Expansion Joint Replacement & Kool Deck repair for $3,400?

[RichTJ99]

Hi,

So my pool is about 30 years old & the expansion joints are in need of replacement. I was able to find the mason who did the job originally in 1987, he did the deck in kool deck.

We met this morning, he measured the entire deck & then gave me some quotes:

Remove/clean old caulk: $490
New expansion Joint $275
New deck caulk: $1,275
Pressure wash entire deck: $350
Degrease Deck: $590
Kool deck repair: $750

I have a number of cracks and places where the kool deck needs work.

We came to a cash price of $3,400 for all.

I absolutely need to do something with the expansion joints before the winter as I feel I have been lucky. I may or may not do the inside of the plaster this year (still waiting on quote - other threads).

He also said for $9,500 I can reapply the Kool Deck grey birch which is what i had originally in 1987.

That is out of the price range for me (at this point). Any thoughts on if the rest is fair? Seems a little high to me but I figured I would ask you all.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[pushin glass]

Why is there a separate charge for new expansion joint? What type of deck is it? Concrete? How big is the deck? A little more information and pictures would help. I'm assuming the $1275 includes the caulk and the labor? What type of caulk is he going to use? I would recommend BASF MasterSeal SL100.

 

[RichTJ99]

So the pool is 47 x 21, I would guess that the decking around it is slightly larger - Lets say the caulking area is 55x25? I guess thats close to 160 linear feet of caulking?

Contractor pricing to remove old caulk, backer rod, - replace backer rod, caulk: $2,040

According to this site: Caulking Usage Calculator 1/2 deep x 1/4 wide (about my size) makes a 10oz caulk go 12 feet.
29oz of Sikaflex caulk on home depot is $13 - I should need roughly 6 bottles of caulk - maybe 7 if I am sloppy.

$13 x 7 = $91

100 feet of backer rod is $7.15 on amazon - I would need two: Amazon.com: 1/4 Closed Cell Backer Rod - 100 ft Roll: Home Improvement

Am I looking at this correctly? Its under $125 in materials for 200 feet of backer rod & enough caulk?


I certainly get it will take some time to cut the old caulk away, get the old backer rod out, the clean the area but Is this something I can DIY myself?

Or is that a bad idea? For 2K I am considering hiring myself to do the job.

 

[pushin glass]

It sounds like he is planning to do the job correctly, which is good. You may not have to remove the old backer rods, but I guess if you are going to do it, you may as well replace everything to be safe.

The price does seem a little high, but NY labor costs are probably higher than in MS. That said, the caulks can be difficult to work with and experience can go a long way. You can certainly do it yourself, it's not rocket science, but if he has experience working with expansion joint caulks (Sikaflex, SL100, NP1, etc.), his job might look a lot cleaner than yours. It depends on how professional of a job you want. If any mistakes are made cleanup can be difficult so reading the product spec sheets and having cleanup materials ready is advisable. I would definitely use a self-leveling sealant. You might express to him that you think his price is a little high and that you are considering doing it yourself and see if he negotiates his price. If not, then you have a decision to make. Good luck.

 

[RichTJ99]

Looks like he isnt budging on his pricing. I spent about 30 minutes & with the carpet tool was able to get it fairly clean pretty quickly (removing a section of older stuff).

To clean the existing caulk I bought this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GM2W8E/ & am figuring i can use it to get any stubborn old caulk off once the bulk is pulled off & backer rod removed.
One of these too: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GM1H9O/

I am planning on using this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UBQO3NI To level the backer rod.

I am also thinking I will use a small bead of sikaflex, let it dry (to give it a drip free base), then use painters tape on both sides of the joint to make sure I have no mess.

Aside from appearance is the goal primarily to get a seal of caulk across the gap so water cant get in?

 

[pooldv]

Leveling the backer rod isn't that big of a deal, just stuff it in there and eyeball it. But that tool will certainly work. I don't know if there is any value in doing it in two pours. Painters tape is a good idea. Yes, sealing it from water getting under the deck is the objective.

 

[pushin glass]

Yes, the goal is to ensure water does not get under the deck for various reasons and to allow for expansion and contraction of the concrete without causing damage. You can easily do it yourself, just take your time. Painters tape on the deck next to your joints will certainly help, and I agree, no need to do two pours. I would read the product specs for sikaflex on clean up and be ready just in case you make a mess.