Type of caulk to use for dirt prevention?

[threecheese]

I have dirt entering my (30yo) pool in one area; over the years the concrete deck has heaved/moved/sunk a bit and there is a spot where dirt from underneath/between two pads is coming through a space between two pieces of (aluminum bullnose) coping (they meet at an angle, and there is a gap). It is falling into the pool and eventually getting broadcast across the bottom by a return which is close by. There is about a quarter cup of dirt there each morning when I turn the filter on.

Just to keep the dirt away I would like to put a bead of caulk here, can you tell me what not to use? I am thinking just white silicone, but I don't know if that will have a problem bonding with aluminum or vinyl or will cause me problems later on when I actually fix this problem and want to remove it.

Thanks!

 

[duraleigh]

I can't see the work (got a pic?) but if you decide caulk is the best thing, use polyurethane caulk. It is messier to work with but generally a tougher, longer lasting caulk.

 

[threecheese]

Here is a pic of the worst place, where the coping meets the stairs - there is another where two pieces of coping meet but I ended up with just a picture of my feet on that one

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Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[duraleigh]

Yeah, that's pretty wide but I would still use polyurethane. Work it carefully.....it does not clean up with water.. Keep some paint thinner close by to keep you work neat.

 

[mickey4paws]

When we bought our house, our pool was in bad shape so needed lots of repairs. There was at least a 1 inch or more gap between the pool wall and the cement deck around the whole perimeter of the pool. One day I walked outside and saw snakes peaking their heads out of the gap and I said that's it, this is getting fixed. But I had to wait for the new liner and coping before they could caulk it.

Anyway, we used a great silicone caulk made by Dow Corning. I can try to find my receipt to see who we got it from and the number, but I'm pretty sure it was the 790. We got it in sandstone and it matches the cement deck really nicely. Here's a link to the caulk: DOW CORNING 790 SILICONE BUILDING SEALANT


Found some on Amazon. Also, depending on how wide your opening is, you may need some backer rod or whatever they call it. I'm pretty sure they used it on ours, but our opening was pretty wide. Dow Corning 790 Silicone Building Sealant - Gray: Silicone Adhesives: Amazon.com: Industrial Scientific