Fibreglass tank story
The fibreglass tank under review holds very aggressive industrial chemicals. The same fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) (e.g. BPA EVER) materials used to rehabilitate fibreglass pools are the same ones used to restore industrial fibreglass tanks that hold very corrosive chemicals.
If the FRP materials can hold up in tanks, then the pool water is very low on the corrosive spectrum. Pool water has a pH 7.2 to 7.6. These materials can contain the full range of the pH scale. For a very long service life, FRP materials have proven to outperform most coatings used in immersion service. Pool chemicals are far less hostile to fibreglass than corrosive industrial chemicals.
Conclusion
As with all products, there comes a time when a fibreglass pool requires repair and resurfacing. Today, these pools command about 10 per cent of the pool population because of their inherent benefits compared to concrete.
Modern fabrication methods and materials will extend the life of fibreglass pools, but the older ones will require refinishing at some stage. As pool professionals embark on their resurfacing projects, they should remember to choose some candidate coatings, and then assess which one will get the job done for long term service.
Author
Peter Gibson is president of GRC Fiberglass Coatings. Over the past 30 years, he developed fibreglass coatings and linings specifically for fibreglass and concrete pools. Gibson also offers training in the use of these products through the certified applicator training course. He is available to answer all technical questions to resurface concrete and fibreglass pools. Gibson can be reached at resinmaster@gmail.com.
