With millions of swimming pools worldwide in different shapes and made from different materials that in the main are Concrete, Vinyl Liner or Fiberglass.

What you have to consider is that the swimming pool is just like the kitchen in your house, sooner or later you have to give it a makeover.  This can be either a coat of paint or replacing the entire kitchen.

Lets deal with the simple jobs first; Above Ground Pools, great and easy to replace the liner, but the more intricate Inground Vinyl Pools require a specialist installer to measure and replace the liner. Many of these pools are constructed using metal walls, and with the advent of Salt Water Chlorination corrosion can be a major problem. If the walls have rusted out the costs to replace the liner can explode.

At this stage you should consider replacing things like the Skimmer and even the pipework because it is old and possibly suspect.  Not all Skimmers are the same, the Poolstore International one that the writer designed leads the world in features compared to many of the other models on the market.  This is one of the most important feature on any pool.

Fiberglass Pools; Some of these pools are extremely difficult to refurbish due to the fact that the resins used to make them in the past were not always the right type causing blisters and delaminating etc. Painting because of wax`s in the resin makes it hard to get a paint to successfully bond to the fiberglass surface. If this is the case removal and replacement is the best option. Over the years there have been different ways to re-surface these older pools by hand laying or using a chopper gun to spray a new lining, using the right resin it may work but from what the I have seen the end result is somewhat disappointing in the long term. Sometimes replacing it with a new Fiberglass Pool or a rebuild in sprayed concrete is the safest thing to do.

The modern Fiberglass Swimming Pools are a far more advanced than ones made in the past, today Australia leads the world when it comes to Fiberglass Pools mainly because of their hot dry climate which is ideal for the molding of fiberglass resins. At the same time the competitive nature of the industry the standards have improved. (If getting a Fiberglass Pool always check to see if it is made using the right type of resin). This makes Fiberglass Pools 10 fold better in their design and colour choice. If replacing, I recommend the installation of 2 Skimmers with separate pipes running to the pump, the location of these depends on the prevailing wind. Another important factor is lighting, you are better to have no lights in a pool if they are the wall hung type that children use as a ladder and fall of the wall, always install the Niche type LED type of lights.

The Concrete Pool; There is no doubt that dollar for dollar they are the best long term option (again if built right) as a rule in Sprayed Concrete older pools may be in Gunite, (a mix of sand and cement) There is the occasional pool that may have been built using Concrete Blocks or Pre-cast Concrete slabs. These 2 types can prove to be a challenge but the use of a product from Laticrete USA called (Hydro Ban Waterproofing and Crack Prevention Membrane) it may be the best solution, then fully Tiling the pool.

Sprayed Concrete or Gunite; To think that after 40 years you still have a structure that is as strong as the day it was built. Basically if this pool is refurbished it will be better than when it was built, by installing new Skimmers (2) new Return Jets. LED Lighting, new Waterline Tiles, Copings and then a new surface using any one of the new types of modern plasters on the market, we of course recommend our own ARMADILLO POOL QUARTZ, this is a 100% Quartz Plaster that is available in a range of colours as well as White Quartz as a replacement instead of the tradition white Marble.

There is of course the option of fully tiling the pool in either Glass or Porcelain Tiles, a word of warning the best tiles to use are what are called the Hot Melt Method, this is instead of the mesh on the back of the sheet, each tile is joined together with a small dot, this allows excellent adhesion to a structure whereas the mesh glued to the tile using Water based PVA glue causes tiles to delaminate. Also using Tile Adhesives and Grouts manufactured by Laticrete is recommended. Glass Tile Adhesive or 254 Platinum Tile Adhesive and using Spectra Lock Epoxy Grout. These products are from Laticrete and are jobsite proven all over the world.

If rendering is required prior to Tiling: This is often over looked because it is covered by tiles and therefore unseen. Historically the pool builder will mix up some sand and cement and this can cause problems because it can soak up water, so the use of a purpose made render from Laticrete called 3701 Fortified Mortar Bed can be well worth while and prevent the buildup of efflorescence that can leach from behind the tiles.

 

Do it once do it right

 

(WARNING)  IF YOU EVER EMPTY A POOL, ENSURE IT HAS A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM (HYDROSTATIC VALVE) IN PLACE AND WORKING. (CONCRETE POOLS FLOAT)

 

 

The writer of this article has been involved in repairing pools for 30 years and has written this article to assist you in making the right decision that can allow you and your family to enjoy your trouble free pool for many years to come.