Caulk for tile line?

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trivetman

Bronze Supporter
Jul 14, 2017
818
Jenkintown, PA
Pool Size
24000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I had new tile and coping put on last year and I am disturbed to see some of the grout between tile and coping falling off already.

A little silicone or something to patch it up? Pool specific product or something from the hardware store? If I leave it that can lead to tiles falling off prematurely right?
 

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Don't use silicone aroudn the pool. Chip out the loose grout and put new grout in..

Tile

e-zpatch.com e-zpatch.com

Are those pictures upside down? Do you have an expansion joint by your coping? That grout is cracking for structural reasons Something is moving causing the cracking.

Expansion Joints and Coping - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
Ugh. Yes pics are upside down (whoops). And yes there is an expansion joint between coping and deck.

I wish you didn’t say structural problem.
 
Show me some pics of the expansion joint.
 
Here’s a couple shots. The cement deck was completely redone last year following the pool facelIft. I don’t see any signs that the expansion joint is stressed. Its still 1” even all around the pool like the mastic was just put down.

The old deck was demoed last year after the pool work had already been done. Maybe the vibration from the demo affected the grout in a few spots?
 

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What material was used in the expansion joint?
 
That grout could have been damaged by water getting under the stones and freezing.

Put new grout in and see if it lasts a winter.
 
Hi all - reviving this old thread as it looks like a continuing saga 🥳

We did have the failing spots regrouted under warranty. And of course one winter later....its failing again!! No way to tell if its the same spots or entirely new which are now chipping off.

they also redid the mastic (sikaflex) as the pb saw it hadn’t bonded properly with the coping. The new mastic looks properly bonded and no sign of stress to it.

i am planning on handling anything from here out myself. The pb’s been a pita and its not worth the trouble trying to get him to tackle a small warranty issue for the second time.

If I don’t have structural movement stressing the coping (no visible sign of that) and there is no water getting in there, its gotta be some minor issue with the application right? Looking at the space between coping and tile....its really narrow. Maybe 1/16 jnch. I can’t imagine that provides much of an anchor point for the grout. So the grouts sitting on top of the tile without much of anything anchoring it in the crack.

Will a regrout job be doomed to fail in another year because of this?

would I have any better luck with a caulk designed to have a little bit of flex? @ajw22 I know you said to stay away from silicone. Is that because recaulking when/if silicone fails is a real problem? Any alternative caulking material? Ive seen some posts saying polyurethane caulk is good for this situation.
 

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What thinset and grout products were used? Was epoxy grout used?

Once you put silicone on a surface nothing else will stick to it for future repairs.
 
I don’t have details on grout or thinset materials.
Interested in your thoughts on polyurethane caulk and also regrouting in such a small crack
 
Last edited:
This looks like what you need and it will work better on vertical surfaces...

www.deckoseal.com

DECK-O-SEAL ONE STEP - Polymer-Based Sealing Compound

#788 MasterFormat: 07 92 13 | 13 11 00 PDF Print Version Safety Data Sheet Request Sample […]
www.deckoseal.com www.deckoseal.com

ONE STEP is frequently used in high sloping and vertical expansion joints where a non-sag, watertight, elastomeric sealant is required. ONE STEP is ideal for use in swimming pools above the waterline, where the tile meets the pool coping.
 
trivetman said:
Specs say semi-self leveling for slopes up to 6%. Will that work on a vertical face? Wont it run out of the joint?
Click to expand...

This is the non-self leveling version...

Vulkem® 116 Single-Component Polyurethane Sealant | Tremco

Discover Vulkem® 116, our textured, single-component, moisture-curing polyurethane sealant for exterior use on concrete, masonry, and construction joints.
www.tremcosealants.com www.tremcosealants.com

The spec sheet says:

Vulkem 116 may be used in any vertical or horizontal joint designed in accordance with accepted architectural/engineering practices. Joint width should be 4 times anticipated movement, but not less than 1/4" (6 mm}.

The 1/4" may be an issue for you. But that may be an issue with any product on a thin joint.
 

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