Baptistry Info for Christian Churches

or Churches of Christ 

Many congregations that believe in the urgency of baptism a personal commitment to Jesus Christ, prefer to keep the water in their baptistery, heated and ready to use.

For those who do this, they need to understand some of the strengths and weaknesses of fiberglass, and some of the accessories we have available to assist them in this important event.

Although it is widely believed that fiberglass is a waterproof material, it is not completely waterproof, but only higher water resistant.

Fiberglass baptistries today are made up of wooden structural members covered with glass fibers (sprayed on like paint), polyester resin (which binds the glass fibers together and cures it so it hardens), and gelcoat, the paint like finish coat that adds the color.

The Gelcoat is not completely waterproof.  If water is left in the pool more than a week or two, the Gelcoat can actually allow water molecules to pass through the small, microscopic pores in the surface, and mix with the polyester resin and be absorbed in the fibers.  As water mixes with the other water soluble materials (including phthalic acids, glycol, coboltss, mekp and stryene) it increases in size and causes pressure to build, eventually causing blisters in the surface of the baptistry skin.

There are two ways to deal with this problem if you intend to keep the water in for long periods.  You can either drain, dry and wax the baptistry regularly (with a good paste wax, like a carnauba wax), or have the surface treated at the factory with a barrier coating such as AQUA SEAL.  The barrier coating will add a 20 Mil coating that prevents the water from penetrating into the surface.

The added cost for this is $250.

More Info