I like ecoFINISH, and if I were finishing my own pool today, it is what I would choose. But liking a product does not mean pretending an installation can never have a problem.
We have been applying ecoFINISH since 2019. We have learned that the coating is only one part of the system. The condition of the surface underneath it, how that surface is prepared, the epoxy-primer steps and the application itself all matter.
Yes, an ecoFINISH installation can develop bubbling, peeling or delamination when adhesion between layers or the underlying substrate is compromised. A visible bubble does not, by itself, tell you which layer failed or why. The pool needs to be evaluated to determine whether the issue involves the existing substrate, preparation, a previous coating, the epoxy system, application or another condition.
What do “bubbling,” “peeling” and “delamination” actually mean?
Homeowners often use these words interchangeably. From a repair standpoint, the important question is not the word—it is where the separation occurred.
- Bubbling or blistering describes a raised area where something beneath the visible surface has separated or created a void.
- Peeling describes coating that is visibly lifting or separating.
- Delamination is separation between layers that are supposed to remain bonded. That separation may involve the coating system, a primer layer, an older finish or the substrate beneath it.
You cannot reliably diagnose the cause from a photograph alone. On some jobs, the affected material has to be opened or removed so the layers underneath can be inspected.
ecoFINISH’s installation manual makes surface condition and preparation part of the installation system. It instructs installers to identify and repair hollow areas, blisters and other defects before the aquaBRIGHT coating is installed, and says sufficient surface roughness is mandatory for the epoxy primer to mechanically bond to the surface. The manual also specifies cure and sequencing requirements for its epoxy-primer steps.
What can cause an ecoFINISH coating problem?
There is no responsible way to give one universal cause. Depending on the pool, possible contributors can include a weak or deteriorating substrate, material underneath the new coating that has lost adhesion, insufficient surface preparation, moisture or other substrate conditions, or a problem within the installation sequence.
That is also why I would be cautious if somebody looked at a bubble and immediately said, “The ecoFINISH material failed.” Maybe it did. Maybe it did not. You have to find the layer that actually separated.
On one installation where the top layer was separating, my diagnosis was that it had not received enough heat to fully bond to the layer beneath it. With a thermally applied coating, the heat and application technique matter to how the layers fuse.
On steps and other high-contact areas, visible rubbing or wear can also point to application technique. One possibility I look at is whether the applicator kept the flame at the approximate distance required during installation. If the heat is not being applied correctly, the material may not melt and fuse the way it should.
ecoFINISH’s installation manual specifically cautions that when multiple coating layers are applied, the surface should be preheated before the new layer so the layers adhere properly. The manual also warns installers to keep heat and traverse speed even to avoid layer separation.
A problem we encountered—and what we changed
Our first couple of ecoFINISH pools did not have this issue. On a later installation, bubbles showed up on a wall after the pool had been in service for a period of time. My diagnosis was that the epoxy on that portion of the pool had progressed too far in its cure before we reached it with the ecoFINISH application.
Sun, shade and temperature can change how quickly materials progress while a crew is working around a pool. After that experience, we changed the way we sequence the work so we are paying closer attention to those conditions and the areas receiving sun versus shade.
That paragraph is intentionally labeled as my field experience. It is what I concluded from the job and what we changed afterward. I am not presenting the diagnosis of that individual pool as a laboratory finding or a statement from ecoFINISH.
How much does the experience of the EcoFinish applicator matter?
A lot. “EcoFinish isn’t something I want somebody learning on your pool. The application is specialized, and there are little things you learn from doing it over and over—surface preparation, epoxy timing, temperature, sun and shade, how the material is laying down, and what to do when something doesn’t look right.”
“With high-turnover crews, experience can disappear fast. You can end up with somebody who has only been applying EcoFinish for a short time teaching the next guy. They may know the basic steps, but they haven’t necessarily encountered enough real-world problems yet to know how to recognize and correct one. Even an experienced applicator can run into a problem. The difference is knowing why it happened, how to fix it and how to keep it from happening again.”
ecoFINISH provides specialized installation guidance for substrate preparation, epoxy-primer application and thermal coating application. Those requirements are one reason Aqua Pool Finishes treats applicator experience as part of the finish decision—not just the product name on the proposal.
Why is surface preparation so important?
A coating cannot make an unsound layer underneath it sound. If existing plaster is hollow, flaking, soft or delaminated, simply covering it does not repair the bond beneath it.
ecoFINISH itself makes the same basic point in its homeowner information about applying the system over old plaster: deteriorating or structurally compromised plaster has to be addressed because the quality of the base surface is essential to the coating’s success.
With a coating system, what you cannot see can matter as much as what you can see. Preparation is not the place I want to save time or money. A beautiful final color does not compensate for a bad substrate underneath it.
Does a bubble mean the whole pool has to be redone?
Not necessarily. One of the things I like about working with ecoFINISH is that a localized problem can sometimes be repaired locally. The correct repair depends on how much material has separated and what is found underneath it.
On the job where we encountered the wall bubbles, the repair did not require redoing the entire pool. The affected material was removed, the area was ground and prepared again, and the wall was recoated. A localized repair still has to be done correctly, and no contractor should promise that every repair will be invisible in every color and lighting condition.
Can ecoFINISH be repaired so you cannot see the patch?
In my experience, localized ecoFINISH repairs can blend very well into the surrounding coating. That is different from guaranteeing an invisible repair. Color age, surrounding condition, repair size, lighting and the exact application all matter.
What does the ecoFINISH warranty cover?
The current ecoFINISH residential warranty is a 10-year limited product warranty. It covers qualifying defects in the manufactured material. The manufacturer’s warranty specifically distinguishes product defects from installation workmanship and lists examples of installation problems such as improper surface preparation, defective substrates and previous coatings that had lost adhesion and were not properly removed. Installation workmanship and installation materials are not covered by the manufacturer’s limited product warranty.
That distinction matters. If a homeowner sees peeling or bubbling, the appearance alone does not determine whether a claim is a manufacturer material claim, an installation/workmanship issue, an underlying-substrate problem or something else. The cause has to be evaluated.
Do I have to keep years of chemistry records for the manufacturer warranty?
The published residential warranty we reviewed does not list years of homeowner water-chemistry logs among the stated items that must accompany a claim. That does not mean chemistry is irrelevant: the warranty still requires proper maintenance and excludes damage associated with improper maintenance. Homeowners should follow the current warranty and maintenance instructions in effect for their installation.
Does ecoFINISH claim the coating cannot peel or crack?
ecoFINISH markets aquaBRIGHT as a durable thermoplastic pool finish and publishes performance benefits for the product. I would still avoid turning any performance statement into “this can never fail.” Pools are built systems. The coating, substrate, structure, penetrations, preparation, installation and maintenance all exist together.
I think homeowners are better served by a contractor who will explain both what a material does well and what has to go right for it to perform correctly.
What should I do if my ecoFINISH pool is bubbling or peeling?
- Document it before disturbing it. Take wide photos and close-ups and note when you first saw the problem.
- Contact the installer if possible. Ask what preparation and coating system was used and whether there is an installer workmanship warranty in addition to the manufacturer’s product warranty.
- Have the affected area evaluated. The goal is to identify which layer separated and whether the problem is localized or widespread.
- Do not assume a cosmetic patch solves an underlying adhesion problem. The unsound material has to be addressed before recoating.
Frequently asked questions
Can ecoFINISH bubble?
Yes, bubbling can occur in an installed coating system. The bubble itself does not establish the cause. Substrate condition, existing layers, preparation and installation should be evaluated.
Can ecoFINISH peel?
A coating can separate if the bond within the installed system is compromised. The important diagnostic question is where the separation occurred and why.
Can damaged ecoFINISH be repaired?
Often, localized areas can be repaired without recoating the entire pool, depending on the condition and extent of the problem. Matt has personally repaired localized affected areas rather than automatically redoing an entire pool.
Is bubbling covered by the 10-year warranty?
Not automatically. ecoFINISH’s 10-year residential warranty covers qualifying manufactured-material defects and excludes installation workmanship and certain substrate/preparation problems. A specific claim has to be evaluated based on its cause and the warranty terms.
Is ecoFINISH waterproofing?
No. ecoFINISH states in its technical guidance that the coating is not a substitute for a watertight pool structure. Structural cracks, leaks, penetrations and substrate problems need to be addressed appropriately rather than hidden under a finish.
Related Ask Matt guides
Have a coating problem you want us to evaluate?
Aqua Pool Finishes resurfaces pools throughout North Texas and East Texas and works with all major finish categories. If you are seeing bubbles, peeling, cracks or other surface problems, send us photos or schedule an evaluation.
Ask About Your PoolSources & methodology
This article separates Matt Phillips’ firsthand field observations from manufacturer documentation. Manufacturer information was checked against ecoFINISH’s installation guidance, current aquaBRIGHT information and 10-year limited residential product warranty. Matt’s account of Aqua Pool Finishes’ past bubbling repair is his firsthand professional experience and is identified as such.