Leaky Gunite shell

[photon29]

A friend of mine is building an in-ground pool, they are almost at the pebble-tec stage. 3days ago a heavy rain came through. The Gunite shell was initially wet but dried up quickly after that, but then they noticed that several of the area remain with streak lines running down the gunite wall and remains wet for the last several day. The coping and tiles are done as well as the deck but the expansion joint between deck and beam had not been filled with deck-o-seal.

1: I assume that water track down the expansion joint and around the out side wall of the Gunite shell and seeping back into the pool. Does anyone second that ?

2: Since they are schedule for pebble tech in a few days , should they wait until it dries up and no more seepage before proceeding.

3: is it normal to have this type of seepage ? The Gunite was shot more than 28 days ago.

4: will this be a potential problem later on ? If it is , what can they do to remedy the situation, does additional Gunite need to be added to the shell ? Or would the pebble - sheen do the job?

Any advice would be helpful, thanks in advance

 

[Guest]

The water is most likely seeping from the ground through the gunite. Gunite is porous, and that is normal. I've built pools on the coast, where we have to deal with tides, and always a hydro-static line to control the water elevation changes. There is always some seepage in those conditions, but the plasterer knows how to handle it (especially if you have a PebbleTec applicator, which is highly trained and held to a higher level to retain his PebbleTec affiliation).

Too much seepage can be a problem, but they will not plaster if that is the case. Don't lose any sleep over it; they've done this before, and they have to warranty it! You're in good hands

 

[photon29]

Too much seepage can be a problem, but they will not plaster if that is the case. Don't lose any sleep over it; they've done this before, and they have to warranty it! You're in good hands

How much is too much ?
There is no puddle at the bottom, only the adjacent gunite is moist. Some of it has brownish color stain which I think is mud and not rust. The pebble sheen is going to be Diamond White. Is this going to discolor the final finish ? Thanks in advance.

 

[Melt In The Sun]

A picture would settle it...

 

[Guest]

Too much seepage can be a problem, but they will not plaster if that is the case. Don't lose any sleep over it; they've done this before, and they have to warranty it! You're in good hands

How much is too much ?
There is no puddle at the bottom, only the adjacent gunite is moist. Some of it has brownish color stain which I think is mud and not rust. The pebble sheen is going to be Diamond White. Is this going to discolor the final finish ? Thanks in advance.

They will clean the shell prior to applying the P-Tec. They may even heat the area where the seepage is with a "torch" to dry it. Prep is everything, and they know what needs to be done to provide the proper bond and be able to warranty the finish. This is a great example of why you use a quality company (and pay a little more). A lesser product (say a product anybody can buy and apply without any training, for example) and applicator would be cause for alarm, but not in this case.

It is a great question, and you are prudent to be concerned. But you really have nothing to worry about in this case

 

[photon29]

The pebble tec came and did the pebble sheen, here is the picture. As you can see , this about 6 hours later.
Some of the wet area area drips from the return pipe but some of the other are not.
Is this going to be a future problem ? If water can leak into the pool, then water can leak out of the pool.

 

[Guest]

You should be fine. That moisture should cure out and you will have a durable finish. Remember that this is still "green" at this point, and the installer is aware of it having the moisture.

Plaster is not a 100% water tight product; some moisture (albeit a very small amount) will "leak" out of every pool. Technically, plaster is a "cosmetic finish" and is not made to be fully water proof. IIRC, it states that in the UBC book to that effect.

PebbleTec is extremely picky about their applicators (I believe that there are only a total of 50 licensed P-Tec applicators in the entire US), so these guys are the best in the business. Not that they can't (or don't) make any mistakes, but they will back up their product. I think I've said it before, but I'll say it again; you're in great hands!

Post up some pics of that beautiful pool after it is full and sparkling

 

[Vaex]

The pebble tec came and did the pebble sheen, here is the picture. As you can see , this about 6 hours later.
Some of the wet area area drips from the return pipe but some of the other are not.
Is this going to be a future problem ? If water can leak into the pool, then water can leak out of the pool.

Hello, I’m interested to know if your concerns were all resolved and none of your fears actually came true. Hope everything went well as the replies in this forum dated it will.