Questions regarding a concrete pool deck renovation with marble pavers and coping

[usfmagic]

Hi everyone!

Looking for help as I am in the dark when it comes to most things pool related. I purchased a central Florida home with an underground quartz finished pool that is now ~18 years old and my wife and I are thinking about redoing almost everything including resurfacing, waterline tiles, deck, screen, adding a heater, lights, etc... But one thing that we want to accomplish, since it won't be cheap, is wanting it to come out looking like a new pool and not a remodel.

We currently have 3" think textured and painted concrete for the pool deck and have been told that we have two options:
1. Use pool remodel coping like the following: Limestone Coping - 4x9 Shell Stone Limestone Remodeling Coping - Stone-Mart
2. Break up the concrete and use new 1" coping: 6x12 SHELL STONE Tumbled Limestone COPING - Stone-Mart

So I had this 'genius' idea, what if we just replace the skimmer and move it up 3" so that the new 1" pavers work without the need for the remodeling coping. We would be resurfacing and retiling the pool anyway so everything could be adjusted up 3". One of the contractors I contacted said that was fine and that they could do that. The other said, emphatically, that it should not be done as it would lead to leaks as the pools waterline was not intended to be raised the additional 3".

I'm not an expert here... at all... so I need some guidance. My friend told me that the skimmer should probably be replaced anyway if we're going to do all of this work on an 18 year old pool so I figured I'd look into this option. Above all else, I want the job to be done right so I need to know what is and isn't a viable option here.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[Bperry]

Hi everyone!

Looking for help as I am in the dark when it comes to most things pool related. I purchased a central Florida home with an underground quartz finished pool that is now ~18 years old and my wife and I are thinking about redoing almost everything including resurfacing, waterline tiles, deck, screen, adding a heater, lights, etc... But one thing that we want to accomplish, since it won't be cheap, is wanting it to come out looking like a new pool and not a remodel.

We currently have 3" think textured and painted concrete for the pool deck and have been told that we have two options:
1. Use pool remodel coping like the following: Limestone Coping - 4x9 Shell Stone Limestone Remodeling Coping - Stone-Mart
2. Break up the concrete and use new 1" coping: 6x12 SHELL STONE Tumbled Limestone COPING - Stone-Mart

So I had this 'genius' idea, what if we just replace the skimmer and move it up 3" so that the new 1" pavers work without the need for the remodeling coping. We would be resurfacing and retiling the pool anyway so everything could be adjusted up 3". One of the contractors I contacted said that was fine and that they could do that. The other said, emphatically, that it should not be done as it would lead to leaks as the pools waterline was not intended to be raised the additional 3".

I'm not an expert here... at all... so I need some guidance. My friend told me that the skimmer should probably be replaced anyway if we're going to do all of this work on an 18 year old pool so I figured I'd look into this option. Above all else, I want the job to be done right so I need to know what is and isn't a viable option here.

Any help is appreciated!

From the picture it looks like the skimmer may be leaking along the side joint. Whatever you do, check that out.

I’m with the second contractor, you dont want to risk moving the water line up. If you break up the concrete decking, you can put in whatever other decking you want. Theres way more than two choices.

 

[usfmagic]

From the picture it looks like the skimmer may be leaking along the side joint. Whatever you do, check that out.

I’m with the second contractor, you dont want to risk moving the water line up. If you break up the concrete decking, you can put in whatever other decking you want. Theres way more than two choices.

Thank you! What are your thoughts on replacing the skimmer anyway (leaving it at its current height) just because the pool is 18 years old and we're going to resurface and retile anyway? Should we go ahead and do that anyway?

 

[Bperry]

Thank you! What are your thoughts on replacing the skimmer anyway (leaving it at its current height) just because the pool is 18 years old and we're going to resurface and retile anyway? Should we go ahead and do that anyway?

If you have loads of cash, sure why not replace it?

Seriously though, Theres no reason to replace a skimmer if it isnt broken/leaking/damaged. My skimmers are 24 years old.

 

[Newdude]

I agree skimmers should last a very long time.

But if I was going through such an extensive reno, I'd start the skimmers fresh too because I would not want to be tearing it up again 10 or 15 years later just to have that area no longer match.

 

[reggiehammond]

If I were replacing the deck, I'd replace the piping...
PVC doesn't have infinite life, and who knows what shenanigans went on during install, repairs that have been made since, etc.

 

[usfmagic]

If I were replacing the deck, I'd replace the piping...
PVC doesn't have infinite life, and who knows what shenanigans went on during install, repairs that have been made since, etc.

Now that sounds pricey... everything seems to have been done well and kept up for the most part. I hope I don't have to go down that rabbit hole.

 

[reggiehammond]

Now that sounds pricey... everything seems to have been done well and kept up for the most part. I hope I don't have to go down that rabbit hole.

Compared to concrete and decking, piping is not what will make you cry.
What will make you cry is ripping up decking or new concrete to find a leak.

 

[Dutiful Daughter]

hi -- I'm a bit unclear -- but if you look under my name, we are about 90% complete w/ the upgrade of a 60 year old concrete inground. But as the others say, we ended up literally redoing the entire pool area (and the backyard actually -- once we got started, it became clear that we needed upgrade drainage from the yard also etc) -- so broke up and removed all of the concrete, repiped the entire system (we had copper), new equipment room, chipped out everything to the concrete, upgraded everything to code, and then leveled, and did paver decking with new everything. We replastered rather than doing glass pebbles etc bc we are old school swimmers who love the smooth surface, but otherwise, once we got going, it all needed to be reedone. It wasn't cheap and this may not be helpful, but as we just finished filing the pool this week w new water, I'm adding a comment.

 

[usfmagic]

Compared to concrete and decking, piping is not what will make you cry.
What will make you cry is ripping up decking or new concrete to find a leak.

You're not wrong lol. I will definitely look into it if we break the concrete anyway. Thanks!