will not stick underwater

– common causes —

Water Gard 300 (tm) is a solvent free epoxy that can be applied underwater.

 Most users purchase it for minor swimming pool touch up without draining the water.

That said, sometimes it will not to stick to surfaces underwater. It is not the epoxy

(test it in a bucket of water on a submerged stone, piece of wood, etc. to confirm

that it can be applied underwater and the issue is something unique to your

environment, and not the epoxy).

** Epoxies stick underwater by tiny electrical charges. Existing electrical charges

in sea ports, harbors and commercial ships, known or un-known, will keep the

epoxy from bonding. Generally this is in a conductive salt water environment with

 two different metals nearby. An electrical field can also be created with electrical

equipment attached to shore power. Cathodes attached to the bottom of some

boats will also create an electrical field (that is how they work!).

** Epoxies do not stick to vinyl pool liners and other plastic surfaces (polyethylene,

polypropylene for example).

** Many commercial cement pools have special additives in the cement to drive out

the air in the concrete during installation (a silicon?) which makes the concrete more

dense and more likely to pass density tests for commercial poured concrete. Perhaps

half of commercial pools have this issue and the epoxies will not bond to the cement.

Only very rarely does this situation occur in residential pools.

** The cement or gunite in the underwater surfaces of the pool is so weakened from

years and years of pool chemicals that while the epoxy will stick to it, the weight of the

epoxy coating will pull off the pool side, usually with a thin failed layer of pool gunite

or cement grains attached to the back side of the epoxy.

** Years and years of suntan oil or sun screen can collect on swimming pool steps

and result in a slick surface that will keep the epoxy from bonding.

==============

Nearly all the time on non-commercial pools the Water Gard 300 epoxy paint is successfully

applied to small areas of residential pools successfully - thus saving having to drain

(and refill) the pool to hide a stain, fill in a chip, etc.

In theory an entire pool can be painted underwater with Water Gard 300 epoxy,

but in the last 20 years this has never been done, although several customers have

wanted to do it (too much effort, too many other issues). The product is best used for

spot re-coating and repair of areas a few square feet in size.

Customers have been able to slightly shift the white or light blue colors by

adding non water based, non powder pigments form craft stores or paint stores.

Saltwater pools or environments (harbors, inlets etc.)  can

generate electrically conductive environments which can also prevent

underwater epoxies from bonding.  See CATHODIC ISSUES with saltwater.

BUY ONLINE: epoxyusa.com

BUY ONLINE: epoxyusa.com