Application
Application is easy, and the company provides online tutorials or hands-on training for those interested in learning.
Materials cost only a couple hundred dollars for most pools, and it’s an easy sell if pool draining was already planned for an acid wash.
Meanwhile, applicators can charge anywhere from $600 to $800 for one hour of work – and it is a very simple application that any service tech can perform.
For those desiring assistance with the process, Devin Cahn Associates, DCA, a pool manufacturers’ representative, has 22 applicators located across the country that will provide training, trouble-shooting advice, as well as help with sales tips.
In a nutshell, the product is applied using a backpack sprayer and a paint roller.
For existing pools, an ideal time to apply MicroGlass is after a planned acid wash. Once the acid has been neutralized and the surface is dry (a gas torch can be used to accelerate surface drying), the product can be applied to the clean, debris-free surface.
MicroGlass is sold in gallon buckets, and for most standard sized pools, about 2 to 3 gallons (for $80 a gallon) will be all that is needed.
Shake the product for about 30 seconds, then stir to ensure it is well mixed. Pour the MicroGlass into the backpack sprayer, replacing the lid on the storage container. Bring a 1½-inch-thick nap roller into the pool, and gear-up with the backpack sprayer.
Application can be a singleperson operation, but the company recommends getting an assistant to help out, with one person working the sprayer while the other rolls it out over the surface.
One person can pump up the sprayer to get pressure, applying the product, while the other person uses the roller to back-roll all of the product – picking up any runs or puddles and providing even product distribution. Any accidental puddles will result in a cloudy, glazed appearance, so it is important to pick them up.
The product is sprayed evenly, beginning a at the tile while the
Alan Smith and his assistant work together applying MicroGlass
Alan Smith is the sprayer, while his assistant is the roller. Micro
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assistant follows a few feet behind, rolling over the fresh application. Keep pressure in the sprayer to facilitate spraying. A light mist of product is sufficient. The product can be applied over plastic fittings but should be ragged off immediately. Similarly, the tile should also be ragged off to prevent a cloudy glaze.
Once the walls are completed, begin spraying the floor, starting at the deep end. The surface will require about two to three coats, or until “the point of refusal’”— when no more product will absorb into the surface — has been achieved. Older pools with greater porosity will require slightly more product, and most jobs require two coats. Successive coats can be applied just minutes after the previous coat was applied.
The entire process should only take an hour and will provide many years of backyard fun — and a solid investment that will please all pool
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