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Did We Get "taken?" Pool Renovation Disaster!


MrDerp

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Sorry for the long post. But maybe it is at least interesting? The short version here is: we had our old pool (built 1969) renovated, and recoated and the coating failed. Does the pool guy have any responsibility for the fact that it failed?

A Swimming Pool professional renovated our in-ground pool 2 years ago, giving a 5-year labor warranty. He acted as the sole contractor and we went on his inspection and recommendation alone. He personally did all of the work except the new concrete deck, so he was intimately involved and familiar with every aspect of our pool. We have a hybrid pool: Fiberglass wall panels and a plaster (marcite) bottom over a concrete floor. He coated the entire pool with an epoxy-type pool paint (I believe it is ultra-poly one coat).

It looked amazing initially, but soon (same season) the paint began to peel away from the bottom in a couple of spots. We drained the pool for him ($) and he repaired the problem spots at the end of the first season for free.

Then it got worse. The next year great sections of paint began to come off the floor, exposing the original marcite. He did not come out to look at the problem but put us off until this spring. Then he finally came out. His diagnosis? The "substrate" (original marcite) was disintegrating, and insisted that this was not his responsibility, nor could he have foreseen this. He would re-coat the pool for free, but only if we sandblasted all marcite off down to the concrete (and paid for it). Gave us a business card for a sandblaster. Said it would cost about $2000. He made us contact the guy and did not act as the contractor in this case. Smart.)

After $2000 of sandblasting from the person whose card he gave us, the marcite was not even close to being all gone. A thick layer remained. We contacted the pool guy and he said that it absolutely needed to be down to the bare concrete. No marcite. $2000 gone already and we were not even close. We contacted another sandblaster whom we'd talked to earlier, and he came by and said it would take perhaps two more days of sandblasting, maybe more, and even then we would be left with a rough concrete surface. He suggested we recoat with marcite (replastering) and gave us a price. $5000. We decided to do it, and now we want to have the original pool guy just re-coat the walls and the steps. We have to wait a month for that though, because after plastering the pool needs to be filled for a month.

We love the new pool surface! It is smooth and beautiful!!!

We don’t love the fact that we are out $7000 from this whole matter. We feel that the original pool guy should be professionally liable for his terrible initial mistake at understandig the effectiveness of the solution he initially recommended and performed.

What do you guys think?

Thanks fo all your time.

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  • 6 years later...

I also have a hybrid pool built in the 60’s.  My story is the same except we decided not to sand blast. 2011 I paid $6400.00 for a pool company to prep and paint with Ultra Poly One Coat.  Ten year warranty I believed. Three yrs later all the same issues. The manufacturer Sent us new paint directly because our pool company would not even respond to our concerns.  It has now been four yrs and our pool is very caulky and some peeling, not as bad as four yrs ago    I will not waste my time with this paint at this price again  I have been messing with this pool for 35 yrs and I believe there is no epoxy paint out there that lasts.

Michigan Pool Owner

 

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  • 3 months later...

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