Understanding the Lifespan of Mastic Sealant Around Pools
Mastic is a sealant plays a pivotal role in ensuring a well-maintained pool area, but it’s a detail that many often overlook. In this blog, our team at Clear Impressions delves into the significance of this sealant, its purpose, and how long you can expect it to last, ensuring your pool stays secure and lasts as long as possible.
What exactly is mastic?
Often referred to as mastic, it’s a flexible, impermeable substance used for sealing gaps and joints in pool decks, coping stones, and expansion joints. However, like most materials exposed to the outdoors, it wears out with time. Therefore, routine checks are vital to spot any issues early on and address them promptly.
Why Do Pools Need Mastic?
Referred to as a Urethane Sealant, pool mastic is designed to create a watertight barrier, ensuring water and ice don’t creep behind the pool structure.
Although pools are fundamentally designed to hold water, unchecked water can be a menace. Its unchecked seepage can lead to:
- Soil erosion
- Pool and deck misalignment
- Calcium deposits
- Loosening of tiles and coping
- Among other complications.
Using mastic ensures that the spaces between the pool deck and coping remain sealed. Thanks to its flexibility, mastic adapts to temperature and humidity fluctuations, ensuring water remains in its place.
However, like all things, pool mastic isn’t invincible. External elements such as sunlight, water, pool chemicals, and general use can wear it down over time. Thus, it’s vital to routinely check the state of your pool mastic. Most often, a replacement is required every 3-4 years.
How long does mastic typically last?
Several factors influence the longevity of mastic sealant:
- Quality of the product: Premium sealants resist harsh weather and UV rays, typically outlasting their cheaper counterparts. Clear Impressions only offers the highest quality mastic.
- Local weather conditions: For pools in areas with severe weather patterns, like the scorching heat of Texas, the sealant may degrade faster. It’s essential to select a product that’s right for your locale.
- Usage of the pool: Pools with high foot traffic and those used throughout the year or predominantly during swim season might see faster degradation due to frequent exposure to both chemicals and footfalls.
How to spot wear and tear?
Monitor for these telltale signs to know when it’s time for a mastic sealant replacement:
- Cracking
- Discoloration
- Becoming brittle or losing its pliability
- Appearance of weeds or dirt accumulation
- Missing mastic
Even though the durability of mastic can fluctuate, ensuring periodic checks and timely replacements will guarantee the extended safety and aesthetics of your pool area. At Clear Impressions, we provide top-notch pool maintenance services, featuring weekly packages, catering to Fort Worth, Benbrook, Burleson, Crowley and Joshua communities.
Final Thoughts
In essence, pool mastic is the unsung hero of swimming pool maintenance. By offering a secure seal between the pool deck and coping, it safeguards against water-induced damages and ensures a safe swimming environment. Pool owners, it’s imperative to monitor your pool mastic regularly and address replacements timely to prolong your pool’s lifespan. If you are a Clear Impressions Client or Member, then we will be keeping an eye on this for you and notify you when it is time to consider replacing your mastic. Typically we can have your new mastic installed within 7 days of approval!
When you do need new mastic, we’ve got you covered so that you can have it made in the shade. 
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To learn more about our extensive and diverse offerings – from weekly service to our uniquely premium all-inclusive poolcare packages – feel free to contact us anytime by call or text: 682.204.9898
If you would like more helpful information about your pool, check our blog for more posts or you can listen to Pool Guy Podcast here.
