Painting Our Pool

Rick 386 · Post by **Rick 386** » Sun. May. 06, 2012 10:41 pm

We have an old Sylvan in ground cement pool. It was installed in 1969. It was repainted 2 maybe 3 times. Last 2 times with a water based paint. The water based is supposedly good for 1 or 2 years but we got 7 out of it. The last time I wanted to strip it and put on the good stuff but was shot down as usual.

So now we are going to do it the right way....... However the right way means stripping off the old water based paint and getting down to the rubber based that was put on shortly after the install. We are attempting that with a 2250 psi Generac power washer. So far so good but it is taking quite a bit. Of course since we drained it, it has rained everyday since .....

Pics will follow.

But damn is this paint expensive.

Rick

Freddy · Post by **Freddy** » Mon. May. 07, 2012 4:55 am

Rick 386 wrote:But damn is this paint expensive.

I would think 7 Years is outstanding for any paint in a pool. The new stuff, Epoxy? $125 a gallon? How long do they say that will last?

Would a steam cleaner be faster, easier, better? Or it just must be done cold? Hellofa job. Hang in there.

009to090 · Post by **009to090** » Mon. May. 07, 2012 8:10 am

We paint my Dad's 30' x 60' Sylvan pool about every 5 years with the "Good stuff". Its pool paint, I forget the brand. It is not 2-part epoxy, but it does say "Pool epoxy" or something like that. It was built in the '50s. We sand-blasted it down to bare cement,about 15 years ago. It took Dz of bags of grit, but what a good job .

High Pressure water is good for yearly maintenance, but you need to sandblast it to really take the old paint down. Don't paint over the water-based paint with anything other than more water-based paint. It WILL PEEL off.

Theres a good chance your pool was excavated by my grand father. He was the excavation sub-contractor for Sylvan when they first started out. They couldn't even pay him for the work he was doing, so they gave him a pool, any size he wanted. Of course he had to do the excavation

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Mon. May. 07, 2012 8:35 am

Does anybody know if Sylvan started around Doylestown, Pa on Rt 611??? That brought back some back-hoe memories from the 60's--70's

009to090 · Post by **009to090** » Mon. May. 07, 2012 8:49 am

A bit of history....
http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/ ... story.html

Sylvan Pools was launched in 1946 in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area by Herman Silverman, who borrowed $500 to start the business.

freetown fred wrote:Does anybody know if Sylvan started around Doylestown, Pa on Rt 611??? That brought back some back-hoe memories from the 60's--70's

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » Mon. May. 07, 2012 2:40 pm

When we install stone coping and flagstone on rehab pools, the pool company usually sandblast down to bare gunite. They usually always plaster with special cement,and some has (I believe granite chips) that glitters in the sunlight.

EDIT: not saying you have to plaster,but sandblasting will get all the loose and rotten plaster off with the paint.Then might need to patch any really bad spots.

ALSO: big striper blitz going on at the inlet

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Mon. May. 07, 2012 4:21 pm

-- you got an inlet in Pottstown???

Rick 386 · Post by **Rick 386** » Mon. May. 07, 2012 8:06 pm

freetown fred wrote: -- you got an inlet in Pottstown???

Yep and then they put all of the outlets down in Limerick !!!!

Actually Dennis is picking on me I believe. I'm stuck at work and can't get down to Indian River, DE where we have a summer place. Yeah Dennis, I already heard about the fishing. I got a picture sent to me on Saturday of 3 taken from DE Bay. And 2 of them were over 42". Everybody wants to rub it in.....

Actually the main difference in swimming pools back then was that the Sylvan were left in concrete and needed to be painted. While the Anthony pools were finished off in plaster. My parents got the Anthony and my inlaws got the Sylvan. My luck. Living on the inlaw's farm, I'm stuck draining and repainting while my mom and dad just uncover their pool and swim. They both were built around the same time and my parents have not had any issue with the plaster. Now the coping and top bond beam is another issue all together. I do have a sandblaster here at the shop that I could use but I'm trying the water blasting first. Some spots are easier than others.

Fred you may have dug our pool.....I think I found an old indian arrowhead near the pool decking. Probably came from your quiver...
Were you hunting when you should have been working ??

Rick

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Mon. May. 07, 2012 9:38 pm

Damn, that's where that ended up.I thought I left it at John & Peters Place in New Hope listening to John Prine one night.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » Tue. May. 08, 2012 6:03 am

Rick 386 wrote:Actually Dennis is picking on me I believe. I'm stuck at work and can't get down to Indian River, DE where we have a summer place. Yeah Dennis, I already heard about the fishing. I got a picture sent to me on Saturday of 3 taken from DE Bay. And 2 of them were over 42". Everybody wants to rub it in.....

Don't feel bad. I havn't got down yet either.Boat is ready,just put all new bolts,springs and shakles on the trailer, boat just needs water.
Up to 40 lb. stripers in the inlet and 90 lb. drum in the Delaware bay,flounder bite slowed and crabs doing good.
Shutting down boiler this week,then gonna try to open up down at the beach this weekend.