Pool Delima

[TizMe]

My boss has a "Home Made" above ground concrete pool. When he made the pool, to finish the inside he troweled on the walls and floor some mortar or stucco stuff. This stuff was put on in two applications and was lifting and cracking in spots to where it was coming off the bottom of the pool. We have drained the pool and are in the midst of removing this stuff. My question is , this stuff isnt coming up very easy and I was wondering is there anyway to remove it easier? Someone had told my boss to get some muriatic acid and pour it on it and that would lift it up. If this is not the way to go about doing it does anyone have any suggestions ?

If the acid is the way to go can we walk in this stuff to scrap the bottom of the pool ?

 

[waste]

Tiz, how are you?

I think it would take a LOT of acid to dissolve the finish. What I've done in the past is to 'sound' the floor and walls and just remove what has become unbonded to the concrete base. To sound the pool, you can either tap with a hammer and listen for hollow spots (tapping the whole thing will take lots of time - so the alternate method is to drag a chain across the surface to find those hollow spots). To remove the unbonded material, you can beat on it with a hammer but you'll probably want a cold chisel or 2 involved (if you have a hammer drill that's even better).

Once you've gotten all the unbonded surface off is the time to use the acid, it will prepare the floor for the new finish (~ 4:1 water : acid is a good mix - watch out for the fumes, especially on an indoor pool!! Have plenty of ventilation ! respirators would be optimal)

As for walking in the acid, you should have rubber boots on (of course I've done it bare foot - but I'm an OSHA nightmare with some of the things I do at work )

If you need any more from me on this - just ask :-D

I wish you and your boss well with the project!

Ted

 

[TizMe]

Thanks for the reply Ted.

We , (I) have been scraping away at the spots we can see that have already come unbonded from the floor. Will it be possible to get all of it up or just some ? He is in the concrete business so I was really shocked and surprised at him finishing his pool like that. I had already suggested getting up what we could and doing a pour over of about 2 inches and finishing it with a trowel machine for a smooth finish and just painting it (if that can be done).

Also if we do the pour over will we have to seal the edges with something so water doesnt seep around the edges over time where the floor meets the walls?

 

[Casey]

Any chances of *seeing* this pool?

Sorry I have nothing postitive to contribute other than getting a phix with pics.

 

[TizMe]

Yes there is a chance .... I have pics on my phone I will post tomorrow night. Its on the charger right now