INSL-X Waterborne · Water-based acrylic pool paint
Repaint your pool
without stripping it.
A semi-gloss, water-based acrylic for concrete, plaster, marcite and gunite pools. It goes over most pool coatings in good condition, recoats in 4–6 hours and cleans up with soap and water.
Peinture pour piscine à base d'eau INSL-X
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INSL-X Waterborne Swimming Pool Paint
INSL-X Waterborne Swimming Pool Paint (WR-1000) is a water-based acrylic pool paint with a semi-gloss finish for concrete, plaster, marcite and gunite pools. It goes over most pool coatings in good condition, so it's the one to choose when you're not sure what's on your pool. It recoats in 4–6 hours, cleans up with soap and water, and once cured it's made for continuous submersion in fresh or salt water.
Key Features
- Goes over most pool coatings in good condition, plus bare concrete and plaster.
- Recoat in 4–6 hours, so both coats go on in one day.
- Soap-and-water clean-up.
- Fresh or salt water.
- Semi-gloss finish in 5 ready-mixed colours.
Where to Use It
Concrete, plaster, marcite and gunite pools, bare or previously painted. Not for bare fibreglass or steel (use INSL-X Epoxy), vinyl-lined pools, hot tubs or spas. Apply at 10–32 °C with no rain forecast for 3 days.
Colours and Sizes
Ready-mixed in White, Aquamarine, Black, Ocean Blue and Royal Blue, in 3.79 L cans.
Which INSL-X Pool Paint?
Choose Waterborne when you're not sure what's on your pool, or you want the easiest application. Choose INSL-X Rubber Based for a like-for-like recoat of a rubber pool, or INSL-X Epoxy for the toughest finish and for fibreglass or steel.
Specs & Coverage
- Coverage: 300–400 sq ft per 3.79 L per coat. Plan on 250–300 for the first coat on bare plaster
- Coats: 2 thin coats
| Type | Waterborne acrylic emulsion |
| Finish | Semi-gloss, 25–45 @ 60° |
| Coats | 2 thin coats |
| Dry time | Touch 30 min. Recoat 4–6 h. Sand with 150–180 grit if more than 72 h pass |
| Fill | 7 days outdoors, 14 days indoors |
| Apply at | 10–32 °C (50–90 °F), air, surface and paint |
| Thinning | Don't thin |
| VOC | Under 340 g/L |
| Clean-up | Warm soapy water |
Application Guide
- Drain and clean with a citrus degreaser, scrubbing the waterline.
- Bare plaster: etch, neutralize, rinse three times and dry 3 days. Painted: scuff sand with 100–150 grit and dry 24 hours.
- Roll two thin coats, 4–6 hours apart, out of direct sun.
- Cure 7 days outdoors or 14 indoors with fans running, then fill.
FAQ
1How much Waterborne pool paint 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 300 sq ft per gallon comes to 8 cans, on a repaint or on bare plaster.
2Can I put it over my existing pool paint?
Yes, over most pool coatings in good condition: water-based, rubber-based or epoxy. Clean it and scuff sand with 100–150 grit. Over epoxy, sand the whole pool with 80-grit and try a test patch first. If the old paint is peeling or there are 4 or more 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, vinyl or steel pool?
No. It's for concrete, plaster, marcite and gunite. For bare fibreglass or steel, use INSL-X Epoxy. None of the INSL-X pool paints are for vinyl liners, hot tubs or spas.
5Do I need to acid-etch my pool?
Only bare concrete or plaster. Let new plaster cure until the surface pH is 9 or less, or 30–60 days. Etch until the bubbling stops, neutralize with 1 lb of baking soda per 5 gallons of water, rinse three times and let it dry at least 3 days. Never etch a painted pool.
6How 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.
7Is it safe for a saltwater pool?
Yes. Once it's cured it's made for continuous submersion in fresh or salt water.
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 3.79 L cans 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. Scuff sand painted pools.
- DryLet it dry3 days after etching. 24 hours after sanding.
- Coat 1Thin and evenRoll it out. Don't thin, and don't lay it on heavy.
- +4–6 hCoat 2Two thin coats beat one heavy one.
- 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.
Painted before
- Scrub with a citrus degreaser, especially the top 2 ft at the waterline and the steps.
- Flush with clean water and let it dry.
- Scuff sand with 100–150 grit. Over epoxy, sand the whole pool with 80-grit and try a test patch.
- Rinse off the dust and let it dry 24 hours.
- Never acid-etch a painted pool.
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 | Waterborne acrylic emulsion |
|---|---|
| Finish | Semi-gloss, 25–45 @ 60° |
| Coverage | 300–400 sq ft per 3.79 L per coat. Plan on 250–300 for the first coat on bare plaster |
| Coats | 2 thin coats |
| Dry time | Touch 30 min. Recoat 4–6 h. Sand with 150–180 grit if more than 72 h pass |
| Fill | 7 days outdoors, 14 days indoors |
| Apply at | 10–32 °C (50–90 °F), air, surface and paint |
| Apply with | Synthetic roller, ⅜–½ in short nap (preferred), synthetic brush or airless |
| Thinning | Don't thin |
| Water | Fresh or salt |
| VOC | Under 340 g/L |
| Clean-up | Warm soapy water |
How to apply
Paint it like a pro.
- Box your cans. Pour them together and stir well so the colour matches all the way around.
- Start early in the shade. Follow the shade around the pool.
- Cut in along the tile line, steps and fittings with a brush.
- Roll thin and even, close to the spread rate. Too heavy can blister.
- Second coat after 4–6 hours.
- Cure 7 days with fans running, then fill.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
How much Waterborne pool paint 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 300 sq ft per gallon comes to 8 cans, on a repaint or on bare plaster.
Can I put it over my existing pool paint?
Yes, over most pool coatings in good condition: water-based, rubber-based or epoxy. Clean it and scuff sand with 100–150 grit. Over epoxy, sand the whole pool with 80-grit and try a test patch first. If the old paint is peeling or there are 4 or more 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, vinyl or steel pool?
No. It's for concrete, plaster, marcite and gunite. For bare fibreglass or steel, use INSL-X Epoxy. None of the INSL-X pool paints are for vinyl liners, hot tubs or spas.
Do I need to acid-etch my pool?
Only bare concrete or plaster. Let new plaster cure until the surface pH is 9 or less, or 30–60 days. Etch until the bubbling stops, neutralize with 1 lb of baking soda per 5 gallons of water, rinse three times and let it dry at least 3 days. Never etch a painted pool.
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.
Is it safe for a saltwater pool?
Yes. Once it's cured it's made for continuous submersion in fresh or salt water.
When's the best time to paint a pool in Ontario?
Late spring, before you open the pool, is the usual window. The air, the surface and the paint all need to be between 10 °C and 32 °C, with no rain in the forecast for 3 days, and you then need at least 7 days of curing before you fill. Paint in the shade: the east wall in the morning and the west wall late in the day.
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.