5 year old tiles falling off and loose coping

[JeepDave]

In 2017 I replaced my coping and tiles and resurfaced the pool with EcoFinish. My 5 year old tiles are falling off and the granite coping is loose and detached from the top of the pool wall. There are cracks developing between the coping and the top grout line and there are white (calcium? efflorescence?) patches developing around other pool tiles. Does anyone have any thoughts on what might be going wrong? To me, it looks like the adhesion between the tile and mortar is failing.

Theories:

1. EcoFinish is impermeable to ground water and the ground water is finding its way up through the concrete and eroding the mortar at the tile line.
2. Mortar / tile bond problem at installation

Questions:

1. Do I have any recourse against the installer in Massachusetts? I contacted the installer back in May, but they haven't come by to take a look or schedule a repair date.
2. Do others with EcoFinish / plastic lined pools see these types of problems?

Pool repairs 2022

• JeepDave
• Jul 29, 2022
• 6

Tiles and coping falling off after 5 years

 

[ajw22]

Do I have any recourse against the installer in Massachusetts? I contacted the installer back in May, but they haven't come by to take a look or schedule a repair date.

I doubt they have any warranty obligations after 5 years.

Do others with EcoFinish / plastic lined pools see these types of problems?

I don't think your Ecofinish has anything to do with this problem.

We don't know the quality of the thinset or mortar used.

There are high quality products from companies like Laticrete and lessor quality products from places like Home Depot.

Here are material recommendations from a glass tile manufacturer...

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0429/0022/6199/files/OGT-Pool-Water-Feature-Installation.pdf?v=1625588595