Concrete Maintenance 

Concrete furniture out of water:

We recommend that all concrete portions of furniture to be wiped down periodically with a lightly damp cotton rag. 

Concrete Furniture In-Water:

For concrete that is located in water we recommend that you have your pool cleaner brush pieces with a standard plastic bristle pool brush when they brush the rest of the pool. Weekly brushing is recommended on all surfaces. This will help prevent mineral buildup on the chairs at the waterline. If mineral buildup is observed and you would like to clean off please call to discuss, usually a 600 grit sandpaper can take off buildup without damaging concrete furniture. Please spot check sanding in a spot that is out of sight before proceeding to the rest of the chair.  We can provide refinishing service if you would like, we charge our standard shop rate plus any materials.  We recommend that you reseal the piece after you sand, please call or email to discuss sealing procedure and materials to use. 

Please be sure to take furniture out of water during any shock treatments or other pool chemical treatments or any other time when chemicals are high or out of balance.    

Stainless Steel Maintenance 

Care and Maintenance of 316 Stainless Steel in Pool Environments:

The general perception of 316 Stainless Steel is that the material maintains a corrosion free and a stain free surface, whatever the conditions or environment. This perception is sadly not the case.

The Protective layer of Stainless Steel:

All metals have an external protective layer called the Oxide Layer (Or Passive Layer). This exterior, naturally forming layer, is the metal combining with oxygen to protect itself from corrosion and the surrounding environment. If you can imagine that Copper goes green, Brass dulls quite quickly and so does Aluminium. This is caused by the self-forming protective Oxide Layer. This Oxide Layer of Stainless Steel is totally transparent.

Therefore, Stainless Steel will continue to be “Stainless”, providing the Oxide Layer remains intact.

The oxide layer is a very shallow chemically reacted film on the outer surface of the material and can easily be removed by light abrasion or certain forms of chemical attack. Removal of the Oxide layer, exposes the bare metal to the surrounding atmosphere and where that atmosphere is corrosive, degradation will quickly become apparent in the form of rust.

The oxide layer with 316 stainless steel will automatically restore over time and is dependent on the storage environment, ambient temperature, etc. This self-formation could take one to two months. During this time, the metal surface is susceptible to attack and deterioration. Therefore, if the Oxide Layer is removed, it will need to be re-formed as quickly as possible. There is a method of restoring the Oxide Layer by creating a simple chemical reaction that is called PASSIVATION. We recommend the use of “Wichard Wichinox Gel Clean/Passivate” to clean, polish and restore the oxide layer on your stainless steel.

Maintaining the surfaces of Stainless Steel:

Now we understand Stainless Steel a little better and understand the concept of the metallic protection layer, namely The Oxide Layer. We can apply this knowledge to the daily maintenance of our Stainless Steel investment. In this case, your swimming pool ancillary furnishings.

Bearing in mind that the Stainless Steel pool ancillary furnishings are being subjected to a highly corrosive environment of the presence of Halogens chemical elements (Salt, Chlorine, Florine, etc) and an atmosphere of high humidity. We now have to be extremely diligent in the manner that we routinely maintain and carry out any maintenance and cleaning that can be detrimental to our hugely important protective Oxide Layer.

We must keep our surfaces clean by periodic “soft” cleaning. That means absolutely NO ABRASION whatsoever. We can only use abrasion in the occasions of rusting, we recommend a new blue Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrubber Sponge (the type made for dishes) and follow the “Wichard Wichinox Gel Clean/Passivate” instructions.

Please remember to never use any of the following items to clean or polish your stainless steel: Abrasive Scotch-Brite pads, steel wool of any type, wire brushes, sandpaper, used Scotch-Brite Scrubber Sponge (Used scrubber sponges can be contaminated with metals or chemicals from pots and pans that can be impregnated into the stainless steel surface and cause additional corrosion down the road), dirty rags or similar items. 

The following procedure should be adhered to for:

1. Periodic maintenance cleaning – Soft cleaning – clean damp cotton rag or clean microfiber cloth & light scrubbing action.
2. Heavy Cleaning, Polishing, Removal of Corrosion, Rust removal: Use of Wichard Wichinox Gel & Blue Scotch-Bright Non-Scratch Scrubber Sponge (the type made for dishes)

You can buy Wichard Wichinox Gel Cleaner at www.fisheriessupply.com.