Help - 4 tiles and a chunk of mortar just came off!

[ladylonghorn]

TFP has never steered me the wrong way so hoping with advice here and my DIY nature I can tackle this myself....

Kids were playing in the pool and 4 pool tiles came completely off. I had noticed they seemed loose but clearly they were more than loose. Two are still connected by a chunk of mortar. These tiles are at the water line and depending on how full the pool is, the bottom 1 - 2" is submerged in water. I'm in North Texas, and in 90+ degree temps.

What product do I use to reattach without having to drain the pool below the water line? I know if my pool goes below the tile, my pump won't work and then in these high heat temps - - not a good thing. Also what type of mortar to use? I'm assuming I need to shove some under the flagstone to -- thinking I could accomplish this like decorating a cake and "pipe" it in since the flagstone is still secure.

I have done tiling before so not at all worried about doing this myself other than knowing what product to use and dealing with the fact that the tile is partially submerged.

 

[ajw22]

Better to drain the water down below the tile for 24 hours.

Raise your FC level up towards SLAM level and your water will be fine with the pump off for a day or two.

An oscillating tool would be good to clean the old thinset off of the wall and tile and get a smooth surface...

https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-20-Volt-MAX-Cordless-Brushless-Variable-Speed-Oscillating-Multi-Tool-Kit/1001008764

Use thinset to set the tiles...

E-Z Patch® 3 (White) Thinset Pool Tile Setting Cement

Check out our thinset pool tile setting cement product which bonds better and allows all tiles to be reset flush. Contains special modified materials. Sizes available.

e-zpatch.com

Then grout to fill in the gaps around it....

E-Z Patch® 4 (White) Pool Tile Grout Repair

E-Z Patch® 4 (White) Pool Tile Grout Repair is our above water mixture. Grout repair products and tile grout repair.

e-zpatch.com

 

[ajw22]

Hers is an example of how it is done...

Waterline tile repair

Hey friends, can I please get some info on waterline tile repair? Recently I had about 5-6 waterline tiles fall in the pool and I plan to fix them this week. I am a very competent DIYer but this is new territory for me. My plan is to use main drain only to drain pool a few inches under tile and...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[ladylonghorn]

Under the flagstone, there is a big open space with no mortar. Would I use the E-Z patch 3 to fill that in as well?

 

[ajw22]

How big is big?

Post a pic of the area you are discussing.

 

[BritDan]

if you adjust your Valves to just pull water from the main drain and not from the skimmers then you could drop your water level below the tiles and still leave the pump running couldn’t you?

 

[ladylonghorn]

How big is big?

Post a pic of the area you are discussing.

Here are more pictures.

1. Deep end of the pool with 4 "drains" at the bottom and the deep end waterline skimmer
2. Pool shallow end with waterline skimmer
3 & 4. Pictures of the gap under the flagstone. Again - these are 6" tiles so the total width of the area to be retiled is 24". The gap is widest and deepest behind what would be the 2nd tile from the left but it there is also a gap, smaller and less deep where tiles 1 and 3 will go.
5. Close of up the left side of my equipment. I know this far left valve and pump control the waterfall.
6. Close up of the right side of my equipment - - this is my main pump that I see running daily on the schedule.
7. Full view of all the equipment.

 

[ajw22]

The "gap" is in the shadow and these pics are too small for me to zoom in on so I don't understand the problem to comment.

I see a small separation crack that can filled with some mortar or grout.

 

[mattw221]

I've done a lot of tile repair on my own pool in Michigan where we get extreme expansion and contraction over the winters. All you really need is "Megalite" thinset by custom building products usually
at home depot. It's rated for swimming pool use. The key is removing all the old thinset.

 

[ladylonghorn]

I got in and took these pictures. Can't get any other angle at the moment as my phone was about to be in the water.

 

[ajw22]

This picture shows a cracked and eroded bond beam. The cracks may have been caused by a compromised expansion joint.

Expansion Joints and Coping - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

You have no wall to put the tiles back onto.

The proper fix is to pop off the coping and determine how wide spread the deterioration is. Then build up the bond beam with some forms and hydraulic cement. Then use Type S mortar to cement the coping back down. Then replace the tile on the bond beam wall and regrout.