Hi, I posted here a couple of years ago about my inground pool steps heaving. Since then, I have had:
- the cracked concrete deck replaced and the cracks in the original steps repaired (2011),
- the new deck removed and the steps completely replaced after they cracked again, along with a new liner and another new deck (2012),
- the new steps repaired after they cracked again above the water line (2014)
Now they're worse than ever
. They have heaved out of the concrete and cracked in two places. In doing so, they have pushed the whole slab up, resulting in multiple cracks in the patio (the concrete deck was extended into a patio). The coping has separated from the concrete all along the right hand side of the pool.
I am at my wit's end.
I am thinking at this stage that I only have a few options:
- have all the concrete removed, the step replaced again and interlock laid where the concrete was. Not sure if this will help with the step heaving, though. Maybe I need what they call a "French well" or sump pump?
- install drop-in steps or the kind of in-pool steps that are covered by the liner (I'll probably need to replace the three-year-old liner anyway because of all the other issues). This would require the pool company to put a new section of wall in; with this option, maybe I could just have some of the concrete removed to get the steps out and replace it with the same material. I will probably need to see if they can cut a six-inch band around the perimeter of the pool to allow for the coping to be replaced and have the gap filled with a contrasting band of concrete
- fill the whole darn thing in and lay grass
I am in the Toronto (Canada) area, so we get some pretty severe winters. I have lots of friends and neighbours who have pools, though, and none of them have had the kind of issues I've had.
Any advice, similar experiences or cost estimates would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
- the cracked concrete deck replaced and the cracks in the original steps repaired (2011),
- the new deck removed and the steps completely replaced after they cracked again, along with a new liner and another new deck (2012),
- the new steps repaired after they cracked again above the water line (2014)
Now they're worse than ever
. They have heaved out of the concrete and cracked in two places. In doing so, they have pushed the whole slab up, resulting in multiple cracks in the patio (the concrete deck was extended into a patio). The coping has separated from the concrete all along the right hand side of the pool.I am at my wit's end.
I am thinking at this stage that I only have a few options:
- have all the concrete removed, the step replaced again and interlock laid where the concrete was. Not sure if this will help with the step heaving, though. Maybe I need what they call a "French well" or sump pump?
- install drop-in steps or the kind of in-pool steps that are covered by the liner (I'll probably need to replace the three-year-old liner anyway because of all the other issues). This would require the pool company to put a new section of wall in; with this option, maybe I could just have some of the concrete removed to get the steps out and replace it with the same material. I will probably need to see if they can cut a six-inch band around the perimeter of the pool to allow for the coping to be replaced and have the gap filled with a contrasting band of concrete
- fill the whole darn thing in and lay grass
I am in the Toronto (Canada) area, so we get some pretty severe winters. I have lots of friends and neighbours who have pools, though, and none of them have had the kind of issues I've had.
Any advice, similar experiences or cost estimates would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
