properly winterized?

[Kirk]

I need some help here. Here is the problem, a brand new (built april 2004) outdoor concrete community pool. The architect specified 2 coats of Chlorinated Rubber. It looked great, then in September of 2004 the pool was drained, it still looked good. It was left empty & dry & uncovered over winter. This spring the owners noticed peeling of the coating off the floor. It has gotten worse & worse. This pool is located in a semi-desert, that gets some snow during the winter(temp. fluxuate from 20F night to 60 day). What could be the reason for the coating to be peeling off? The expansion & contraction of the concrete? The temperature fluxuation? please let me know, thanks

[Larry]

This question is not really in my range of experience but a little research on the internet yielded the following reasons for peeling problems with chlorinated rubber paint:

1. paint applied to wet surfaces
2. filling the pool before paint has fully dried or cured
3. painting with too wide a roller
4. applying the coats too thinly
5. painting on a dusty or chalky plaster surface

The weather conditions or temperature fluctuations shouldn't have this effect on a flexible coating such as this.

Have you contacted the manufacturers or the company that did the work? They may be able to help.

[Guest]

This question is not really in my range of experience but a little research on the internet yielded the following reasons for peeling problems with chlorinated rubber paint:

1. paint applied to wet surfaces
2. filling the pool before paint has fully dried or cured
3. painting with too wide a roller
4. applying the coats too thinly
5. painting on a dusty or chalky plaster surface

The weather conditions or temperature fluctuations shouldn't have this effect on a flexible coating such as this.

Have you contacted the manufacturers or the company that did the work? They may be able to help.

Thanks for the help! I think we may have found the problem. Either the concrete installers used a cure seal, which would probably be impossible to prove, or the crew that acid washed the concrete did not nuetralize the surface to raise the PH level up. So we think that the PH of the concrete was to low. But now we have to prove that it was their fault. We have chips but now we are trying to figure out how to test the PH level of the back of a old paint chip. And it seems most test kits only go down to abou 6. which doesn't sound too low. any suggestions?

[Guest]

This question is not really in my range of experience but a little research on the internet yielded the following reasons for peeling problems with chlorinated rubber paint:

1. paint applied to wet surfaces
2. filling the pool before paint has fully dried or cured
3. painting with too wide a roller
4. applying the coats too thinly
5. painting on a dusty or chalky plaster surface

The weather conditions or temperature fluctuations shouldn't have this effect on a flexible coating such as this.

Have you contacted the manufacturers or the company that did the work? They may be able to help.

Thanks for the help! I think we may have found the problem. Either the concrete installers used a cure seal, which would probably be impossible to prove, or the crew that acid washed the concrete did not nuetralize the surface to raise the PH level up. So we think that the PH of the concrete was to low. But now we have to prove that it was their fault. We have chips but now we are trying to figure out how to test the PH level of the back of a old paint chip. And it seems most test kits only go down to abou 6. which doesn't sound too low. any suggestions?

[Kirk]

Thanks for your response earlier about the problem with our chlorinated rubber pool peeling problem. Well we think that it might have been the crew that acid etched the pool. they may have not neutralized the concrete with TSP to raise the PH level of the concrete. But now we have to prove that. We have the old paint chips & will try to test the PH on the back side. Problem we are having is how & also most PH strips only go down to 6. Anyway, if you have any input on this it would be appreciated.

[kaylee]

Have you tried contacting the architect and the pool builder?