Water line to coping grout cracked out.

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JaySav

JaySav

Bronze Supporter
Mar 24, 2019
195
Memphis, TN
Pool Size
33000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Hey TFP, I’ve done some research on this issue and read through a lot of posts on TFP but still am not finding answers to some of my questions. It seems specific to the situation so here’s what I have; I think I have pre-cast coping, cement deck with brick coping, with what appears to be an expansion joint between the 2. The joint is filed with a rubbery caulk. The pool is gunite pebble tech built in 2007. My issues are with the joint underneath the brick coping though between the water line tile/brick.

The grout is completely trashed, cracked/separated and half missing, so I’ve started to cut it all out with my oscillating tool yesterday. I’m about a quarter of the way done but not sure what to go back with. My original plan was grout but after diving into the forums I’m not sure now. What do you guys recommend? I recently fixed some fallen water line tiles and used EZ Patch 4 for the grouting of those which is what I was planning on using under the coping. As always thanks for the help!
 

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How deep is the gap?

The pavers should be sitting on a mortar base. The gap is not simply some missing grout but erosion of the coping mortar base. How bad is it?
 
ajw22 said:
How deep is the gap?

The pavers should be sitting on a mortar base. The gap is not simply some missing grout but erosion of the coping mortar base. How bad is it?
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Between 1/8 and 1/4 inch all the way around. Theres a substantial gap all around IMO.
 

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Here’s an area that still has grout and an area where it’s separating.
 

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My calcium level is 350, I always keep it 250+ and I still have a good bit of calcium build up. I’m cleaning that off as I go also but not sure why I get that build up. We’ve only owned the house for 3 years so it’s not all me. It had calcium build up when we bought it.
 
JaySav said:
It’s not super “clean” in the gap but a few quick places I checked I can get a few inches in.
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The pavers should be sitting on a mortar base. If the front is sitting on a gap and teetering then it will crack the grout again if you just shove some grout into the crack.

You have a choice between the long term fix of popping the pavers off and resetting them in mortar or the short term fix of shoving some grout into the cracks and having to redo it every year or two.
 
ajw22 said:
The pavers should be sitting on a mortar base. If the front is sitting on a gap and teetering then it will crack the grout again if you just shove some grout into the crack.

You have a choice between the long term fix of popping the pavers off and resetting them in mortar or the short term fix of shoving some grout into the cracks and having to redo it every year or two.
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Ya I’m going short term. In 5 years the pool will be 20 years old and we plan to have the plaster re sealed and the coping/waterline tile replaced with something diff. We hate the color. What’s weird to me tho is that the grout isn’t cracking from compression (coping settling downward) it’s more of a separation issue. I bet the grout is original.
 
JaySav said:
What’s weird to me tho is that the grout isn’t cracking from compression (coping settling downward) it’s more of a separation issue. I bet the grout is original.
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That "gap" should have been filled with mortar when the pavers were laid but the mason probably did not run the mortar to the bond beam edge and thus the gap left to be filled with grout. Mortar is harder and would last longer then grout.
 

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Jay - ive had premature failure of grout in the same spot. Polyurethane caulk was recommended by ajw at the time and it’s only been a year but so far so good.

I used tremco vulkem 116. I think deckoseal also makes a product which works for the purpose.
 
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ajw22 said:
That "gap" should have been filled with mortar when the pavers were laid but the mason probably did not run the mortar to the bond beam edge and thus the gap left to be filled with grout. Mortar is harder and would last longer then grout.
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Oh I got ya. Ya I don’t think that’s what they did.
 
JaySav said:
@ajw22 So to look decent, last 5 years and ease of install what’s my best option? Grout or what @trivetman is saying?
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Either one will work. Caulk will not crack the way grout will. But the caulk like will look different then the rest of the pool.
 
Fyi

Caulk for tile line?

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...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
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