Pebble Tec Cracking

[erinshaneb]

Hello all, I have contacted my pool builder already, but i wanted a little insight for when he called me back. Our pool is less than a year old, if I remember correctly this time last year we were just about done with it.

We've already had one slab of pebble deck crack and repaired, but I think it was too big of a piece with no expansion joint (they also didn't use a crushed concrete or rock stabilizer beneath it), that was repaired with no issues.

I noticed another crack last week in a completely different section, almost completely across the piece (picture walking area between pool and grass, about 4' wide) called it in and they asked for pics next to a quarter. Then last night as I was scrubbing my walls (we got some black mold growing) I noticed a crack in my pebble tec, on the same side of the pool (actually under) where the new crack appear in the patio. Then I noticed another one, it's on both sides of the skimmer hole, one is about 1" and the other is about 3' long.

I've read horror stories (of course) about the gunite causing the Pebble Tec to crack and it's not warrantied, and I know I have to hear from my pool guy, but I just wanted some opinions.


(Hope you can see that and it comes through)

It's on the shallow end which is about 4' deep

Pics of Patio in Comments

 

[erinshaneb]

This is the patio on top of that area

 

[Rossterman]

I just drained ours (10 years old) and acid washed it and found the exact same thing. Two hairline cracks radiating from the corners of the skimmer cutout. My neighbor (great,guy who would be honest with me) was a pool contractor that installed pebbletec exclusivley and came to look at it. He indicate that this is common and considered a shrinkage crack and not to sweat it. Seen it a number of times and never caused any issue.

Mine was weeping slightly from the water in the gunite behind the wall. No water loss was evident before or after and all seems good. Now if it,was a wide crack, raised, etc It might be a different story...

 

[erinshaneb]

This new though? That's what bothers me, but I guess I can see the logic in what your neighbor says...Thank you

 

[gwegan]

Welcome to TFP !!!!

So Porter, Texas is just north of Houston. Gunite pools are not supposed to have serious cracking without outside forces. You have had cracking before and the PB fixed it. You have signs of cracking on the deck surface above. Finally you are in Texas.

I haven't seen it and we need more pictures of the overall pool area but I suspect you have really expansive soil. We really can't diagnose without being there, besides we aren't pool contractors.

It could be cosmetic as suggested above. But with your Texas location and history I have concerns.

Have you had Pebble Tec inspect the pool their warranty is separate from the pool builder's? Additionally if another contractor applied the pebble tec they have a warranty too. What was the PB's reason for the initial cracking?

Finally Pooldv, one of the moderators on here, has a Texas pool with cracking issues from expansive soil. If that is the case here he is a good guy to talk to about how to prevent further cracking. He's a good guy to talk to regardless.

 

[erinshaneb]

"So Porter, Texas is just north of Houston. Gunite pools are not supposed to have serious cracking without outside forces. You have had cracking before and the PB fixed it. You have signs of cracking on the deck surface above. Finally you are in Texas."

LOL !!! AMEN ! I know, I know...

The original portion cracked bcuz of lack of expansion joint (IMO)..I would post a pic, but it won't let me..it says I don't have enough free space..I guess it's counting the first couple of pics...

The soil was very solid, rock hard....It is definitely under warranty, I just wanted a little more knowledge and or information before I meet with the pool company. Not that I don't trust them, but, I don't trust them...lol...Salesman was amazing, foreman and man in charge is, well, kinda hard to work with and lazy...get the owner involved and he gets things done...So I just wanted to feel a little more comfortable..If I can find a way to add pics I will..thanks

SaveSaveSaveSave​

 

[pooldv]

To post more pics you can open an account with Photobucket for free, upload pics, copy the IMG code to the right of the pic and paste it in your post. It will embed the pic in your thread.

Yes, we have black clay and some cracks in our pebblesheen. We got a crack that leaked the first year during a drought. The PB mashed some pool putty into the crack and it has been fine for 4 years. We put in a micro-irrigation system to maintain even soil moisture and it was fine for a couple of years. Then after a lot of rain in spring 2015 I was slow to turn the system on the soil contracted and the pool cracked again, no leak this time PB mashed pool putty in it again. Maintaining even soil moisture year round, especially in winter, is the key.