The Problem: A Fiberglass Pool That Had Reached Its Limit
The homeowner in Myrtle Beach contacted us about a freeform fiberglass pool that had been showing its age for several years. The gel coat, which is the factory-applied resin finish that gives fiberglass pools their color and smooth surface, had deteriorated to the point where the pool looked permanently worn regardless of how well the water was maintained.
The symptoms were visible across the entire pool interior. The original gel coat had faded unevenly, leaving the surface looking dull and washed out. The smooth finish that the pool had when it was new had degraded into a chalky, rough texture that was uncomfortable to touch. And the waterline tile that had been installed around the pool perimeter was aging, loosening, and detracting from the overall appearance.
This is a common story for fiberglass pools on the Grand Strand. Myrtle Beach’s coastal environment puts fiberglass surfaces under sustained stress: direct UV exposure through the long warm season oxidizes the gel coat progressively, salt-influenced humidity from the nearby Atlantic accelerates the chemical breakdown, and years of pool chemistry exposure erode the resin from the water side. Most fiberglass gel coats in this environment start showing visible wear at 10 to 15 years. By the time this homeowner called, the surface had moved well past cosmetic concern into functional failure.
The homeowner had done their research and was weighing three options: painting the pool (cheapest but shortest-lived), re-gel coating (limited color options and inconsistent results on in-ground pools), or resurfacing with a thermo-polymer coating that would address the root cause of the failure and deliver a genuinely long-term result.
They chose resurfacing.
The Assessment: What We Found During the On-Site Inspection
When we inspected the pool on site, we confirmed what the homeowner had described and identified a few additional factors that informed the scope of work.
Gel coat deterioration. The original gel coat had lost its protective function. The surface was oxidized, rough to the touch, and no longer non-porous. In its current state, the gel coat was absorbing pool chemicals and moisture rather than resisting them, which was accelerating the degradation cycle. No amount of chemical treatment or surface cleaning was going to reverse this. The gel coat was past the point of repair.
Waterline tile condition. The decorative tile installed around the pool perimeter had aged, and sections were loosening from the fiberglass substrate. Rather than patch the tile and resurface around it, we recommended full tile removal and coating the entire pool interior, including the area where the tile had been. This would give the homeowner a clean, seamless finish from coping to floor, eliminate future tile maintenance, and create a more modern appearance.
Structural shell condition. The fiberglass shell itself was structurally sound. No cracks, no stress fractures, no delamination of the fiberglass laminate beneath the gel coat. This is important because surface resurfacing addresses the finish, not the structure. If the shell had been compromised, structural repair would have been required first. In this case, the shell was solid, and the problem was entirely surface-level, which made the pool an ideal candidate for polyFIBRO resurfacing.
The Process: From Worn-Out Gel Coat to Modern Finish
Surface Preparation and Tile Removal
The project began with draining the pool and removing the existing waterline tile. With the tile removed and the adhesive cleaned from the substrate, the entire pool interior was exposed for preparation. The old gel coat surface was prepped to create the optimal bonding profile for the polyFIBRO coating. This step is critical. The durability and longevity of any pool coating depends on how well the surface is prepared before application. We do not shortcut this phase.
Any imperfections, rough spots, or inconsistencies in the substrate were addressed during prep. The goal is a clean, uniform surface that the thermo-polymer can bond to at a molecular level when it is applied.
polyFIBRO Application
With the surface fully prepared, our team applied polyFIBRO thermo-polymer coating using specialized flame-spray equipment. The polymer powder is heated through a controlled flame, softened, and propelled onto the fiberglass surface, where it melts and fuses into a continuous, seamless, non-porous membrane bonded directly to the shell.
The homeowner chose a clean blue-grey finish from the ecoFINISH color palette, which produces a modern, sophisticated water color once the pool is filled. The speckled, multi-tonal quality of the coating gives the surface visual depth that a flat single-color gel coat never achieved.
The coating was applied across the entire pool interior: floor, walls, steps, contours, and the area where the tile had been removed. The result is a seamless finish from the coping edge to the deepest point of the pool, with no grout lines, no tile joints, and no transition seams.
Fill and Swim
Because polyFIBRO cures during application, there was no extended curing period. No Hot-Start. No muriatic acid. The pool was ready to be filled the same day the coating was completed. Once the water was balanced, the homeowner was back to swimming.
The Result: A Pool That Looks Better Than New
The transformation speaks for itself.
The before condition showed a drained pool with a faded, chalky, rough-textured gel coat that made the entire backyard look tired. The waterline tile was aging, and the overall appearance communicated “pool that needs work” from every angle.
The after condition is a completely different pool. The smooth blue-grey polyFIBRO finish gives the pool a modern, clean appearance that elevates the entire outdoor space. The freeform shape and contoured steps, which were hidden under the worn gel coat, now read as deliberate design features. The removal of the waterline tile and the seamless coating from edge to floor creates a streamlined, contemporary look. And the subtle speckled quality of the ecoFINISH finish gives the surface a visual richness that the original solid-color gel coat never had.
When filled, the blue-grey coating produces a sophisticated slate-blue water color that deepens in the deeper sections and shows the coating color more prominently on the steps and shallow contours. The effect is elegant, inviting, and dramatically different from the faded, washed-out appearance the pool had before.
Why This Project Matters for Myrtle Beach Pool Owners
This project is representative of a challenge that hundreds of fiberglass pool owners across the Grand Strand and Horry County are facing right now. Fiberglass pools installed during the residential construction booms of the early 2000s and 2010s are reaching the age where gel coat failure becomes a real issue. The Myrtle Beach coastal environment compresses the timeline. And when the gel coat fails, the options are limited if you go the traditional route.
Painting is the cheapest option, but paint sits on top of the fiberglass as a thin film. In Myrtle Beach’s humidity, moisture migrates through the shell and causes peeling and blistering within 2 to 3 years. It is a temporary fix that creates a recurring expense.
Re-gel coating works for small spot repairs, but applying a full new gel coat to an in-ground pool is impractical. The controlled-environment conditions that gel coat requires during curing cannot be achieved with the pool already in the ground. Results are inconsistent, and color options are limited to the same light shades the original gel coat came in.
polyFIBRO resurfacing solves the problem at the root. The thermo-polymer coating bonds to the fiberglass shell thermally, not mechanically like paint. It is non-porous, UV-stable, chemically inert, and flexible. It does not peel, blister, or chalk. It comes in a full range of colors at one flat price, so you are not limited to the light blues and whites that gel coat restricts you to. And it is backed by a 10-year manufacturer warranty.
For the Myrtle Beach homeowner in this case study, polyFIBRO was not just the best available option. It was the only option that addressed the actual cause of the gel coat failure and provided a surface rated for the coastal conditions that caused the failure in the first place.
Project Details at a Glance
| Detail | This Project |
| Location | Myrtle Beach, SC (Horry County) |
| Pool Type | Freeform fiberglass |
| Problem | Gel coat deterioration, fading, tile aging |
| Work Completed | Full tile removal, surface prep, polyFIBRO resurfacing |
| Finish Color | Blue-grey (ecoFINISH palette) |
| Coating | polyFIBRO thermo-polymer |
| Warranty | 10-year ecoFINISH manufacturer warranty |
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does fiberglass pool resurfacing last?
polyFIBRO thermo-polymer resurfacing is backed by a 10-year manufacturer warranty and is expected to outlast both gel coat and paint finishes, especially in coastal environments like Myrtle Beach where UV and salt-air exposure compress the lifespan of traditional surfaces.
Can you change the color of a fiberglass pool?
Yes. Unlike re-gel coating, which limits you to light colors like white, baby blue, and tan, polyFIBRO is available in the full ecoFINISH color palette, including blues, greys, charcoals, and earth tones. All colors are the same price.
Does tile need to be removed for pool resurfacing?
Not always, but in this case, the aging tile was part of the problem. Removing it allowed us to coat the entire pool interior seamlessly, which eliminated future tile maintenance, created a cleaner look, and ensured no moisture could get trapped behind loose tile sections.
How long does the resurfacing process take?
Most residential fiberglass pool resurfacing projects are completed in 1 to 2 days on site. Because polyFIBRO cures during application, there is no extended waiting period. The pool can be filled the same day the coating is applied.
Do you resurface fiberglass pools in Myrtle Beach?
Yes. SC Pool Resurfacing serves the entire Grand Strand, including Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet, Pawleys Island, and surrounding Horry County communities. Fiberglass pool resurfacing with polyFIBRO is one of our core specialties.
Is Your Fiberglass Pool Showing the Same Signs?
If your fiberglass pool in Myrtle Beach or anywhere along the South Carolina coast is showing gel coat deterioration, fading, chalking, roughness, or blistering, the surface has likely reached the point where no amount of cleaning or chemical treatment will reverse the damage.
We offer free on-site inspections across the Grand Strand and the entire South Carolina coast. We will tell you honestly what condition your pool is in, whether the shell is structurally sound, and what your resurfacing options are.
Schedule Your Free Pool Assessment
Call 854-444-9416 | scpoolresurface@gmail.com