Auto Cover Coping

[mummer43]

We recently had the bluestone coping installed over our auto cover. Just wondering what you guys would think of this and if you would ask the pool builder to try and make it look better. The coping on the left is at least an inch or two higher than the coping on the right, which is siting on brackets over the cover. There are also fairly large gaps between the coping over the cover and the pavers.

 

[Nordsk Bjorski]

So the new cement coping was set on an existing coping that is level with the coping on the right? Did you not know it would turn out like this? I would have hoped you and your contractor would have had a design conversation before starting.
If I’m correct that the original copings were all on one level and you added the cement blocks, then I don’t see a better outcome than you have now. The gaps between your new cement blocks should probably be filled with polymeric sand. At the end where the new cement blocks sit high or proud of the original coping, about the only thing that can be done would be to cut the ends of the new coping back by about 1-1/2” and use the polymeric sand to build a slight ramp down to the level of the older coping. You should get a clear idea of what you want to see and then meet with your contractor. They may have also some ideas.

 

[mummer43]

No, the coping is bluestone. The pavers and bluestone were completed a little while ago and there are brackets over the cover that are made to hold the bluestone coping. When they finally laid the bluestone coping on the brackets it didn't line up very well with the previously installed coping. The gaps between the coping over the cover box and the pavers cannot be sanded as that coping is meant the just be laid there so that it can be picked up if the auto cover needs to be accessed. My issue is that that there is a height difference and that the pavers around the cover box probably could have been laid a little bit closer to the box so that there isn't such a large gap between the coping and the pavers.

 

[Nordsk Bjorski]

Still trying to visualize this. We have a similar set up with travertine. We have travertine coping set in concrete level with the concrete pool surround on two sides and one end. On the end where the pool cover retracts into its concrete box, we have large sized travertine tiles set on brackets above the pool cover box, and as with yours the tile are loose set on the brackets so they can be removed for access and maintenance. All surfaces are on the same plane. Here’s a photo of our layout. Sorry it’s not book cover quality, I would have staged it better but I m currently incapacitated. The cover box is on the left.

 

[mummer43]

Yes, you got it right. The issue is that the coping over the box is lower than the coping that is on the side of the pool. I'll take another photo and posit it.

 

[mummer43]

Here are a couple photos that show that I am talking about:

 

[Nordsk Bjorski]

Here are a couple photos that show that I am talking about:

View attachment 444308

View attachment 444309

You need to get all the finished surphaces on the same plane to eliminate that huge trip hazard. If the coping over the box is too low, you should be able to reposition the brackets upward to accommodate the height difference. That will take some labor but it’s not onerous. It appears that all surfaces slope away from the pool. If that’s so you’ll need to use some finesse on the coping but again it shouldn’t be that big of an issue