How do I replace the mastic around my pool?
Cut the old sealant out completely and clean the joint until it is dry and bare concrete on both sides. Press backer rod into the gap so the new sealant will sit 1/4 to 1/2 in. deep, about half the joint's width. Run masking tape along both edges, prime if the joint is wider than 1 in., then mix the kit for a full 10 minutes and pour. Peel the tape off before the sealant starts to set and keep the joint dry for a day.
How many kits of Deck-O-Seal do I need for my pool?
Measure the length of joint around the pool, then its width and depth. One 96 oz kit seals about 106 ft of a 1/2 in. wide joint filled 1/4 in. deep, about 58 ft if that joint is filled 1/2 in. deep, and about 58 ft of a 1 in. wide joint at 1/4 in. deep. A 24 oz kit does roughly a quarter of that. Round up, because an opened kit cannot be saved for later.
Pour grade or gun grade Deck-O-Seal, which one?
Pour Grade for flat joints on the deck: it runs level on its own and leaves a smooth line with no tooling. Gun Grade for anything vertical or sloped, for seams in the pool shell, and for joints that will be under water, because it is a paste that stays where you put it. Below the waterline Gun Grade must go over REZI-WELD LV primer, and Deck-O-Seal advises using a trained professional for that work.
What size backer rod goes in a pool deck joint?
Use a rod a size wider than the gap so it holds by compression: 3/8 in. rod for a 1/4 in. joint, 1/2 in. for 3/8 in., 5/8 in. for 1/2 in., and 3/4 in. for 5/8 in. Push it in evenly with a blunt tool to the depth the sealant needs and do not puncture or stretch it, or air can bubble up into the seal.
How long before I can walk on new pool deck sealant?
Deck-O-Seal Pour Grade gives about an hour of working time at 77 F, is tack free after about four hours and firm after roughly a day. Cooler weather slows every step. Keep rain off it for the first 24 hours, and give it the full day before letting foot traffic or furniture back onto the joint.
Why does the sealant depth matter in a pool joint?
A joint sealant works by stretching and squeezing as the deck moves, and a thin, even layer bonded only to the two sides does that best. Too deep and it cannot flex, too shallow and it tears. Deck-O-Seal wants between 1/4 and 1/2 in., about half the width, with backer rod or foam underneath so the sealant never bonds to the bottom of the joint.
