Is my gunite disintegrating?

[Tri-it]

I had loose tiles on the spillway between the spa and pool. Maybe due to the heavy freezing we had this winter(?) I began pulling them off thinking I would mortar on the loose ones. However, this became a much bigger project than anticipated. The gunite under the tiles was disintegrating and the tiles were coming off with large amounts of 'pool' attached. What do I do now??
Thanks so much for any input!




Cl 4PPM
Ph 7.5
CH 300
TA 80
CYA 35

 

[mas985]

Tile is set in mortar. The mortar is on top of the gunite. So you should only need to reset the tile in mortar but clean out the old mortar first.

 

[Tri-it]

Thanks! How deep is the mortar? in some areas I have gone down 3/4 of an inch and it is still the gray matter as in the picture. I am using a hammer and screwdriver and it is coming up in layers. Will I get to a place where it is level - or will i need to level it our with mortar? I appreciate your advice!

 

[mas985]

It can be pretty thick because they use the mortar to level out the top of the tile and gunite is really hard to get level. So you will need to level it out again with mortar. Also, you will know it when you reach the gunite. It should be much harder than the mortar.

 

[Tri-it]

Thanks Mark, I'll keep digging out the mortar! Any harm to the pool to have the water running over this while I await new tile?

 

[markuszoom5]

I am new to pools but not to tiling. No there is no harm in getting water on concrete or any concrete based surfaces. Thin set is just a finer form of concrete. You would not want water on mastic glue but that's not used for wet areas anyways. Take your time and do it right, don't apply new thin set to wet let things dry. And also when you mix the thin set let it sit for 5 min before using so it sets a bit. Also clean the old tile backs as best as you can.

 

[duraleigh]

If you have not set tile before and REALLY want a nice looking job, you may want to get a price from a pro.

It's not rocket science but it can be a mess if not done properly..

If you are DIY, imbed the (now cleaned) tile in the thinset immediately. Failure to do so can result (depending on the weather) the thinset "skimming over" and the tile will not stick. It may appear that it has done so but you will begin replacing tiles again next spring if you do not imbed them in wet thinset.

 

[markuszoom5]

I guess I should have been more clear. As duraleigh said, as soon as you put down thin set, bed the tile. What I mean is when you mix thin set in bucket first, they usually want you to let it sit a few min before applying.

 

[Tri-it]

I really appreciate the advice. I am going to do this in the fall when I am lowering the water and can get the area dry and work from the hot tub side. I've done tiling before - bathroom floors and counters - so this will be a DIY job for me! I'll post pictures when I'm done!