CONSTRUCTION NIGHTMARE-Cracked floor 7 days after pour

[Ltdplus9]

Please help, I desperately need advice. The construction of our new inground fiberglass uniwall/concrete bottom pool has been a nightmare in Cincinnati, OH. We're going on week 6 of the build which has been on the slow train mostly due to weather but somewhat due to work & business ethics. We actually have had a very wet Spring here in Cincinnati. Anyway, today I noticed a tremendous crack in the concrete floor across the entire width of the pool. Keep in mind that the floor was poured a week ago and the pool tile hasn't even been installed yet. Anyway, they applied some concrete crack epoxy and say it will be fine. I question whether or not the bottom was too wet or muddy during the pour but they did it anyway (but I got plenty of pictures and video). Should I question the structural integrity of the pool? Should I get professional legal help? Should I withhold final payment? Or should I just chill out. It's a $40K pool and this is really weighing heavily on me and my wife. Thanks.

Mike

 

[Henry Porter]

Hi Mike!
I know exactly how you feel, you see something that bothers you and all you wanna do is to close your eyes and continue as nothing has happend. Sticking the head in the sand is seldom a good solution, so you last opption "chill out" and trust the PB and let them go ahead with their build is the worst of the opptions you've made.
With a "tremendous crack" in the pour would I definitely hire a independent technical inspector.You said that this build will cost you and your wife 40K, the extra cost for a inspector is well invested here.
The problem with cracking conrete can come from many different reasons. badly vibrated concrete. pour mix. rebar issues. or most likely, the base for the pour was not correctly made.
I really hope it works out for you some way or the other. Remember that you should always be careful with the ground in any construction no matter what you are building and a inspector will bring you peace of mind for many years to come, even if everything is alright with the current concrete.

 

[Lana537]

What have you decided to do?

Hello~~

I feel bad that there have not been more responses of support. I can well imagine what it must be like to be in your position. I encourage you to put a stop work order on your pool--stop tile, et al. Definitely temporarily withhold payment. A tremendous crack in concrete is not an every day thing, I would think.

Find an inspector. If that is not possible, find several people/firms who can inspect your pool build and offer an opinion. I am not at all familiar with your type of pool, but someone must be.....

Not for nothing, can you post some photos? You put up quite a masthead of a subject line, and we are concerned.

Lana

 

[waste]

Mike, welcome to TFP!!

While I know a lot about these things, I'm far from an expert

To me, it seems that the ground below the floor was not (anywhere near) 'full compaction' and the weight of the concrete compressed one area more than the other, causing the crack.

I'd suspect, though you don't say, that it's across the floor between the shallow and deep ends. If so, this suggests a water issue in the deep end that is better addressed now, rather than being a yearly problem with your new pool.

I don't know all the details of your build, so this is only a guess. It's better to address this now rather than have a recurring problem!

 

[Ltdplus9]

Thanks all. I will post a couple pictures but all I have are pictures of after the crack was repaired. I never saw the crack and as I understand it, the repair includes opening the crack more and grinding. So I really have no idea if the crack was a hairline or big crack. This is a total nightmare. Before I could stop work, they painted the floor. The only way I'd ever feel good about this is if they excavated the whole thing and did it again....which they would NEVER do. Are pool contractors insured for this kind of stuff?

Mike

 

[coloeb]

If thats what it looks like after paint , I would not accept it. Talk to the PB and see if something else can be done, if not call a lawyer.

 

[Ltdplus9]

No...these pictures are prior to paint. This is the repair over pure concrete before floor epoxy painting.

 

[reindeerboy]

No way would I accept that. Go to PB demanding that the owner meet you at your pool to discuss your options on a certain date and if they do not show up, then your lawyer will be in touch with them. It may seem harsh, but when you are talking $40k, I would want things done right. Ever watch that show , MAKE IT RIGHT on TV? It actually taught me how cruel contractors can really be and how they really think that people are clueless. Show the PB that you are not clueless and hold them accountable for the kind of shotty work they are performing and that a phone call to your lawyer, the better business bureau, and thebn your attorney general will be your next moves if they do not remidy the issues.

Hope you have good luck with the PB and they MAKE IT RIGHT!


Good Luck

 

[waste]

Chad, a very sincere pleasure to 'see' you again, sir!

I've got to agree with you, get it done correctly, once, and not have to deal with it again!



Mike, you now have this forum behind you, so that you are not, solely, at the mercy of the PB. You are empowered to 'take control' of your pool

 

[Henry Porter]

Mike! what is your PB's explanation to this crack?

 

[whoozer]

totally not acceptable! who is to say if it was a compaction issue that another crack won't pop up once they have left.

 

[lbridges]

I'm not a structural engineer; however, before starting down a legal path I'd find such an engineer (since that's probably what the lawyer would do anyway, else you have no case).

The secondary question I have is what does the pool warranty say about failure of the bottom/sides? If the builder is willing to long-term warranty the work, maybe even buy a bond, then the worry level would change (for me, YMMV)...

 

[Titus]

Any updates?