I had my pool fiberglassed.

2008.

My pool wasn't in the best shape when I closed on the house. Since I didn't have a huge budget, the most cost-effective solution was to drain, prep, epoxy, and fill.

A little later in 2008.

Going in, I knew I'd get about five years out of the epoxy. That seemed fine, particularly since that's the normal cadence for a refill. So I epoxied in 2008, 2014, and 2017.

When 2023 rolled around, I had the usual delamination but with more missing chunks of gunite than normal. And a few cracks of unknown severity.

A few years ago Erik got some quotes for his pool. They said plaster is an option but that fiberglass is the most robust retrofit surface (like a 25 year warranty). My quote came in just north of $25k, apparently covid/supply chain/inflation/job market/etc had resulted in a $5k across the board price hike.

Prep involved a lot of grinding and concrete dust. The pool surface wasn't in great shape, but the concrete dust makes it look worse.

My skimmer was cracked, so they removed and replaced it.

One of the options was to keep the screw-in returns or replace them with a straight pipe.

Retiling, some of the missing chunks of concrete, and a few resin drips.

The straight pipe returns were re-concreted.

Lots of resin.

The first layer of fiberglass being applied.

I didn't see them doing the fiberglassing, but per Erik, this is the chopper. It works like a paint sprayer but with fiberglass and resin(?).

I took the opportunity to replace my rusty old pump timer.

Curing required a few days.

It's a pool again.

1.) Clean pool/spa filter. 2.) Add "Stain Treat" by United Chemical (800) 524-5550 or Hasa "Super Stain Out" (661) 259-5848 or a similar product. Distribute evenly throughout the pool. Leave the pump off for 12 to 24 hours We find that the recommended products give the best results to inhibit staining most importantly during start-up (Use only in white pools/spas). 3.) Adjust the PH to 7.6 then turn on the filtration pump to circulate the water. 4.) Dissolve 5 to 10 pounds of conditioner (Depending on the size of your pool/spa) and deliver it through the skimmer. Conditioner dissolves best in warm water. 5.) Add chlorine. The use of three-inch tabs in a floater introduces the chlorine slowly. Maintain with liquid and a few tabs. Most tabs contain acid and will lower your pH. 6.) After five days, adjust water chemistry. Take a sample of the water to a local pool store with water testing capability or call your Pool Tech. Have the water analyzed for the four chemicals listed above. Add the appropriate chemicals needed to balance the water. YEARLY MAINTENANCE: Use "Sea-Klear" by Vanson (888) 282-6766, 4 in 1 clarifier twice a year for a brighter pool/spa. Use "Stain Treat" or "Super Stain Out" when chlorine level is under 1.0 twice a year as a preventative measures against metal discoloration of your Fiberglass surface (Use only in white pools/spas). For rust stain removal use a combination of "Stain Treat" and a Plaster Stain Eraser". Remember, your new surface is INERT. When adding chemicals to the pool/spa you are treating the water, not the surface. If algae appear your Fiberglass surface, it is because on your water is not properly balanced. Once the algae are killed and the water is balanced, you can brush it away. Please note chlorine attacks all foreign matter in the water and then dissipates. After storms, hot weather, or high use, it may be necessary to shock the pool/spa (Add twice the amount of chlorine) to kill foreign matter and keep chlorine level in the proper range.

Related - internal

Related - external