Recoating the Pool

We usually try to get at least one project done each year to get the house in Mexico ready for when we eventually retire along with cement repairs that are ongoing. This year was re-coating the inside of the pool. The pool was getting to the point the paint was beginning to peal off in some area and we actually may have pushed it a year or so longer than we should have.

When I got to Chelem the guys were just finishing up the work.

The coating on the pool is a material extracted from a particular tree and mixed with cimento blanco (white cement). The tree, havardia albicans or commonly referred to as chukum, is native to Mexico and Central America. The tree resembles and biologically is in the same family as the Mimosa tree in the U.S. In fact, I have seen several around Chelem and just assumed they were a mimosa. The process of extracting the product from the chukum tree was developed by the Mayans hundreds of years ago to decorate what we now call ruins.

The pool turned out great.

At this stage the pool had to sit for five days for the coating to cure. This was unfortunate because during part of that time, temperatures were in the mid-90's and I could have really used a dip in the pool. It was finally time to fill the pool on the day the norte arrived, see the post A November Norte, and knocked the power out. Since the norte, temperatures have cooled down to the low to mid-80's so the pool remains somewhat chilly to be in for an extended period of time.

Finally the pool got filled.

The natural chukum coating on the pool helps bring out the natural light green or maybe turquoise color of the water. Because the salt air naturally destroys the concrete in this area, there are always repairs that are needed. In this case the walkway around the top of the pool and the blue tiles were all replace at the same time the inside of the pool was coated. Hopefully this will last for many years before this work is needed again.