Expert Fiberglass Pool Repair — Gelcoat Specialists

Professionally applied marine-grade gelcoat lasts 10–15 years with normal maintenance, and factory gelcoat often 15–20. What shortens it is cheap material, thin application (under 20 mils), or poor water chemistry. We apply at a full 25–30 mils so you get the long end of that range.

Because paint fails. Pool paint sits on the surface at 3–5 mils, peels and chips within 2–5 years, traps moisture underneath (which causes delamination), and roughens so algae takes hold. Marine-grade gelcoat is 25–30 mils, chemically bonds into the fiberglass, carries UV inhibitors, and lasts 10–15 years with a factory finish. We never use paint.

Spider cracks form when the gelcoat is stressed past its flexibility — most often from gelcoat applied too thin originally, chemical imbalance, ground and thermal movement, or simple age. They're a gelcoat-surface issue, not a shell failure, which is exactly why they refinish so well.

No, and the difference matters. Spider cracks are shallow, in the gelcoat only, and are repaired by grinding and refinishing. Structural cracks extend into the fiberglass shell itself and need fiberglass reinforcement (cloth and resin) before refinishing. Our assessment tells you which you have so you don't overpay for the wrong fix.

Blisters are raised bubbles under the gelcoat where water has worked into the laminate and started separating the layers (delamination). Yes, we repair them — but properly: we open and dry the area, rebuild it with an epoxy barrier coat, and refinish. Simply grinding them flat doesn't stop water from coming back.

Yes. A fiberglass wall bows inward when the backfill or groundwater behind it pushes on the shell — usually when the pool sits empty or low. We re-support and reinforce the wall and, critically, relieve and stabilize the pressure behind it so the bulge doesn't return.

Almost always the backfill — the compacted material around and under the shell. If it settles, washes out, or was poorly installed, it leaves voids and lets soil and groundwater pressure act on the shell, bowing walls and lifting or cracking floors. That's why the real fix is stabilizing the backfill, not just patching the surface.

Yes. Cracked, lifted, or soft floors are stabilized from beneath — re-establishing support under the shell — then rebuilt and refinished so the floor sits flat and solid again.

Backfill is the material packed around and beneath your pool shell to support it. When it settles or washes out, the shell loses support and you get bulged walls and floor movement. Backfill stabilization re-compacts and stabilizes that material so the shell is fully supported again — it's the root-cause fix behind most structural fiberglass repairs.

Yes. We color-match the repair to your pool's current shade and apply it at proper thickness, then wet-sand and buff, so the finished repair blends in and is effectively invisible under water.

On a quality color-matched gelcoat repair, no — the goal is a seamless, factory-grade finish. Larger or older pools where the surrounding gelcoat has faded sometimes look best with a complete refinishing so the entire surface is uniform; we'll be honest about which your pool needs.

It depends on the repair. Small above-water touch-ups can sometimes be done without a full drain, but gelcoat refinishing, blister repair, crack reinforcement, and any wall/floor or backfill work require draining so the surface can be properly prepped and bonded. We confirm at the assessment.

A localized spider-crack or touch-up repair is typically 1–3 days. Blister repair runs about 7–10 days because the laminate has to dry fully. A complete gelcoat refinishing is usually 10–14 days including surface prep, application at full thickness, controlled cure, and buffing.

It depends on the damage: gelcoat touch-ups and localized spider-crack repairs are the least expensive, blister and structural-crack repairs are mid-range, and a complete refinishing is the largest. You get a firm, itemized quote at the free assessment — and repairing early almost always costs far less than letting damage spread.

Yes. A chalky, porous surface is UV-degraded gelcoat. We restore it with new marine-grade gelcoat at full thickness — not paint — which brings back the color and the smooth, sealed surface so it stops staining and harboring algae.

Workmanship warranties run by repair type — about 2 years on spider-crack and touch-up repairs and 3 years on blister, structural, and complete refinishing work. Separately, a quality gelcoat refinishing has an expected service life of 10–15 years.

Usually, yes. Age alone doesn't disqualify a pool — what matters is whether the shell is sound. A decades-old fiberglass shell with surface wear is a strong refinishing candidate, and restoring it can add many more years of life for a fraction of replacement cost.

Yes. Marine-grade gelcoat is formulated to resist salt and chlorine, which makes it well suited to saltwater systems — another reason it outlasts paint, which salt degrades quickly.

We repair fiberglass pools across all of Texas. Call us to confirm scheduling for your address — every assessment is free, photo-documented, and comes with a written proposal within 48 hours.