Worried Im being taken by my pool builder

[Flamomof2]

Hi all,
We just broke ground 2 weeks ago with our pool. It is a freeform shotcrete 12,000 gallon pool with oversized spilloverspa, 6 jets, 6 foot sunshelf, pcc 2000, SWG, 1.5hp jandy pump, electric heater, spa remote, pebblesheen. This is our first pool so we dont really know much about building a pool. We did our homework and got 4 estimates and chose a company that was BBB a+, Angie's list top rated and the salesman just blew us away with knowledge. And.. that is where it stops. It took a month to get the permit and finally they broke ground the last week of May. There have been a series of mishaps since then, walls caving in after dig because they forgot to tell us to shut off the sprinklers, They finally shot the shotcrete last week but to me it looks terrible. It is very rough with large craters, the edges of the steps and sunshelf are crumbly, the vertical corners are crumbly and are not at all straight. There are very large cracks in the floor. I have brought it to the attention of the builder but they assure me that is how it is supposed to be. Here are some pictures of the shotcrete, maybe some experienced people here can tell me if this is normal or if Im being taken.
[attachment=2:16eef4o1]photo 3.JPG[/attachment:16eef4o1]
[attachment=1:16eef4o1]photo 2.JPG[/attachment:16eef4o1]
[attachment=0:16eef4o1]photo.JPG[/attachment:16eef4o1]

 

[JasonLion]

Having walls collapse before gunite is applied is common enough.

That looks terrible. If anything is crumbling away, it is just straight up unacceptable. The entire pool should have been troweled smooth. There is an oval area on the right of your first photo that looks alright, most of the rest looks pretty bad. The uneven surface can be covered up when plaster is applied. But anything that is crumbling is going to cause serious problems.

 

[merl]

That does not look right at all.

 

[wamaha]

I almost hate to write this, as it is not good.

We just had ours done 3 weeks ago or so, and it does not look anything like that. Ours came out fairly smooth. Not plaster smooth, but definitely not as rough as what I saw in your pics.

I'm no concrete guy, but it almost looks like they didn't use enough water to bond every thing together.....

Good luck!

 

[257WbyMag]

Until you hand over your final check, you still hold a great deal of influence over what your PB does and doesn't do. Stand firm.

 

[ROB N]

It appears to be a very poorly done job. Our pool was rough also, but not as rough as your shotcrete. As roughness can be ground down, but crumbling concrete base will surely effect the longevity of the plaster much less the structural integrity of the pool it self. It appears to be a rush job that they ran out of daylight and did not finish smoothing and troweling the concrete. IMHO

 

[zea3]

I would agree that the shotcrete doesn't look right, but I am no expert with pool construction. We have several members with experience in pool construction that can give you a more educated opinion. Hopefully one will be along tonight to weigh in. Until you hear otherwise, withhold further payment until you are satisfied.

 

[SoonerSaint]

There is a difference in shotcrete and gunite.

Gunite pools are typically very smooth, level and look great. Shotcrete can look very ridgid. They should not however, have cracks. They will have holes and look rough. I would take pictures as you've done, document your concern via. a simple letter (or email but keep the email) to the pool builder and see what he says. DO NOT take his word for it. I'm now in the pool business because my builder screwed me so bad I fired him and am finishing the pool myself. Thank God I have been studying pools for years before finally pulling the trigger. My build, after I fired my builder has been a joy. Anyway, good luck and if I could give you one piece of advice it would be relax.....but watch them closely and document.

 

[nutjob]

My pool was also shotcrete and had a rather rough appearance:

See also:

But the finished product seems OK (see the full gallery), though admittedly I'm knocking on wood—now.