Please tell me this will be a cheap fix.

[JenniferJuniper2]

replaster...skimmer problem?

Please see linked photo.

Hi All! I am new here.

My husband and I moved into a house with a pool a few months ago, and it is in need of replastering. There is a crack or small hole in the concrete leading up to the skimmer mouth where a couple of tiles are missing. Cracking all seems to be above the waterline and as far as I can tell we are not losing any water. Is this something that needs to be replaced? We can't afford pebble tec if we have to replace the skimmer.

Skimmer:
https://flic.kr/p/r9NKGi

Pool in case you want to see it:
https://flic.kr/p/r9HevC

 

[Patrick_B]

Re: replaster...skimmer problem?

Welcome to the forum!

So you are not planning on tile, just a new finish? Either way it should at least be patched up. They can do that without re doing the whole skimmer. How good the repair will do in the long run might be in question, but I would advise doing it. Has anyone estimated the job and looked at that?

 

[JenniferJuniper2]

Re: replaster...skimmer problem?

Welcome to the forum!

So you are not planning on tile, just a new finish? Either way it should at least be patched up. They can do that without re doing the whole skimmer. How good the repair will do in the long run might be in question, but I would advise doing it. Has anyone estimated the job and looked at that?

We are debating whether to retile completely. The thing is, we like our tile well enough and the company still makes it. So the idea would be to clean the existing tile and then just retile the skimmer throat (patching whatever is necessary of course). But I'm not sure if a crack like that indicates something structural or whether it's no big deal. As far as I know we are not losing any water and the skinmer seems to be doing its job alright but I am not an expert. I went around the perimeter of the pool and knocked on the tile looking for hollow sounds, but the only one I found was right there at the crack, so the rest of our tile seems to be fine.

 

[Patrick_B]

Re: replaster...skimmer problem?

It's hard to say from here, but I lean toward a bigger problem than just a crack. A good renovator can advise you better. If pebble is out of the question, you might consider a good Quartz finish. If you are going plaster, dyed ones tend to be tougher to get an even color with. Just something to consider.

 

[JenniferJuniper2]

Hello,

I originally posted about this in the pumping station, as I was thinking it was a skimmer problem. After researching online (and reading horror stories) I thought it might be more of a construction problem, but I am really not sure.

In the corner area of the little tiled inlet area leading to the skimmer, I have two missing tiles. I can see cracks in the material where the tile used to be (see photo)?

Is this a cracked beam? Could it be something else? Is there even a way to tell without popping off more tiles? We were planning on a replaster job but I'm not sure we can afford any additional fixes.

I went around the pool and tapped the tile with the end of a screwdriver. The only hollow sounds I heard were right where the tile was missing, if that helps. I didn't check over by the waterfall though. Also, all the tiles in the rest of the pool seem solid.

Please tell me this could be something minor.

https://flic.kr/p/r9NKGiView attachment 34526

View attachment 34527

 

[JenniferJuniper2]

Re: replaster...skimmer problem?

I just posted about this in another board. Can someone delete this original thread for me?

 

[JasonLion]

Topics merged. In the future, please ask us to move a thread for you rather than asking the same question in two different places. Thanks JasonLion

 

[JenniferJuniper2]

Topics merged. In the future, please ask us to move a thread for you rather than asking the same question in two different places. Thanks JasonLion

Thanks, JasonLion!

As far as the replaster goes, we really want to do a mixture of tahoe blue and gray Diamond Brite. The estimates we've gotten have all been around $5000 for Diamond Brite. Regular plaster would only be $3700. That's one reason I am concerned about what might be wrong with the pool, if anything....we want to have enough in our budget for the Diamond Brite!

 

[Cactus345]

It looks to me like the bond beam around the top edge of the pool is moving independently of the pool shell, in that spot. If so, patching it will not work as it will just keep moving. There might be a flexible filler that allows you to re-tile and still let the pieces move without it being seen, or you might be able to remove all the tiles out of the skimmer throat and replace them with a different finish over some sort of flexible sealant/filler.

 

[JenniferJuniper2]

@Cactus345, that is what I thought too. None of The people we have had out to do estimates thought it was anything to worry about though. It seems to only be in that one area. None of the concrete deck on top is cracking, and the rest of the tile looks solid. I should add that we have live here since July and the problem has not gotten any worse as far as we can tell.