Pool Re-Plaster - Tile Inlay on Steps

[lf-pool]

We have our pool stripped down to the gunite. Originally, I was told that the tile inlay on the steps would be done by the plaster sub-contractors, but to my surprise, the tile installers put down what appears to be 1" thick mortar and laid the tiles on top of that. I'm guessing they want the plaster sub to fill the grout lines with plaster.

My main concern is long term and preventing "leakage." Should I have this removed and ask that this inlay be placed directly on plaster? Or is it ok to have the inlays site on mortar and tile/plaster over that?

 

[joepaiii]

From what I was told, if you do a line of tile on the steps, it would get placed before the plaster. Only if you do a few "marker tiles" would they set the tile when plastering the pool.
:

 

[Spaniard]

I did a row of tile on my steps and benches. They did it like yours (mortar bed and plastered on/around the tiles). Looks fine and no issues.

 

[dumbcluck]

Wouldn't it be pretty tough to get tiles aligned if it was strictly held in by plaster?
I think that's what my pb has in mind on our pool/spa. I'm a little worried about the quality.

 

[cwescapexlt4x4]

Yeah, I would want mortar/grout holding the tiles (that is what they did on mine) and then finished/surrounded by interior finish.

 

[lf-pool]

I appreciate all the feedback and glad to hear that the mortar bed for the tile inlay is normal

 

[lf-pool]

To complete this thread, the plaster company also did the tile work. The tilers put the tile down on all the steps and it looks perfect. We had to have the spa re-leveled a few inches and the plasters reworked the tile in the spa during the re-plaster process. I got to see both tile work from both teams and prefer that the tilers do it. Like stated earlier, the plasters have a finite amount of time and it's harder to lay down tile on wet plaster. It came out ok, but not as good as the tile inlay in the pool.

 

[dumbcluck]

Good to know as we may be plastering this week. They are supposed to lay the tile on seats and steps today instead of on plaster day. I won't know for sure until I get home if they did or not. I sure hope so. Trying to tile approx 75 linear feet of tile while also trying to get plaster right sounds like a recipe for disaster.
Glad to hear that you are over the hump on this one and that it all worked out.

 

[Beadedbiker]

I just wanted to add that the mortar they lay the waterline and step tile with is a specially made water barrier thinset. My PB used 'Porcelain Set' by SGM, but there are other similar thinsets that builders use.

We had our line step tile laid ahead of time and our spot decorative tile in the spa laid by the pool plasterers. The plasterers did a great job. I'm not going to say what I think about the tile guys. Except to say that when all the white thinset lines are no longer visible I'll consider paying the final draw. We did'n't have great tile guys.