IS MY FIBREGLASS POOL READY FOR A RENOVATION?
Not sure if your Fibreglass pool is in need of a renovation or repair?
There are a number of reasons why Fibreglass Pool Resurfacing may be necessary. One or more of these issues may be affecting your pool, especially as it reaches the twenty plus years of age.
Discoloration of the surface. This may happen to the pool in its entirety or maybe just above the waterline. It happens for a number of reasons, the typical one being uv damage from constant exposure to the sun. There are lesser but still other reasons for the discoloration, that if managed properly can be, if not avoided then certainly prolonged during the life of the pool.
Oxidisation of the surface. The evidence of this problem is when you either run your hand along the surface and you immediately see a white cloudy plume. This can also happen when you jump or dive into the pool and the water becomes cloudy as it is stirred up from the activity. Oxidisation means that the surface of the pool is breaking down and is most often caused by chemical damage as a result of overdosing the pool or even under dosing. Oxidisation is not just evident in older pools and can only be avoided by the application of a good pool maintenance regimen and proper care of the pool equipment.
Osmosis. This is by far the most common problem with an ageing Fibreglass pool. Without trying to confuse you, Osmosis is the movment of a solvent (namely water) through a semi permeable membrane (the fibreglass pool shell) into a higher solution concentration (the saline or chlorinated water) So in laymans terms Osmosis happens when water from outside the pool, as a result of hydraulic pressure punches its way through the pool shell to mix with the pool water which is of a different concentration because of all the chlorine, salt etc that we add to the water to make it swimmable. There are a couple of ways that osmosis or as its most commonly called, Blackspot, presents itself in the pool.
Blackspots. These will randomly appear throughout the pool and depending on the depth of the water table, more often than not on the walls. In many suburbs in Perth where the the water table is high or the suburb is located on reclaimed swamp land, blackspot will manifest on the floor first
Blisters. These will appear in very much the same way as the blackspots but they are a mor advanced version of blackspot in that the water from outside the pool while trying to punch through the shell, gets trapped and forms blisters. These are potentially quite dangerous and if broken can cause waterloss. It is often advisable to ensure a quality pool cleaner is used on a blistered surface to reduce the risk of leaks through cracking a blister. If you look into a pool with advanced blackspot and blistering you can often see the blisters with cracks, which is a good warning sign to address the need for the fibreglass pool renovation
Osmosis is often commonly caused by the quality of the particular Pool shell manufacture. With advances in technology over the last few years alot of the pool shell manufacturers are claiming that their pools will not be affected by blackspot but nature is very hard to subdue and if a new pool purchase is being considered it is important to have this conversation with your preferred contractor.
These can appear for a number of reasons and not just to ageing pools. Here are some of the most common reasons:
– Cracks are most commonly found on the steps and the main reason being the soil compaction has been eroded over time causing hollow spots, this comprimises the structure in that area
– Manufacturers fault. This can occasionally happen and a particular model of pool may have a structural defect. This has happened in Perth with a particular pool builder no longer in the industry, and their pools continue to crack in exactly the same location.
– Hairline cracks can sometimes appear in a pool but may not be structurally comprimised. This may occur as a result of minor ground movement and is often just a coating issue.
Cracks as a result of falling debris the most common being falling branches and umbrella stands being blown into the pool during high winds and storms. These falling items can often pierce the fibreglass shell and causing sizeable leaks that have to be immediately dealt with to prevent collapsing of the pool.
For more information or for any concerns you may have contact us on 0413872261 or fill out our contact form below.
