# covering swimming pools



## canopainting (Feb 12, 2013)

I am curious how other painters work around swimming pools (doing prep, spraying and brushing). Sometimes the pool is close to the home and sometimes just part part of the pool is close to the home or the patio ramada. how do you cover it, I was thinking extension ladders placed across pool with plywood covered with plastic. IDK


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

No need to get all fancy with ladders , plywood, and stuff. Buy the appropriate sized blue plastic tarp, it floats on surface of water, weight it down on edges. Cover any exposed concrete with appropriate sized runners of same material. Weight them down as needed. We just bought a new heavy duty winter cover it's 23' x 41' and cost about $75. I'd bet those blue plastic construction tarps are cheaper.


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## Repaint Florida (May 31, 2012)

here's how we cover pools








when we paint pool screen enclosures








This one we were painting the pool deck too so we only covered the pool
but we have enough tarps to cover pool, deck and back of house while painting the pool cage ... be sure to have the homeowner shut the pump off 
( we don't want the liability so we have them shut it off and back on )


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

Unroll Painters Plastic 5' past each pool edge. Then, on each side, roll up 2x4's in the plastic, (or 2x6's if it's really big. 

I've tried floating tarps over pools but I always seem to get that one corner that starts nose diving, then the entire mission is aborted. 


Stelzer Painting Inc.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> Unroll Painters Plastic 5' past each pool edge. Then, on each side, roll up 2x4's in the plastic, (or 2x6's if it's really big.
> 
> I've tried floating tarps over pools but I always seem to get that one corner that starts nose diving, then the entire mission is aborted.
> 
> ...


the edges/sides of the tarp HAVE to rest on the apron, and as you noticed, need to be held in place by something weighty.


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## Repaintpro (Oct 2, 2012)

Repaint Florida said:


> here's how we cover pools
> 
> View attachment 25723
> 
> ...



This is how we approach covering pools too.............Until  this very moment! I have never thought, what if a painter/worker fell into the pool......he could swim no problems until he became entangled in the plastic? Even if you had another guy watching you could see very easily how it could turn bad very quickly. 

I might ring my insurance company and find out if this is legal to do.


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## benthepainter (Jun 17, 2011)

Repaintpro said:


> This is how we approach covering pools too.............Until  this very moment! I have never thought, what if a painter/worker fell into the pool......he could swim no problems until he became entangled in the plastic? I might ring my insurance company and find out if this is legal to do.



Steve that happened to me as a kid scared the crap out of me Neely died


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## Mike2coat (Nov 12, 2013)

Thanks guys. I sometimes complicate things.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Repaintpro said:


> This is how we approach covering pools too.............Until  this very moment! I have never thought, what if a painter/worker fell into the pool......he could swim no problems until he became entangled in the plastic? Even if you had another guy watching you could see very easily how it could turn bad very quickly.
> 
> I might ring my insurance company and find out if this is legal to do.


Every year when I cover our pool, I ponder what would happen if I were to do a belly flop onto the plastic. Would it be like a gigundous water bed? Or a plastic wrapped corpse?

Obviously I haven't grown big enough ones yet to try.


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

I've actually heard that loads of people kick the bucket every year specifically because of this problem. I think that's why lots of pool installation companies are going with the covers that you can actually walk on.


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## Bender (Aug 10, 2008)

jezus how much paint do you guys drip:blink:


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## Repaint Florida (May 31, 2012)

For us it's not a matter for dripping paint but we spray a lot of pool enclosures
working over the pool spraying we don't want over spray to land in pool or the deck ( if we are not repainting the deck. We shut the pool pump off and cover the pool

Is it dangerous with tarp over pool ? YES but just like working on roofs, ladders or many other thing in the painting trade to do it as safety as possible usually it a 4 man crew on these


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## Bender (Aug 10, 2008)

Just messin' 
Such a different place then Boise Ideeeho


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