Thanks so much for your quick repsonse, Dave! You've confirmed what I was thinking. And really glad to get more details from a professional. Some additional thoughts in repsonse...
I agree about the Kool Deck - If I don't get it ALL up it's likely to chip and crack under whatever I put over it. I hadn't thought of a jack-hammer so I will defintely look into that. I was thinking about a small version of the machines thay use to prep the roads before paving that might break up the surface material as well, if there is such a thing. I've also heard of pool contractors SANDING the deck surface down to prep it???
As for the tile, I'm with you - All of it needs to come off. The problem is I KNOW it's gonig to start popping out day 1 again if I put more tile. That's what heppened the last time! Maybe some type of paint or other material to address the water staining? I just can't bear the thought of replacing all the tile KNOWING it's going to end up at the bottom of the pool again!
I think you're right about the step. Freeze, thaw, repeat. The pool is over 20 years old I think so it's not really a surprise. The surprise was when I put my entire 250 lbs. on it and went through it last year!
I was thinking the same - Needs rebar pegging or some of those concrete screws they sell at Home Depot to give the new concrete something to hold on to. Same thing in the corner of the niche. (You can't really see it in the video but a chunk of gunite fell off there too.) Even then, I know contrete patching tends to fail more often than not.
Would love to hear from anyone in cold weather areas about the water level. I'm tempted to partailly fill it or I'll probably have a drain cover in little pieces in the spring. I actually need to replace that cover with the new safety design anyway, but taking the chance on the lines freezing and cracking is another story.
You've also confirmed what I suspected as well - There's a lot of 'finish' masonry work that is best left to a professional. Luckily my wife has 2 masons in her family!!! So I think my plan looks like this:
1. Paritally fill, then cover the pool this winter to avoid any potential freeze damage, then in the spring...
2. Get all the tile off - DIY
3. Get all the Kool Deck Off -DIY using a jack-hammer, chisel, TNT, whatever it takes
4. Repair the underlying concrete issues on the steps and the niche using some concrete anchors - I think I can DIY this using some make shift forms etc.
5. Get someone in to acid wash all the plaster to finish all the DIY Prep
6. Get a mason in to do all the finish work - Decking, Plaster, and
Tile!
I really like the idea of spreading out the jobs over time to spread out the cost. Not sure how I would do this. Maybe the interior first, then the decking? I'm also toying with the idea of selling the house in the next year or two so I'd have to do it all before then.
I'd also really be interested in any other options for the tile and the decking. Could I...
Use some sort of paint on the deck instead of a surface material? Something that would be easy to touch-up? I've heard Kool Deck is not really intended for harsh winter conditions anyway, so I don't think I want to put something like that on again. Any suggestions would be welcome.
Tile Tile Tile!!! Again, maybe some type of acrylic paint product or something that won't start popping off as soon as it's done? Really need some help on this one. This has been a CONSTANT problem.
Thanks again for your kind assistance. I look forward to hearing back!