Suggestions for my concrete pool repair

[jed1894]

UPDATE: Decided to rip out the fiberglass crack repair job.


Working on my 40 year old homemade, concrete pool. It has many problems, but here's the one that causing me a leak. In case you cannot make out the photo (I will post more if necessary), the corner of this pool has fiberglass patching over the concrete. Apparently, way back when it leaked and they decided to patch this corner and the rest of the pool with fiberglass (kind you get a auto parts store). Now it's leaking. I used some pool puddy on some of it (see in the picture) and it will stop some of the leak. I have recently (not shown in photo) put more pool puddy down the same area as the other putty in the picture. It seems to be leaking where the fiberglass meets the original concrete.

I thought of EZ Patch but I'm not sure if that stuff will stick to the fiberglass and/or painted concrete wall.

Suggestions (other than making it a garden----my idea, but wife won't go for it)?

Thanks, jed

 

[jed1894]

Re: Suggestions on fixing this mess/problem

A little more explaining....

 

[jed1894]

Re: Suggestions on fixing this mess/problem

Oh yeah, I was hoping to fix it without draining the rest of the water....at least this year. I can drain in off season. I'm just trying to get a temp. fix for this season.

Thanks, Jed

 

[duraleigh]

Re: Suggestions on fixing this mess/problem

2 part epoxy filler. available at home depot. Clean out all the loose stuff you can remove, make SURE it is VERY dry, trowel it on; It'll harden in about 10 minutes. If you prep the area correctly, it will be waterproof.

 

[jed1894]

Re: Suggestions on fixing this mess/problem

2 part epoxy filler. available at home depot. Clean out all the loose stuff you can remove, make SURE it is VERY dry, trowel it on; It'll harden in about 10 minutes. If you prep the area correctly, it will be waterproof.

Are you talking about the tube exoxy? Comes in two side-by-side tubes?

 

[duraleigh]

Re: Suggestions on fixing this mess/problem

Epoxy comes in all sorts of formats. The one I would get is like a 2lb can...epoxy cement is always 2-part.

 

[Melt In The Sun]

Re: Suggestions on fixing this mess/problem

The epoxy filler is different than the little tubes for gluing stuff together. Like Duraleigh said, you want a big ole' can. The staff should be able to help you!

 

[jed1894]

Re: Suggestions on fixing this mess/problem

I've decided to drain the pool and try to fix some leaks ..... this project will probably take me a couple months because of my other projects. So, I'll be posting some questions I'm sure. I will post some pictures of the emply pool when it's done and ask for suggestions. I will probably start with plumbing, pressure check, etc.

jed

 

[jed1894]

Okay. Here are some photos so far.

The first photo is an overall photo of the pool. As far as I can tell, it looks like they laid concrete block and then plaster over the block. I am not sure.

The second group of photos are the damage I found after ripping off the fiberglass patch. As you can see, the cracks are pretty large, but that may be a good thing. Also, one of the cracks leaked water back into the pool when I tore off the fiberglass. It leaked for about 15 minutes and then stopped. That was very strange. I'm sure that will happen in other spots as well.

More to follow....

 

[jed1894]

Water leaking back into pool.

 

[jed1894]

I plan to get to work with a chisel in the next few days. Also, I used this Quikrite stuff (see attached photo) on a different crack and it worked really well. I chiseled open the crack a little and added the Quikrite. It is solid as a rock now and stopped the leaking. I know you guys recommended a 2 part epoxy, but now that I am going to open up the cracks, is there something better I could use, i.e. plaster, some other concrete material, etc....

Also, as I was opening up the crack, I noticed that the crack was filled with dirt. I think I can get most of it out, but I would think I would need to fill the back part of the crack with regular cement before the Hydralic coating, correct?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, jed

 

[jed1894]

Funny.....I did not notice my son in the background with the bucket on his head.....LOL.

 

[Lershac]

Thats not a bucket on his head. It is a magical ninja hat and he is going off to battle the evil trolls that are making your pool leak!

That stuff will work, for now. But the Epoxy will "hold" a little better under tension and flex a bit more than the hydraulic cement. You may find that stuff will develop cracks over time, where the epoxy has a better shot at not doing so with minor movement of the pool walls.

 

[jed1894]

Thats not a bucket on his head. It is a magical ninja hat and he is going off to battle the evil trolls that are making your pool leak!

That stuff will work, for now. But the Epoxy will "hold" a little better under tension and flex a bit more than the hydraulic cement. You may find that stuff will develop cracks over time, where the epoxy has a better shot at not doing so with minor movement of the pool walls.

Thanks. I went into Lowes the other day looking for the 2lb can of epoxy. I could not find it, nor could the guy helping me. You would happen to have a brand name so I can look online, would you?

 

[jed1894]

More problems......

I did a little picking today at the cracks (now holes). As you can see from the pictures, the cracks developed into pretty big holes. I could basically pick around the cracks and it just kept coming apart. It's apparent that water has settled behind the pool wall and deterorated the concrete blocks. I can hear debris hit the water behind the pool wall.

So, here's my course of action unless someone has a better idea: Regarding the big, round hole (water behind the pool wall), I plan to just pour portland cement (or Quikrite ready mix) down the block corridor behind the pool wall. Since water is already in there I figure I just pour dry cement in there until it is soaked up. I will then add mixed cement (probably 3 or 4 times) until I build the concrete up to the hole. Then use hydraulic cement or epoxy to finish it out. What do you think?

Regarding the smaller hole, I will fill with with hydraulic cement to build up or fill in the hole just a little and then use epoxy or hydraulic to finish it out.

Thanks, jed

 

[jeffjr464]

gonna have to smash all that out, unless you mickey mouse fix it, then you gotta do it again next year, im in the same boat except mines reinforced poured concrete, like a Dang bomb bunker, with old patches around the coping and skimmer, smashed it all out today, god i hate spending money, might have to get a loan lol

 

[aeromorris05]

It looks like your pool walls were constructed of cement block with no internal rebar or concrete reinforcement. i.e. just stacked hollow block. If that's the case, you might be wasting your time filling the hole shown in your last post as the entire pool wall is hollow. You'd just be filling one 6"wide vertical cavity. Move 1ft to the left or right and you'll have the same problem there as well.

 

[bryanschmidt]

I'll start off by saying I'm a newbie to the pool world. But I have a idea you may or may not want to explore. After making the necessary structural repairs they make a product called liquid epdm that could be used to cover the concrete block making it water tight and a seamless finish.I'm in the construction business and I've used this product for ponding water repairs on flat roofs.I also know they use this product(a different line) to coat cement built small ponds.Not sure how it would work in a pool but might be worth investigating just my 2 cents worth. I believe it comes in the colors white gray and black,but may beable to dye any color not sure