A big thank you to the lifeguards and staff for another great year of swimming and fun in the sun! The swimming season officially ends today with the pool closing company coming on site to drain and winterize the pipes. There are still a few beautiful weeks left in fall to enjoy the park, so be sure to head up there and play before the snow flies!
Also on deck for this fall is a much needed pool update. Right now, there are several layers of paint on the pool interior, maybe as high as 12 coats! Over the years, we have painted and patched as best we could, knowing that some day soon we would need to strip it all down, repair the concrete and put on a fresh coat of paint. Well, that day has arrived!
This is a much needed update as the concrete is starting to flake and peel, especially around the rim of the pool. This could cause long-term structural damage if not handled properly. So, much like the wood siding on your house, there are only so many coats of paint you can apply before the top coat just won’t help hide defects. That’s where our pool lining is now.
So, next week, Metropolitan pools will be out on the 9th and 10th, weather permitting, to sandblast the years and years of paint off the pool. They will seal and smooth the concrete around the steps and rim, fixing defects. They will then prime, paint and stripe the pool to seal it all in. It is a pretty major upgrade, and should last for a good long time now that the paint will be adhering to a fresh, solid surface.
The board decided to do this project at the end of the season due mostly to weather. Think back to spring, and the weather we had before the opening of the pool – there was no guarantee that there would be enough good weather to get this done AND open on time. Now we have the time and the money to complete the project without interrupting the season. Be on the lookout for the workers early next week as they scrape, blast and sand away dozens of years worth of paint…pictures to follow.