GFCs have a glass reinforcement embedded in a thermoset resin and are sprayed as a homogenous mass without a fibreglass mat. The coating application is very fast since the material does not have to be “worked,” saving time and money.1 Spray time is 100 m2 (1,000 sf) in less than an hour. This is an industrial-grade product and should be professionally applied by a certified applicator.
Manufactures now offer specific training to interested pool professionals who want to offer a higher-end product.
The benefits of glass flake in high-performance coatings
- No mat or chop fibreglass.
- Improved thermal stabilization of coatings.
- Increases flexibility.
- Reduces coating shrinkage.
- Glass fibre acts as reinforcement and improves mechanical properties.
- Increases viscosity and film build.
- Fewer passes required.
- Reduces moisture permeation and vapour permeation.
- Extends coating life, delivering a long service life.
- Prevents cracking and peeling.
- Assists in bond promotion.
- Increased hardness, wear-, chemical- and abrasion-resistance.
- Provides a low lifecycle cost without the need for periodic refinishing.
- Superior moisture vapour transmission reduction (MVT).
Reviving a distressed pool: GFC’s versatile solution
The pool under review had been painted numerous times and developed structural cracks, causing leaks. The owner was searching for a solution to remedy the surface esthetics and solve the leakage. The owner was advised to research his options to remediate the problems. Multiple candidate materials came up for review, however, as the pool had structural issues, cementitious materials were not considered. Some of the materials considered for this were heavy-gauge PVC vinyl liner, high-performance, 100 per cent solids, zero VOC’s novolac industrial-grade epoxy, and a polymer composite product, such as a GFC.
After thorough examination of all the polymer products, the owner decided on GFC. It is available in different versions, depending on the condition of the pool. It turned out to be the most versatile product available to remediate distressed/problematic pools. GFC comes in a structural and non-structural version. To address the structural issues in this pool, the structural version was chosen.
Scope of work and solution
The entire pool was lined with hand-laid fibreglass mat that was saturated with a bisphenol A (BPA) epoxy vinyl ester resin (EVER). The laminate was then consolidated using specialized compression rollers, then the entire lining was sanded to remove any sharp glass fibres. Once this operation was completed, the GFC was spray-applied to a thickness of 80 mils. This restoration technique sealed and waterproofed the entire pool, and the GFC finished it off. These procedures stopped the pool from leaking and eliminated ongoing painting.
