What Makes Fiber Glass Fabrics Perfect for You
Glass mat, which has its origin in shipbuilding where it is used for the manufacture of boat hulls, is a product not well known to the general public. However, it is very often used for the realization of swimming pools. Indeed, what should be more waterproof than a boat hull? The glass mat can thus prove to be of great use for repairing an old swimming pool or re-sealing it. We tell you everything.
What is glass mat?
It is a kind of canvas or fabric composed of Henry Glass Fabrics cut and joined together with a binder. The fibers are assembled without any particular orientation. It is the opposite of the roving, in which the fibers are arranged in a weft.
There are different thicknesses of glass mats, which can be distinguished by their weight. The most commonly used are the masts which weigh 300 g / m² and 450 g / m2. The thickness of each mat determines the number of coats that we will apply.
What is the glass mat used for in swimming pools?
The glass mat serves as a support for the production of the polyester coating used for swimming pools. It is the armature which gives it good mechanical strength. It is used both for the factory manufacture of polyester shell pools and in situ for the production of a waterproofing coating for pools.
The glass mat is in the form of a roll. We cut it to make strips that overlap a few centimeters to cover the walls and the bottom of the basin. After the installation of a bonding primer, the first layer of glass mat is applied, followed by an application of resin until saturation, then a second layer of mat, and so on until obtaining of the desired thickness.
We can finish by applying a finishing gel-coat or by laying a tile.
Please note: the saturation of the glass mat with the resin is an important step. If the mat has white parts, add resin. Resellers give an average indication of resin consumption per m² of mat, but this is only an indication.
What advantages and disadvantages for the glass mat?
The main advantage of the glass mat is to obtain a semi-adherent coating which is very resistant and offers relative elasticity. In the event of micro-movements or slight cracks in the pool, the coating will not deteriorate.
However, the installation of the glass mat being done manually, the implementation is relatively long and therefore expensive. For this reason, many professionals replace the glass mat with a projection of glass fibers mixed with the resin. This solution does not offer the same resistance as glass mat, but it is significantly less expensive.
How to buy glass mat?
For small quantities, they are found in DIY stores. For larger quantities, suppliers exist on the Internet. They can provide you with the resins, but also the necessary protective equipment.
Tip: many parameters are taken into account (humidity, temperature, state of the support, etc.) when installing the glass mat in a swimming pool. It is therefore preferable to entrust it to a professional.
