Top Tips for Painting a Concrete Pool for Long-Lasting Results

Why Concrete Pools Need the Right Paint

Concrete pools take a beating from chlorine, saltwater, sun and constant use. The right paint, applied properly, is the difference between a finish that lasts a couple of summers and one that holds for seven to eight years.

For most concrete pools, Luxapool® Epoxy Pool Paint is the right choice.

One thing to establish first: if your pool has previously been painted with chlorinated rubber, epoxy will not adhere to it. Rub the surface with acetone or Chlorinated Rubber Solvent — if the paint goes soft and sticky, it’s chlorinated rubber and you’ll need Luxapool® Chlorinated Rubber instead.

Tip 1: Repair Cracks and Defects First

Cracks, chips and rough patches must be fixed before painting. Paint will not bridge a gap, and untreated defects cause premature failure.

👉 Luxapool® Structural Epoxy Filler and Patch & Anchor Polymer Cement handle most repairs. Visible structural cracks need professional attention.

Tip 2: Preparation Is 80% of the Job

• Wash the entire surface with diluted Luxapool® Concentrated Wash to remove sun creams, oils and body fats, then rinse thoroughly.
• Acid etch bare cement render — 2 parts water to 1 part acid on new render, 3 to 1 on old. Always add acid to water, never the reverse.
• Flush as soon as the bubbling stops. Never let acid residue dry on the surface. Neutralise with bicarbonate of soda (1kg to 10L warm water), then flush again.
• Dry completely. Moisture content must be below 5%. If you don’t have a hygrometer, tape a square of black plastic to the pool floor in the morning — droplets underneath by mid-afternoon mean it’s too wet to paint.

Tip 3: Bare Concrete Needs a Primer Sealer

New or uncoated concrete needs Luxapool® Epoxy Primer Sealer before your top coats. Colormaker specify around 4 kits of primer alongside 8 kits of topcoat for a standard 10m × 5m pool. Apply it between 8am and 11am out of direct sun, and topcoat 16 to 24 hours later.

Repainting over sound existing epoxy? No primer needed — but the entire existing surface must be abraded with 20–40 grit to a sandpaper feel first, then all dust removed. Failure to abrade is the most common reason a recoat peels.

Tip 4: Apply in the Right Conditions

• Between 10 and 30°C, and staying in that range for the 3 to 6 hours after application, with humidity around 50%
• Never paint in direct sunlight. Shade-cloth over the pool for the whole process is worth the effort
• Aim to paint when the sun won’t heat the pool afterwards, to avoid blistering
• Defer if rain is forecast — rain during application causes surface defects or outright failure
• Allow several consecutive days of fine weather: one for preparation, more for coats

Tip 5: Two Coats Minimum, and Mind the Recoat Window

Epoxy needs a minimum of two coats to reach the required dry film thickness — three on pebblecrete. Between coats, allow a minimum of 20 hours and no more than 24, with the surface dry.

If more than 24 hours passes, you must abrade the whole pool to a dull finish and remove all sanding dust before the next coat.

Coverage is 20–25m² per 3.5L kit per coat, so a standard 10m × 5m pool needs 8 to 10 kits over two coats. Use the Pool Paint Calculator for your dimensions.

Tip 6: Wait Before You Fill

At least 10 days in summer, 14 days in winter. Longer is better.

This is the step people rush and it’s the one that can’t be undone. Filling early damages the colour permanently — it shows as cloudy, uneven distribution across the final coat. Once filled, add nothing but salt or chlorine for a further 3–5 days.

Do’s and Don’ts

• ✅ Repair, etch and prime before painting
• ✅ Confirm what coating is already on the pool
• ✅ Abrade fully before recoating existing epoxy
• ✅ Order the full quantity up front so colour stays consistent
• ✅ Wait 10 days summer / 14 winter before filling
• ❌ Don’t rush surface prep — it’s most of the job
• ❌ Don’t paint in direct sun, rain or high humidity
• ❌ Don’t part-mix a two-pack kit — it won’t cure