Science of the Surface Diamond Series Colors
posted by Sun Fiberglass Pools @ 10:38am, Tuesday 22 February 2011.
The Science of the Surface By; Curt Prystupa Founder: Sun Fiberglass Pools The fiberglass swimming pool industry started with a simple lamination schedule the use of marine grade raw materials for the gel-coat and lamination fabric. The first pools were very limited in design and shape and very basic they had some of the inground pool features like built in steps and then the advancement of swim-outs, safety ledges to the multiple design choices available today. The pools were put together without the use of science and testing to determine what was the best materials and methods to create a fiberglass pool shell. How these methods would stand the tests of time, for durability of the laminate, pool interior surfaces , hand laid multiple layers verses spayed on gun roving or what’s called chop fiberglass, the patterns in which the materials are applied to create the pool structure. The industry in the early days guessed as to what would or would not last in the swimming pool environment. One of the issues that was unique to a swimming pool compared to a boat hull was the fact that swimming pool water chemistry can change quickly and that most boats were rarely ever exposed to extreme levels of chlorine . This would be magnified considering the smaller volumes of water capacity in the smaller fiberglass pools, the water chemistry will effect the long term durability of the pool surface. The swimming pool industry does not offer any warranty coverage for water chemistry related damage or failures. Our company back in the middle 90’s worked with our main resin supplier Interplastic Corporation we did a case history study for 15 years on the lamination techniques of a typical Sun Fiberglas Pool and found the formulation of the Pool Grade ISO/NPG surface gel-coat, the Vinyl Ester Co-Resin Products, and the hand laid sheet fabric with a main Line DCPD production resin for the bulk of the laminate, to be the best method for the fabrication and durability an inground fiberglass pool. The case study can be downloaded at
The Swimming pool gel-coat is a very important part of a swimming pool shell, the ISO/NPG gel-coat is sprayed in a single uniform coat allow the best surface for the fiberglass pool. The multi-color pool shells that feature the counter top looking chips is a three part finish system these surfaces are applied to the molds in several different passes and the operator of the spray equipment will determine how the pool will look once completed. The multiple layer finishes are difficult to repair and the clear coat will breakdown over time. The warranty fine print for the companies offering these multi-coat finishes all disclaim surface roughness or dulling or blushing of the surface. These companies will also exclude warranty coverage for the part of the pool shell not under water.
The colors of the fiberglass swimming pools has been one of the latest fads in the industry some of the start-up companies have tried to push color as the main claim to fame so to speak. These colored surfaces have only been on the market for a few years , today’s customer might want something other than the plain white or light blue shell color. The concrete pools were a few years ahead of the fiberglass pool market on the experimentation of colored pool interiors black and dark pools were the rage for many years in the concrete pools but the manufacturers, builders and customers grew tried of the costs and the additional maintenance these finishes caused. Some places in the country the local codes banned dark pools from the issue of being able to see the bottom of the pool for safety concerns . The concrete pool industries most popular pool surface is called exposed aggregate plaster one of the brand names for this is known as Diamond Brite, this surface is widely used from water parks, resorts, hotels , and the residential market the most common color is called cool blue which has a white background and a blue aggregate flake in the plaster. This color gave the concrete pools a nice sparkle and the surface has been the mainstream in the industry the last 10-15 years.
Sun Fiberglass Pools has been working with Interplastic for a new proprietary gel-coat to achieve this Diamond Brite color effect using a single spray ISO/NPG gel-coat. This new product will bring the most popular concrete pool surface look to the one piece Sun Fiberglass Pool , these are available in Diamond White and Diamond Blue. They feature a white or light blue background with a blue composite particle sprayed onto the mold in one single uniform coat. This new product took several years to develop to find the right particle and to develop special proprietary spray equipment along with techniques to achieve the desired effect. This product is simple to repair and has the same basic formulations of the materials we used in the 15 year case study. This has been tested for UV stability, boiled in the lab for 100 hours and each sample exceeded the expected results. We are confident this new Diamond Series surface will become the mainstream fiberglass pool surface as the fiberglass pool industry and Sun Fiberglass continue to grow.
Hold That Cover !!!
posted by Sun Fiberglass Pools @ 3:15pm, Monday 27 September 2010.
Hold that Cover
A lot of mistakes have been made by homeowners deciding on closing the pool for the season by the wall calendar, the kids go back to school so let's close the pool. If you close the pool too early with the warmer fall weather your pool will be a green monster come spring. The water temperature will increase with the typical winter cover in place, which will in turn destory any winterization chemcial treatment you used before the first chilly week. The pool should be closed once the water cools down for an un-heated water temperature of 60's and the average air temperature drops to the upper 60's to low 70's . Remember NEVER USE A FLOATING DISPENSER UNDER YOUR COVER !!!, using a floating dispenser will void the pool surface and cover warranties as the high chlorine cannot escape the pool with the cover in place. The Sun Fiberglass Pool Care & Maintenance manual will have tips on how to properly winterize your pool. Always check with your pool installer before attempting to lower or draw down the pool's water for the winter, not following proper procedure will void your warranty.
Pet's Love Sun Pools
posted by Sun Fiberglass Pools @ 7:58pm, Tuesday 22 June 2010.
Sun Pools are fun for pets too !!! The backyard pool can be a great place for the family to relax and spend some quality time that includes our four legged friends. Some breeds of dogs can’t resist the water and it will be a chore to keep the dogs out of the pool. The Sun Fiberglass Pools are very pet friendly the surface is hard and solid so the claws won’t scratch the surface, the built in steps make getting out of the pool easy, and the lower chemical use of the fiberglass pool won’t effect the pet’s skin. In some types of pools the pets can be a problem especially the vinyl liner pools as the claws can quickly cut the pool’s liner Things to consider for pets using the pool 1.) Make sure to swim with the pet and teach them where the steps are located to get out of the pool. 2.) Monitor the water balance more frequently . Keeping the water in balance will keep the pool clean and prevent your pet from having issues with their coat. 3.) Keep the pool’s strainer baskets clean the surface skimmer and the pump strainer basket inside the front of pool circulation pump regularly. 4.) Stay away from Sand filters and DE filters. The reason for this is when the filters are cycled or back washed the pet dander (hair ) will be trapped inside the filter causing the filter to short cycle and will require to service more frequently. The cartridge filters are recommended for as when they are hosed off the hair will be removed each time. 5.) Just like the kids don’t let your pets use the pool without supervision. The family pet will love the pool like the rest of the family. It will take a little extra effort to keep the water clean but paying attention along with way will make the pool enjoyable for everyone.
