INSL-X Epoxy · 2-part epoxy pool paint
The toughest finish
your pool can get.
A semi-gloss, two-part polyamide epoxy for concrete, plaster, fibreglass and steel pools. It's the most chemical-resistant INSL-X pool paint, and it's sold as a 2-gallon kit you mix 1:1.
INSL-X Epoxy Swimming Pool Paint, 2-Gallon Kit
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INSL-X Epoxy Swimming Pool Paint
INSL-X Epoxy Pool Coating (IG-4000) is a two-part polyamide epoxy pool paint with a semi-gloss finish. It's extremely durable in fresh and salt water and resists common pool chemicals, including chlorine. It goes on concrete, plaster, marcite, gunite, fibreglass and steel, or over an existing 2-part epoxy. Each 2-gallon kit is Part A and Part B, mixed 1:1.
Key Features
- The toughest INSL-X pool paint, with the most chemical resistance.
- Fibreglass and steel as well as concrete and plaster.
- Wide recoat window of 3–72 hours.
- Fresh or salt water, and resists chlorine.
- 2-gallon kits, 700–800 sq ft per coat.
Where to Use It
Concrete, plaster, marcite, gunite, fibreglass and steel pools, bare or previously coated with a 2-part epoxy. Not over rubber, chlorinated rubber or water-based pool paint (use INSL-X Rubber Based or INSL-X Waterborne). Not for stainless steel, aluminum, galvanized or vinyl-lined pools, hot tubs or spas. Like any epoxy, it chalks and fades over time in sunlight.
Colours and Sizes
Ready-mixed in White, Black, Ocean Blue and Royal Blue, in 2-gallon kits (Part A and Part B).
Which INSL-X Pool Paint?
Choose Epoxy for an epoxy-painted pool, for fibreglass or steel, or for the most chemical resistance. For a rubber pool, use INSL-X Rubber Based. Not sure what's there? INSL-X Waterborne goes over most coatings.
Specs & Coverage
- Coverage: 350–400 sq ft per gallon per coat, or 700–800 per 2-gal kit. Plan on 250–300 per gallon for the first coat on bare plaster
- Coats: 2 thin coats
| Type | 2-part polyamide epoxy |
| Finish | Semi-gloss, 40–50 @ 60° |
| Pot life | 6 h at 25 °C, 3 h at 32 °C |
| Dry time | Touch 2 h. Recoat 3–72 h. Sand with 150–180 grit after 72 h |
| Fill | 7 days outdoors, 14 days indoors |
| Apply at | 10–38 °C (50–100 °F), air, surface and paint |
| VOC | Under 340 g/L |
| Clean-up | Xylene or epoxy thinner, then warm soapy water |
Application Guide
- Confirm it's epoxy with an MEK test, then drain and clean with a citrus degreaser.
- Bare plaster: etch, neutralize, rinse three times and dry 3 days. Epoxy or fibreglass: sand, rinse and dry 24 hours. Steel: remove rust and prime.
- Mix 1:1, wait 30 minutes, then roll two thin coats 3–72 hours apart.
- Cure 7 days outdoors or 14 indoors with fans running, then fill.
FAQ
1How many kits do I need?
Use the calculator above. A 16 × 32 ft pool, 3½ ft at the shallow end and 8 ft at the deep end, has about 1,064 sq ft of walls and floor. Two coats at 350 sq ft per gallon is just over 6 gallons, so plan on 4 kits. Bare plaster also comes to 4 kits.
2What can it go over?
Only bare surfaces or an existing 2-part epoxy: concrete, plaster, marcite, gunite, fibreglass and steel. It doesn't go over rubber, chlorinated rubber or water-based pool paint. If there are 4 or more old layers, strip it back first.
3How do I tell what paint is on my pool now?
Do a solvent test. Wearing rubber gloves, clean and dry 3 or 4 spots, then rub each with a cotton ball soaked in a solvent, 4–5 passes, using a new spot each time. If denatured alcohol softens it, it's water-based acrylic. If xylene softens it, it's rubber or chlorinated rubber. If MEK softens it, it's epoxy.
4Can I use it on a fibreglass or steel pool?
Yes. It's the INSL-X pool paint for both. Scuff sand fibreglass with 150–180 grit. On steel, remove the rust and prime with an epoxy primer first. It's not for stainless steel, aluminum or galvanized pools, vinyl liners, hot tubs or spas.
5How do I mix it?
Stir Part A and Part B separately, then combine them 1:1 by volume and mix well. Let it stand 30 minutes before you start. It stays usable for about 6 hours at 25 °C, or 3 hours at 32 °C, so only mix what you can roll in that time. Never mix part of a kit.
6How long between coats?
3–72 hours. If more than 72 hours pass, sand with 150–180 grit before the second coat.
7How long before I can fill the pool?
Wait at least 7 days after the final coat for an outdoor pool, or 14 days indoors. Run fans across the pool and one pointed down into the deep end, and never cover it with a tarp or solar blanket while it cures. If rain gets in before it's cured, pump it out as soon as you can.
8How long will a painted pool last?
Benjamin Moore says to expect about 3 to 5 years before repainting. Chlorine levels, sun, climate, how many coats went on and how much the pool gets used all play a part. Check the finish each fall when you close the pool, and add shock through the skimmer or a chlorinator so concentrated chlorine never sits on the paint.
Canada Shipping
- Enjoy free shipping in Canada on orders over $249. Yukon, NWT, Nunavut not included.
Winter Shipping:
- From December to April, shipping outside of Ontario and Quebec is limited.
- Returns accepted within 35 days from the date of delivery.
- Custom tinted paints are classified as Final Sale items and are not eligible for return or store credit.
Paint finder
What’s on your pool now?
Pool paints have to match what’s already there. Pick one and we’ll tell you if this paint works, or which one does.
Peeling, blistering or 4+ old layers? No pool paint will hold on that. Strip it back to the bare surface first, and call a pool contractor if the plaster itself is loose.
Pool calculator
How much do I need?
We add up the walls and the floor, then use the low end of Benjamin Moore’s coverage for two coats, so you don’t run short halfway around the deep end.
Measure inside the pool. For a kidney or freeform pool, use the longest length and the widest width and we’ll treat it like an oval, plus 10% for the curves. Buy all your 2-gal kits at once and mix them together so the colour is even all the way around.
Heads up: based on what you picked in the finder, this isn’t the right paint for your pool. See which one is.
Start to finish
Two coats, then a week to cure.
Times are at 25 °C and 50% humidity. Cool, damp weather stretches every step, so give it longer.
- Day 1Drain & scrubCitrus degreaser, and hand-scrub the waterline.
- PrepEtch or sandEtch bare plaster. Sand epoxy and fibreglass.
- DryLet it dry3 days after etching. 24 hours after sanding.
- Mix1:1, wait 30 minFull kits only. Use within 6 hours.
- +3–72 hCoat 2Sand first if more than 72 hours pass.
- 7 daysFill it14 days for an indoor pool.
Prep
Prep decides how long it lasts.
Pick your starting point.
Is it dry enough?
Tape a 2 × 2 ft square of clear plastic to the floor. If there’s condensation under it after 24 hours, it isn’t dry enough to paint yet.
Acid safety
Wear gloves, goggles and a fume mask, and always add acid to water, never water to acid. Never etch a painted pool.
Bare concrete or plaster
- Let new plaster cure until the surface pH is 9 or less, or 30–60 days.
- Clean with a citrus degreaser and hand-scrub the waterline.
- Etch with Concrete Etch or 10% muriatic acid until the bubbling stops. Always add acid to water.
- Neutralize with 1 lb of baking soda per 5 gallons of water, then rinse three times.
- Dry at least 3 days, then two thin coats.
Epoxy before
- Confirm it's epoxy. MEK should soften it. Epoxy doesn't go over rubber or water-based paint.
- Scrub with a citrus degreaser, especially the waterline and steps, then flush and dry.
- Scuff sand with 100–150 grit.
- Rinse off the dust and let it dry 24 hours.
- Never acid-etch a painted pool.
Fibreglass
- Clean with a citrus degreaser.
- Scuff sand the whole surface with 150–180 grit.
- Rinse off the dust and let it dry 24 hours.
- Two thin coats.
Steel
- Remove rust with hand or power tools.
- Prime with an epoxy primer. Ask us which one.
- Two thin coats of Epoxy.
- Not for stainless steel, aluminum or galvanized pools.
Compare
Waterborne, rubber or epoxy?
All three are for in-ground pools in fresh or salt water. What’s on your pool now usually decides it.
INSL-X Waterborne
- Best for
- Repaints when you're not sure what's on the pool. Concrete and plaster.
- What you get
- Semi-gloss acrylic. Recoat in 4–6 h. Soap-and-water clean-up.
- From
INSL-X Rubber Based
- Best for
- Pools already painted with rubber or chlorinated rubber, and bare concrete.
- What you get
- Satin finish. 400–500 sq ft per gallon. Recoat in 12–24 h.
- From
INSL-X Epoxy
- Best for
- Epoxy-painted pools, bare concrete, fibreglass and steel.
- What you get
- 2-part semi-gloss epoxy. Most chemical resistant. 2-gal kits.
- From
Specs
The details.
| Type | 2-part polyamide epoxy |
|---|---|
| Finish | Semi-gloss, 40–50 @ 60° |
| Coverage | 350–400 sq ft per gallon per coat, or 700–800 per 2-gal kit. Plan on 250–300 per gallon for the first coat on bare plaster |
| Mixing | 1:1 by volume, full kits only. Stand 30 min |
| Pot life | 6 h at 25 °C, 3 h at 32 °C |
| Dry time | Touch 2 h. Recoat 3–72 h. Sand with 150–180 grit after 72 h |
| Fill | 7 days outdoors, 14 days indoors |
| Apply at | 10–38 °C (50–100 °F), air, surface and paint |
| Apply with | Synthetic roller, ⅜–½ in short nap (preferred), synthetic brush or airless |
| Water | Fresh or salt, and resists chlorine |
| VOC | Under 340 g/L |
| Clean-up | Xylene or epoxy thinner, then warm soapy water |
How to apply
Paint it like a pro.
- Stir Part A and Part B separately, then mix them 1:1.
- Let it stand 30 minutes, then use it within 6 hours, or 3 on a hot day.
- Start early in the shade and follow it around the pool.
- Roll thin and even with a short nap. Back-roll if you spray.
- Second coat in 3–72 hours.
- Cure 7 days with fans running, then fill.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
How many kits do I need?
Use the calculator above. A 16 × 32 ft pool, 3½ ft at the shallow end and 8 ft at the deep end, has about 1,064 sq ft of walls and floor. Two coats at 350 sq ft per gallon is just over 6 gallons, so plan on 4 kits. Bare plaster also comes to 4 kits.
What can it go over?
Only bare surfaces or an existing 2-part epoxy: concrete, plaster, marcite, gunite, fibreglass and steel. It doesn't go over rubber, chlorinated rubber or water-based pool paint. If there are 4 or more old layers, strip it back first.
How do I tell what paint is on my pool now?
Do a solvent test. Wearing rubber gloves, clean and dry 3 or 4 spots, then rub each with a cotton ball soaked in a solvent, 4–5 passes, using a new spot each time. If denatured alcohol softens it, it's water-based acrylic. If xylene softens it, it's rubber or chlorinated rubber. If MEK softens it, it's epoxy.
Can I use it on a fibreglass or steel pool?
Yes. It's the INSL-X pool paint for both. Scuff sand fibreglass with 150–180 grit. On steel, remove the rust and prime with an epoxy primer first. It's not for stainless steel, aluminum or galvanized pools, vinyl liners, hot tubs or spas.
How do I mix it?
Stir Part A and Part B separately, then combine them 1:1 by volume and mix well. Let it stand 30 minutes before you start. It stays usable for about 6 hours at 25 °C, or 3 hours at 32 °C, so only mix what you can roll in that time. Never mix part of a kit.
How long between coats?
3–72 hours. If more than 72 hours pass, sand with 150–180 grit before the second coat.
How long before I can fill the pool?
Wait at least 7 days after the final coat for an outdoor pool, or 14 days indoors. Run fans across the pool and one pointed down into the deep end, and never cover it with a tarp or solar blanket while it cures. If rain gets in before it's cured, pump it out as soon as you can.
Will the colour fade?
Like any epoxy, it chalks and fades in sunlight, and chlorine fades every pool paint over time. Keep the water balanced, don't over-chlorinate, and add shock through the skimmer or a chlorinator rather than onto the paint.
How long will a painted pool last?
Benjamin Moore says to expect about 3 to 5 years before repainting. Chlorine levels, sun, climate, how many coats went on and how much the pool gets used all play a part. Check the finish each fall when you close the pool, and add shock through the skimmer or a chlorinator so concentrated chlorine never sits on the paint.
Do you ship, or can I pick up?
We ship across Canada, free on most orders over $249. Pick-up is free at our Rockwood Village store, 1292 Eglinton Ave. E, Mississauga, and most orders are ready within 4 hours.
Ready to repaint your pool?
Not sure what’s on your pool? Send us a photo and ask our team. We’ll tell you which paint to use and how much to get.