New home owner with pool with issues

[philokyon]

Bought a home last year with an inground pool. Its rectanguler, internal dimensions of 18' by 36'. Problem is, the previous owner did very little in the way of physical maintenance. He kept the chemicals balanced, but thats about it.

Looks like tiles would fall off and he would just paint over the mortar or thinset. I'm trying to retile the coping and waterline now because i could pull the tile off with my fingers. The tile was so loose it was like the previous owner was dey testing them to fit and just left then there.

One of the things I'm trying to figure out is that behind the tile was almost a 5in tall, 1 in thick piece of concrete that would stretch all around the pool. In areas this too had fallen off and he just painted over it. I'm not sure what it is and how I can repair/replace it. Any thoughts? Trying to attach some photos. The photos show the general disrepair but a couple show how that concrete bar (for lack of a better term) just ends where it broke off. One is from a top down to show the clear separation of that concrete bar from the rest of it.

 

[kimkats]

OH WOW! What an interesting pool you have there. To me it looks like there is no plaster on it. Just the concrete shell with paint over it. I am going to call in the troops to see what their thoughts are: @Newdude @ajw22 @AQUA~HOLICS okay guys help them out please. This is not about water care. This is about how to rehab the pool surface.

 

[Texas Splash]

That pool goes back a few. Wow.

 

[Newdude]

Looks like tiles would fall off and he would just paint over the mortar or thinset

Or added some thinset / mortar / concrete to make up for the missing tile thickness and then painted that.

There's no telling what's behind the rest of it. He probably tried a couple methods along the way.

 

[ajw22]

Does your hole in the ground hold water?

What is your objective with your pool?

If you want to rehab it and get it looking like a modern pool then demo it and build a new pool in the hole.

If it holds water and you want a place to swim then go swimming in what you have.

I don’t think there is anything in between.

 

[clambert1273]

Welcome to the #previoushomeownerssucked team

 

[AQUA~HOLICS]

For a temporary use until it can be repaired properly.

 

[RoyR]

Pretty impressive that cement block pool lasted that long!

 

[philokyon]

Thank you guys for the replies.

Yeah he was a definite DIYer. The rest of the house shows those signs. But not like, a DIYer who did a lot of research and gathered the right tools before hand. More of a "this sounds right" approach.

We won't be remodeling that pool any time soon. The main shell of the pool is in good condition. No cracks I can find. Just the waterline and cooing area. I'm grinding down the old mortar and then the paint he put over the waterline and going to put some new tiles on top. I will probably do what he did and apply mortar to even it out so I can retile the waterline. Any suggestions on mortar for that? Going to use laticrete for thinset.

I think this pool is from the 70's. Attaching some photos of the paperwork provided to the previous home owner from the home owner before him. Looks old and blackened edges.

 

[ajw22]

Type S mortar is typically used on pools.

Those are classic pool documents from the days when pools did not cost six figures.

 

[philokyon]

Well I've been working away. Once it's done I'll post some pictures. Not the prettiest and the pool waterline tiles aren't perfectly straight because of what I am working with, but looking considerably better.

Any suggestions on chlorinated rubberized pool paint? Thats what they used. Trying for a darker blue to blend with the tile and hide some bumps.