Fiberglass vs. Pebble Tec |
| Pool Conditions |
Fiberglass |
Pebble Tec |
| Materials |
Thirty year track record for severe steel and concrete industrial corrosion protection. High-performance resins used for continuous immersion service. Provides superior long-term performance. Resins provided by DOW CHEMICAL CO. world's largest provider of epoxy vinyl ester resins.
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Cementitious product-cement based with aggregate. When introduced to the pool industry, masked common problems found with traditional plaster. No track record for industrial corrosion protection. |
| Corrosion Resistance |
Composite surface very resistant to pool water/chemicals.
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Surface subject to degradation by pool water. |
| Structural Strength |
Superior tensile strength of composite material, ideal for pools with structural problems. |
Has no structural strength. Binders and aggregates are cosmetic only. Will crack through when structural conditions change. (Never used for crack pools)
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| Black Algae and Rebar Stains |
Black algae cannot adhere to fiberglass. Rebar stains cannot bleed through. |
Severe black algae infestation develops, when plaster matrix disintegrates, and aggregate detaches. Aggregate voids become very rough, and are a haven for black algae. Rebar stains can bleed through.
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| Life Expectancy |
Not subject to water/chemical corrosion. Longevity exceeds that of cement-based specialty/aggregate plasters.
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Plaster binder eventually compromised by pool water-surface deteriorates. |
| Long Term Aesthetics |
Excellent water clarity and sparkling appearance. Superior aesthetics over life of surface. |
As surface ages, aesthetic appeal is diminished. Common observations are aggregate loss, mottling, discoloration, scaling and etching.
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| Roughness |
Due to the inert nature of fiberglass, no leachable/extractable material is available to cause roughness. The surface remains smooth. The homogenized composite structure, has no material that can separate from the base substance.
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The aggregate/plaster composition is not inert, and is therefore, subject to corrosion by pool water. As the surface breaks down, roughness increases. Aggregate plasters are not monolithic structures. Therefore, its constituents are subject to separation.
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