Am I being too picky with coping installation?!?

[Purpurea84]

Hi TFP! We are in the process of building a 15x35’ pool and surrounding patio. We decided on Marmiro limestone for our coping and pavers. The coping was just installed, and I’m not pleased with the workmanship…but I also tend to be very particular (I know this about myself ). Would love thoughts on the following and have attached pics for reference…

1) We used 14x48” coping pieces to minimize joints for a clean modern look. On the shallow end of the pool (17’ long including coping, our builder used four 48” pieces and one 12” small cut. Not only do we think the centered 12” piece looks odd in the middle of the 48” pieces, but the imprecise cut left uneven joints. There were plenty of other ways to map out the coping, and we weren’t consulted on our preferences.

2) The coping was installed without grout in the joints, just butted tightly against one another. It was installed over a leveled mortar bed. Is there any concern about this approach? Freeze thaw issues? Water and dirt damage getting into the joints?

3) There are some pretty significant chips on the inside coping in the shallow end. I realize natural stone will have imperfections, so I’m not terribly bothered by it. Should I be?

Thanks so much for the input! We’re newbies and don’t particularly trust our pool builder’s guidance on some of these things.

 

[ajw22]

I think it is as good as you will get at this point. You are not going to get the builder to rip it out and now do it differently.

In the future if you know will be very particular then you need to be involved and communicate your expectations before the work is done. Or be there as the work is being done.

You have little ground to stand on after it is completed if you did not communicate your quality requirements and specifications before, preferably in writing, that you can hold them accountable for. And the contractor would have discussed if they could commit to meet your expectations.

 

[Zmann]

I am picky also, so I agree with you.
however, I also agree with the fact they probably won't remove without a fight and the 12" center section was perhaps a lazy choice vs cutting all of them down , it also probably gets installed like that often ..
Not sure how your environment play into the joints , zero joints are usually fine for sand beds but on mortar ?
page 8 here suggest a joint space if set in mortar . if they are providing a warranty I wouldn't be as concerned, but I would want the gap at the 12" tile addressed
since it stands out
and I bet they could fill the chips and make them go away with minimal effort


https://www.lampus.com/files/Resources/MarmiroStones-InstallationGuides-21.pdf

keep us posted

 

[Casey]

If you didn't circle it in the first pic, I'd of absolutely looked over it. I can tell you this... when you're having guest over, they aren't going to be looking at that coping and inspecting it. They are going to be in love with the pool and enjoying it.

I was with my PB every single day. Is my concrete perfect? No it's not! I've got lines from the forms on the inside of my pool coping that I could probably file down. I have concrete inside the tracking that needs picked out. Some of my brush strokes are not even but it's a man made product and I'm ok with it. You have natural stone work. It's got character. I'm sure the both of us could pick out our pool flaws but I'm not going to because I have a pool n I'm going to enjoy it. The company even sent the wrong slide but I accepted it anyway n made it work because it was here on the day everything was delivered!

You have a beautiful pool so far. It's your money and your project. If you're not happy, do as you wish but if you can overlook it, do so. But it looks good to me from the pictures chips and all. Character. It makes your pool unique. JMO

 

[Youfah Mizzum]

Aside from the joint gap, what the tiler has done is ensure symmetry along that edge. My tiler did something similar - if they didn't then that smaller piece would be at one end or the other. It's more optically "nice" if the pavers have been laid symmetrical - which they have. So rather than complain, its more a case of well done!
As for the chips, not great but they can be repaired very easily by using a special filler (can't recall the name) which is a 2 part goopy stuff like toothpaste, kind of like body filler for stone.

 

[Newdude]

I can tell you this... when you're having guest over, they aren't going to be looking at that coping and inspecting it. They are going to be in love with the pool and enjoying it.

Can confirm. I had REALLY sloppy coping. We used a family friend Mason and I had seen several of his beautiful patios but we may have been one of the few pools they ever did. It was wavy in height across the pool and had lots of morter and construction adhesive that 'dripped' on the inside. Also the corners were terrible with mismatched pizza slices.

But we had 75 or so people over to swim over the years with MANY repeat guests and not *one* ever stepped back and studied anything. Every. Last. One. Of them was all : Woo-hoo POOL DAY !!
Once there is patio furniture out, towels, goggles and swim toys strwen about, and food on the table, you'll even be hard pressed to see it.

If you can get the PB to fix it, well, that's great. Because you spent a small fortune and will in fact see it anytime you go out there by yourself to toss the robot in or pick up all those towels after an amazing day.

 

[6XSBChamps]

When my pool was built last summer I was losing sleep over many little things but after time you learn to accept a lot of little things. New pool construction involves so many possible headaches that I eventually stressed less about small imperfections as my attention shifted to things that had potential to be real problems. I now care less about fading plaster and more about water chemistry and potential leaks. I think we learn to accept more as time passes