material won't do anything.

A sealer product is exactly what I need!!
I'm having trouble finding such a product...

Try at a local concrete supplies vendor, not a big box store. Explain what you need and that the material will be going on the inside of the pool before painting. I'm not sure that the products I would use would be available there.

hi all, i live in Oakville and feel the pain, i was quoted 19000 to re plaster and that was with an arrogant ha ha,,, so i am trying to find a patch material and fix a few cracks and going to paint it with Ramuc pool paint for less then 1000 dollars and some elbow grease,, i would still appreciate a source to but the patch material..

How big is the pool? What else needs being done?

Painting will become an annual event. You will hate doing it. The first time will likely need 3 coats.

It will cost you more in paint over time than a plastering.

What is cracked?

Scott

I live in central Ohio and paint many pools, If the paint is applied to a properly prepaired surface according to the directions you should get four to five years out of it. Note I said a properly prepaired surface. This means drain the pool acid etch and neutralize the pool. Let it sit empty for two to three days in sunny weather. So the concrete completely dries. Then paint the pool. Let it sit after painting for three or four days before filling.This being said the best time to paint a pool is June or July not April or May. Night time temps should be in the high 50s or low 60s. Dy time temps in the 70s or 80s and sunny.

Here we can put two coats on a 20 x 40 pool 3-8 foot deep for about $3600.00. You should be able to do it yourself for half of that. I have used Ramuc before specifically the EP hi-build and find that it chalks quicker than most. I prefer to use the Kelly brand products. Just realize that any pool paint will start chalking after a couple of seasons and brushing the painted surface will become part of your normal weekly maintenace.

To answer your question on cracks,we open up cracks in concrete pools with a diamond blade on a 4 in grinder. Then fill them with Rezi-Weld two part epoxy. Let it cure and then sand it smooth. The paint seems to hold to it pretty well. Google it, it is readly avaible at a lot of places.

The last thing I will say is that plastering a pool does look better and it will last much longer, however, for the money, in todays economy, I still recommend painting.We do weekly maintenace on 30ish painted pools and as long as you keep your chemistry right and brush the pool every couple of weeks you should not have any problem buying yourself a few years.

But this is just my opinion and as I can see from the writings on this site it does differ from several people in the feild. Good Luck with your project.

well i just got the pool drained, power washed it and i must say it is in very good shape, the pool has been painted already with an expoxy paint, still got some cracks, got another quote, one to sand the pool and paint for 7000 and the other to sand and replaster over top the old for 15000, i am into the job including tools 300 so far, materials will be around one thousand, so for me it is a no brainer... when the time comes i will just bury my pool which is hard to do for me as it was a boys dream to own a pool but people wanting to make more money then selling weed would it kinda of forces you into a corner

Wow you reply to a thread from a year ago and make no sense.
????????????????????????????????????????????????????

I sense use of the "weed"

LOL

well i just got the pool drained, power washed it and i must say it is in very good shape, the pool has been painted already with an expoxy paint, still got some cracks, got another quote, one to sand the pool and paint for 7000 and the other to sand and replaster over top the old for 15000, i am into the job including tools 300 so far, materials will be around one thousand, so for me it is a no brainer... when the time comes i will just bury my pool which is hard to do for me as it was a boys dream to own a pool but people wanting to make more money then selling weed would it kinda of forces you into a corner

We have painted our concrete pool twice with good epoxy primer and paint and were happy with the results. Pool paint has improved much since the early days of chlorinated rubber. Our first paint job lasted 7 years and the second almost 9. The most important thing is surface preparation. Pressure washed, scrubbed with TSP, rinsed, repaired, acid washed, rinsed and neutralized. Made repairs with epoxy putty. Put 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint. Let paint dry for 7 days before filling. Got a smooth long-lasting finish that we were pleased with.