Ramuc DS · Water-based acrylic pool paint
Swimming again
in three days.
A matte, water-based acrylic for concrete and plaster pools. It goes on a damp surface, recoats in 4 hours, and an outdoor pool can be refilled 3 days after the final coat. It recoats acrylic, chlorinated rubber and synthetic rubber paint.
Ramuc DS Acrylic Swimming Pool Paint
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Ramuc DS Acrylic Swimming Pool Paint
Ramuc DS is a water-based acrylic pool paint for when downtime matters. It goes on a damp surface, recoats in 4 hours, and an outdoor pool can be refilled 3 days after the final coat. It dries to a colour-fast, UV-resistant matte finish and cleans up with soap and water. DS recoats pools painted with acrylic, chlorinated rubber or synthetic rubber, and goes on bare concrete and plaster too.
Key Features
- Refill outdoor pools in 3 days.
- Goes on a damp (not wet) surface.
- Recoat in 4 hours.
- Self-priming, two-coat system.
- Soap-and-water clean-up, 250 g/L VOC max.
Where to Use It
Concrete and plaster pools, bare or painted with acrylic, chlorinated rubber or synthetic rubber. Not recommended over epoxy. Not for bare fibreglass or gelcoat, spas or hot tubs (use Ramuc EP or Hi-Build Epoxy).
Colours and Sizes
Dawn Blue, White, Royal Blue and Black in 3.79 L, plus Dawn Blue and White in 18.9 L pails. Use dark colours for accents only.
Which Ramuc Pool Paint?
Choose DS for the quickest return to swimming. Choose Ramuc A-2 for a high-gloss rubber recoat, or EP and Hi-Build Epoxy for a longer life on bare or epoxy pools.
Specs & Coverage
- Coverage: 350–400 sq ft per gallon per coat
- Coats: 2, self-priming
| Type | Water-based acrylic latex, 1 part |
| Finish | Matte |
| Coats | 2, self-priming |
| Recoat | 4 hours |
| Fill | 3 days outdoors, 7–10 days indoors. Add a day for each rainy day |
| Apply at | 10–32 °C air and surface, nights 10 °C or warmer |
| Service life | Up to 2 years |
| VOC | 250 g/L max |
| Clean-up | Soap and water |
Application Guide
- Repair, power wash and clean with Ramuc Clean & Prep, then triple rinse.
- Sand very hard spots with #80 grit. The surface can stay damp.
- Roll two coats 4 hours apart, 10–32 °C, nights above 10 °C.
- Fill 3 days after the final coat outdoors, 7–10 days indoors.
FAQ
1How much Ramuc DS 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 a little over 6 gallons, so one 18.9 L pail plus two 3.79 L cans in Dawn Blue or White.
2What can DS go over?
Acrylic, chlorinated rubber and synthetic rubber pool paint, and bare concrete or plaster that has cured at least 28 days. It isn't recommended over epoxy, and it's not for bare fibreglass or gelcoat.
3Can it go on a damp pool?
Yes. Ramuc says DS bonds best to a cool, damp (not wet) and very clean surface, so you don't have to wait for the pool to dry out after cleaning.
4How soon can I fill the pool?
Outdoors, 3 days after the final coat. Indoors, 7–10 days with good ventilation. Add a day for each day of rain while it dries.
5Do I need to acid-etch the pool?
No. Ramuc Clean & Prep cleans, degreases, dissolves mineral deposits and opens up the surface in one step, replacing the old TSP, acid etch and TSP routine. Mix it 1 to 2 with water for bare plaster, or 1 to 5 for a painted pool, scrub, then triple rinse with a garden hose.
6How 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.
7How long does DS last?
Up to 2 years. For a longer-lasting finish on bare plaster or an epoxy pool, Ramuc EP lasts 3–4 years and Hi-Build Epoxy up to 8.
8Can I use DS on fibreglass or in a spa?
No. It's not for bare fibreglass or gelcoat, spas or hot tubs. Use Ramuc EP Epoxy or Hi-Build Epoxy for those.
9When's the best time to paint a pool in Ontario?
Late spring, before you open the pool, is the usual window. The air and the surface need to be between 10 °C and 32 °C, the nights have to stay above 10 °C so the paint cures, and rain can't be on the way. Then allow 3 days outdoors before you fill.
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 Ramuc or INSL-X paint does.
Peeling, blistering or hollow plaster? No pool paint will hold on that. Tap the plaster with a hammer, repair hollow or crumbling spots, and strip loose paint first.
Pool calculator
How much do I need?
We add up the walls and the floor, then use the low end of Ramuc’s coverage for two coats, so you don’t run short halfway around the deep end. Pails are picked automatically when they’re the better buy.
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 paint at once and box the cans 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 three days.
Cool, damp weather stretches every step. Nights below 10 °C stop the paint from curing properly.
- Day 1Drain & repairPower wash loose paint. Tap for hollow plaster and repair it.
- PrepClean & PrepSpray, scrub, then triple rinse with a hose.
- Damp OKNo long dry-outCool, damp (not wet) and very clean is ideal.
- Coat 1Box and rollMix your cans together. 3/8 in nap or less.
- +4 hCoat 2Both coats in one day.
- 3 daysFill it7–10 days indoors. Add a day for each rainy day.
Prep
Prep decides how long it lasts.
Ramuc says it plainly: skip the prep and the paint won’t perform. Pick your starting point.
Damp is fine
DS is water-based, so it bonds best to a cool, damp (not wet), very clean surface. No waiting days for the pool to dry out.
No acid etch
Ramuc Clean & Prep cleans, degreases and etches in one step, so there’s no muriatic acid to handle. It rinses away with a garden hose.
Bare concrete or plaster
- Let new plaster cure at least 28 days.
- Tap it with a hammer to find hollow or crumbling spots, and repair them with Ramuc Epoxy Patching Compound or PSL Nitrile Rubber Sealant.
- Power wash, then spray on Ramuc Clean & Prep mixed 1 to 2 with water. Scrub as soon as it foams.
- Triple rinse with a garden hose, not a power washer.
- Sand very hard, smooth spots with #80 grit, then two coats. Damp is fine.
Painted before
- Confirm it’s acrylic or rubber. DS isn’t recommended over epoxy.
- Power wash off loose paint and dirt.
- Spray on Ramuc Clean & Prep mixed 1 to 5 with water, scrub, then triple rinse with a hose.
- Sand very hard spots with #80 grit.
- Paint it damp, not wet. No waiting for a bone-dry pool.
Compare
Acrylic, rubber or epoxy?
All four Ramuc paints are self-priming, two-coat systems. What’s on your pool now decides most of it.
Ramuc DS Acrylic
- Best for
- Acrylic or rubber pools, or bare plaster, when downtime matters.
- What you get
- Matte and water-based. Goes on damp. Up to 2 years.
- From
Ramuc A-2 Rubber
- Best for
- Pools painted with chlorinated or synthetic rubber.
- What you get
- High gloss, one part, no mixing. Up to 4 years.
- From
Ramuc EP Epoxy
- Best for
- Epoxy pools, bare plaster, fibreglass, spas and slides.
- What you get
- 2-part high-gloss epoxy. 3–4 years.
- From
Ramuc Hi-Build
- Best for
- Aged or rough plaster, fibreglass and spas.
- What you get
- 2-part satin epoxy, 8 mils a coat. Up to 8 years.
- From
Specs
The details.
| Type | Water-based acrylic latex, 1 part |
|---|---|
| Finish | Matte |
| Coverage | 350–400 sq ft per gallon per coat |
| Coats | 2, self-priming |
| Recoat | 4 hours |
| Fill | 3 days outdoors, 7–10 days indoors. Add a day for each rainy day |
| Apply at | 10–32 °C air and surface, nights 10 °C or warmer |
| Apply with | 3/8 in max mohair or lambskin roller (no cardboard cores), brush or spray |
| Thinning | Clean water, only if needed |
| Sizes | 3.79 L in all colours. 18.9 L in Dawn Blue and White |
| Service life | Up to 2 years |
| VOC | 250 g/L max |
| Clean-up | Soap and water |
How to apply
Paint it like a pro.
- Box your cans. Mix them together so the colour matches all the way around.
- Start on a cool, damp, very clean surface.
- Cut in the tile line, steps and fittings with a brush.
- Roll it out with a 3/8 in nap or shorter. No cardboard-core rollers.
- Second coat after 4 hours.
- Fill 3 days after the final coat outdoors.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
How much Ramuc DS 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 a little over 6 gallons, so one 18.9 L pail plus two 3.79 L cans in Dawn Blue or White.
What can DS go over?
Acrylic, chlorinated rubber and synthetic rubber pool paint, and bare concrete or plaster that has cured at least 28 days. It isn't recommended over epoxy, and it's not for bare fibreglass or gelcoat.
Can it go on a damp pool?
Yes. Ramuc says DS bonds best to a cool, damp (not wet) and very clean surface, so you don't have to wait for the pool to dry out after cleaning.
How soon can I fill the pool?
Outdoors, 3 days after the final coat. Indoors, 7–10 days with good ventilation. Add a day for each day of rain while it dries.
Do I need to acid-etch the pool?
No. Ramuc Clean & Prep cleans, degreases, dissolves mineral deposits and opens up the surface in one step, replacing the old TSP, acid etch and TSP routine. Mix it 1 to 2 with water for bare plaster, or 1 to 5 for a painted pool, scrub, then triple rinse with a garden hose.
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.
How long does DS last?
Up to 2 years. For a longer-lasting finish on bare plaster or an epoxy pool, Ramuc EP lasts 3–4 years and Hi-Build Epoxy up to 8.
Can I use DS on fibreglass or in a spa?
No. It's not for bare fibreglass or gelcoat, spas or hot tubs. Use Ramuc EP Epoxy or Hi-Build Epoxy for those.
When's the best time to paint a pool in Ontario?
Late spring, before you open the pool, is the usual window. The air and the surface need to be between 10 °C and 32 °C, the nights have to stay above 10 °C so the paint cures, and rain can't be on the way. Then allow 3 days outdoors before you fill.
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.