My gunite pool "floated up" approx a foot. It looks bad. My pool contractor wants to drill holes and see if it will settle back down. What are the chances this will work and not have any problems with the pool in the future? Several tiles have come off, several cracks with ground water slowly seaping thru, pool has separated from cement surounding the pool (this has cracked also).
Gunite pool floated up
- Thread starter crafty33
- Start date
The number one question is, was it full of water when it floated?
There is a chance that it'll work but there's also a chance that it won't. It's worth a try at least. If it does work he can install a hydrostatic valve that should stop it from happneing again. There should have been one there to begin with.
There is a chance that it'll work but there's also a chance that it won't. It's worth a try at least. If it does work he can install a hydrostatic valve that should stop it from happneing again. There should have been one there to begin with.
Sorry to here that crafty 
Any chance you have a picture you could show us? I heard of this happening but have never seen it.
Any chance you have a picture you could show us? I heard of this happening but have never seen it.
There was very little water in the deep end, we were having it resurfaced so it was drained.
I have pictures but i could not get it to upload on here. I think they were to big. If I can figure out how to make them smaller, I will try and put one on here.
I have pictures but i could not get it to upload on here. I think they were to big. If I can figure out how to make them smaller, I will try and put one on here.
Sorry to hear about your pool. IMHO I seriously doubt that drilling holes now will make a lick of difference. I saw this happen once before to our old neighborhood pool and it never moved back down after they punched holes in the bottom. Plus all of the plumbing was destroyed when it came out of the ground. Granted it did come out a good three feet on the deep end since it was over 9 feet deep. Good luck and let us know what happens.
You can post your pics to Photobucket or similar hosting site and link them here.crafty33 said:
Sorry to hear
One thing to keep in mind if the pool contractor can't fix it and he doesn't warrantee the pool you might be able to claim it on your insurance?
One thing to keep in mind if the pool contractor can't fix it and he doesn't warrantee the pool you might be able to claim it on your insurance?
I'm very worried about this happening with my replaster job in Thursday. Did he have liability insurance? Is he covering the fix?
Wow that sucks. From talking to a soil engineer last year about this issue, I dont think you will see it go back down significantly. Usually soil shifts and keeps it from returning to the correct position and orientation.
His approach was to dig a drywell near the pool, see where it settled to, then excavate/mudjack to try to get it level. Then do what you can cosmetically to make it livable.
I would cry and curl into a ball.
His approach was to dig a drywell near the pool, see where it settled to, then excavate/mudjack to try to get it level. Then do what you can cosmetically to make it livable.
I would cry and curl into a ball.
I put some photos on photobucket and here is the link, I think. password Floating pool
http://s1147.photobucket.com/albums/o555/crafty33/Pool/
So far the company is taking responsibilty, I am just worried that since it has shifted/raised the intergity of the structure has been compromised. They did come by and drill hole(s) and it has gone down some. The 1st and 3rd pictures (at least the order I see them in) show after they drilled the holes and it going down. I am also worried about the small cracks on shallow end letting in small amount of gound water. There is pictures of this too but will be hard to see crack, can see wets spots.
Let me know if link does not work and any thoughts on future problems.
http://s1147.photobucket.com/albums/o555/crafty33/Pool/
So far the company is taking responsibilty, I am just worried that since it has shifted/raised the intergity of the structure has been compromised. They did come by and drill hole(s) and it has gone down some. The 1st and 3rd pictures (at least the order I see them in) show after they drilled the holes and it going down. I am also worried about the small cracks on shallow end letting in small amount of gound water. There is pictures of this too but will be hard to see crack, can see wets spots.
Let me know if link does not work and any thoughts on future problems.
mrswhitsie said:
Mrswhitsie, I am not too far from you, so you may not want to do it yourself.
You might want to consult with a geotechnical engineer. This is unlikely to be resolved by drilling a few holes in the bottom to try to sink it back down. It might go down a little, but probably not back to where it was. I would think that the following might need to be done:
1) Add well points to control the groundwater.
2) Redo all plumbing, including the light conduit.
3) Remove decking as needed and replace.
4) Cut out some of the bond beam and replace as needed.
5) Remove and reset all tile.
6) Epoxy inject cracks.
If you have a main drain, it is probably lost, and not worth fixing. The pool might have to end up being higher, which would mean replacing all decking to get the correct slope on the decking.
This kind of float puts a lot of stress on the transition from the deep end to the shallow end because the deep end is being pushed up and the shallow end is not. The pool might end up cracking across the transition line at some point.
You might be able to fill the pool while pumping out the groundwater to get it to go back down. However, I think that consulting an engineer is necessary in this case to get a professional evaluation.
How deep is the water table?
Is the contractor doing anything to manage the groundwater?
1) Add well points to control the groundwater.
2) Redo all plumbing, including the light conduit.
3) Remove decking as needed and replace.
4) Cut out some of the bond beam and replace as needed.
5) Remove and reset all tile.
6) Epoxy inject cracks.
If you have a main drain, it is probably lost, and not worth fixing. The pool might have to end up being higher, which would mean replacing all decking to get the correct slope on the decking.
This kind of float puts a lot of stress on the transition from the deep end to the shallow end because the deep end is being pushed up and the shallow end is not. The pool might end up cracking across the transition line at some point.
You might be able to fill the pool while pumping out the groundwater to get it to go back down. However, I think that consulting an engineer is necessary in this case to get a professional evaluation.
How deep is the water table?
Is the contractor doing anything to manage the groundwater?
Good to hear they are taking care of it, at least they are not running off on you. Sounds like a reputable co.
be sure to let them know you want that hydrostatic valve installed when repaired but chances are they will be installing after this. I would think that could be installed fairly easily now that it's going to be repaired and all.
Let us know how it goes
be sure to let them know you want that hydrostatic valve installed when repaired but chances are they will be installing after this. I would think that could be installed fairly easily now that it's going to be repaired and all.
Let us know how it goes
Crafty, thanks for the pics...wow, I have not seen that before. I hope it gets resolved quickly.
Holy cow. And to think for a couple of hundred bucks (a drywell) this could have been avoided. Way down the line when its time to replaster, I will put TWO in.
Concrete Pool Floated.
Was it under construction, or being emptied?
Not to sure about things in the USA but we install what is called a Grease Trap Hydrostatic Valve in our pools most engineers on there drawing say to install it however some builders use a small bottom drain with a small about 2 in flap valve and of course tilers use the little bit of water in the sump to wash up their tools, which blocks it and up floats the pool.
I have seen several attempts to lower the pool back down not always a success, as for drilling holes the best thing to try is to de-water all the water from under the pool and full it up it may take it back down, sinking it drilling holes wont help one bit. Even then you may have to re-tile because it wont be level, you said it was cracked, inject the cracks with Epoxy Grout under high pressure you may get lucky
So in the short term your builder seams to have tried to save about $100.00 and done a shoddy job. IF HE HAD DONE HIS JOB RIGHT IT WOULD NOT HAVE FLOATED.
Sometimes it is covered by you house insurance but from my experience 30 years plus cut it out and start again.
Kiwi Norman.
Was it under construction, or being emptied?
Not to sure about things in the USA but we install what is called a Grease Trap Hydrostatic Valve in our pools most engineers on there drawing say to install it however some builders use a small bottom drain with a small about 2 in flap valve and of course tilers use the little bit of water in the sump to wash up their tools, which blocks it and up floats the pool.
I have seen several attempts to lower the pool back down not always a success, as for drilling holes the best thing to try is to de-water all the water from under the pool and full it up it may take it back down, sinking it drilling holes wont help one bit. Even then you may have to re-tile because it wont be level, you said it was cracked, inject the cracks with Epoxy Grout under high pressure you may get lucky
So in the short term your builder seams to have tried to save about $100.00 and done a shoddy job. IF HE HAD DONE HIS JOB RIGHT IT WOULD NOT HAVE FLOATED.
Sometimes it is covered by you house insurance but from my experience 30 years plus cut it out and start again.
Kiwi Norman.