Resurface or Paint a Swimming Pool

LESLIE: Ernie in Kansas needs some help with a swimming pool. What’s going on?

ERNIE: I have an in-ground swimming pool and the finish coat on the steps where you enter into the pool is – there’s a hollow sound underneath there which tells me that the topcoat, water has gotten in underneath it. Seems like the coat is about 3/8 – between 3/8 of an inch and ¾ of an inch thick and when I break that out and replace that topcoat I was wondering whether I need to use some type of a bonding product which would adhere the new cement-type topcoating.

TOM: OK, Ernie, there is a product that will work for that that is called AboCrete [1]. And it’s one of the products that’s made by the Abatron company and the best thing for you to do is to go to their website [2] and buy it right off the website. It’s A-b-a-t-r-o-n.

ERNIE: OK.

TOM: When you get on their website you can search the word “pool” and you’ll find they have, actually, a swimming pool selection guide that outlines the products. But AboCrete is the product that you use when you have to do like a resurfacing [3] because of a deterioration. And it’s basically an epoxy patching and resurfacing compound. And the reason you want to use epoxy is because it’s going to stick. If you use anything that’s just masonry-based and not epoxy, it will …

LESLIE: They won’t stick to one another.

TOM: It’ll chip right off.

ERNIE: OK, well fine. One other item was I had sandblasted the epoxy coating off of the pool.

TOM: OK.

ERNIE: I was wondering whether there’s any other product rather than epoxy paint.

LESLIE: Yeah, when you visit the website there’s another product that they have called Abocoat [4] and it comes in custom colors and a variety of standard colors that are available and that’s sort of the refinishing of all the painted surfaces of the pool as well. And really, their products are outstanding. When I had to put a new floor down in my basement I pulled up what was there and found just a mishmosh of unlevel disaster area and I recoated the whole floor with the AboCrete and it came out fantastic. It’s level. It was easy to do. I mean it really is a good product.

ERNIE: OK, real fine. Well, I sure appreciate the information.

TOM: Well, you’re very welcome and good luck with that project and make sure you invite us over to swim, OK? (Leslie chuckles)

ERNIE: There you go. OK, real fine.

TOM: Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT. 888-666-3974.