"Border Tile Crack" Repair and Resurface

[samuelchodur]

Hi All,
I believe this pool is about 30 years old. I just moved in less than two years ago. The pool needs to be resurfaced, but leak inspector is saying: "Previously patched tiles throughout the pool border tile. Border tile also has multiple areas that are starting to open up and could potentially leaks in the future. Recommend resealing tile line."

Quote for doing this work is attached.

I guess I am just looking for advice here. We knew coming into the house the pool was due for a resurface. I'm wondering if what this company is saying they will do is the right thing to do. Also wondering if I should go about this in a different order. If they were to come do the repair first, they would remove and replace with new tile after fixing the leaks. I had a concrete company come in a few months ago and fill in under deck with foam as parts of the deck were apparently hallow underneath.

The temporary patch applied definitely corrected the leak as I was losing a large amount of water per day.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

Please show us closer pictures of the areas that are "opening up." The details are not visible in the pictures you posted.

Are tiles cracked?

Is it only grout lines that have cracks?

Best time to replace the tile is when you resurface the pool.

 

[samuelchodur]

Thank you for the warm welcome. Here are some more close ups. The one showing the putty the leak detection technician applied. The other is on the opposite side of the pool.

The way the technician explained it to me was that there is some layer between the pool shell and the pool deck that needs to be fixed. So they would remove all the tiles, fix this layer, and then put new tiles on.

I do not see any cracked tiles, only grout lines.

 

[ajw22]

I don't see any significant problems. Grout needs periodic maintenance, and it looks like you need that.

Confirm that the yellow area I highlighted is the putty the technician applied.

The open area in the upper right, circled in green, needs to be cleaned and regrouted.

There is no reason to replace the tiles unless you want to change them. And then I would wait until you replaster the pool.

The grout needs maintenance, and that can be a DIY job.

• Lower the water below the tile line.
• Clean up cracked grout areas by hand using a grout saw or an oscillating tool with a grout blade.
• Mix a batch of grout in a plastic cup.
• Apply the grout to the joints
• Clean the tile with a sponge
• Let the grout set for 24 hours before raising the water level.

There are lots of YouTube videos showing how to grout tile.

E-Z Patch® 4 (White) Pool Tile Grout Repair

E-Z Patch® 4 (White) Pool Tile Grout Repair is our above water mixture. Grout repair products and tile grout repair.

e-zpatch.com

Waterline Tile Installation - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[samuelchodur]

Yes, the yellow area is where the technician applied the putty. I am confused about the purpose of grout. Some areas without any grout are not leaking any water. I didn't think grout was what was actually stopping leaks. Why is the solution proposed by the quote to fix something underneath the tile as opposed to just applying new grout like you are suggesting?

 

[ajw22]

Yes, the yellow area is where the technician applied the putty. I am confused about the purpose of grout.

The gunite shell is not waterproof and will absorb and leak water.

The tiles, grout between the tiles (which is a form of plaster), and the plaster, form a waterproof seal that keeps water from leaking.

Water that gets past the grout can then get behind the tiles and loosen the thinset, causing them to fall off.

Some areas without any grout are not leaking any water.

How do you know that?

There could be enough grout on the gunite to prevent leaks.

Why is the solution proposed by the quote to fix something underneath the tile as opposed to just applying new grout like you are suggesting?

I do not know what will be fixed underneath the tile. The pool's gunite shell is underneath the tile.

A waterproofing coating is sometimes applied to the gunite before the tile. I doubt your pool has complete materials, as shown here. Builders usually apply thinset, tile, and grout directly to the gunite unless more is requested.

Installation Guidelines

Oceanside Glass & Tile

www.glasstile.com

 

[samuelchodur]

Thanks for taking the time to respond ajw22.

>The tiles, grout between the tiles (which is a form of plaster), and the plaster, form a waterproof seal that keeps water from leaking.
I guess I am not sure what they would actually be doing. I had this company repair leaks around my returns last year. They cut out the concrete around the returns and filed it back in with their "waterproof cement". See attached images for what they did. I would assume they would be doing the same thing for areas behind the tile line based on what is in the quote:
"Strip all material necessary to perform repair(tile/diamond brite)
•• Repair affected area with waterproof cement
Prep area for tile/surface installation"

>How do you know that?
I understand what you mean. I don't know that. I was equating the lack of grout between tiles meaning there was no mortar behind the tile.

If I am understanding you correctly, you are saying a new tile application should fix these leaks around the water line, but as an easier DIY solution, I could just clean up cracked grout areas and re-grout?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Given the age and history of the pool leaking, you are chasing gremlins at this point. If the pool needs to be resurfaced and you’re encountering random leaks, then what likely needs to happen is more of a remodel - remove all plaster, tile and coping, then inspect the shell for cracks in the floor, walls, around penetrations, and at the bond beam. If the shell is still intact and there’s no damage to the bond beam, then the tile and coping can be replaced/changed/updated and the pool can be replastered.

Old pools can often have damage to the bond beam which’s causes cracks to form in the shell and those cracks then leak. Most of the time one can find cracked tiles or vertical cracks in the plaster from ground shifting. You mentioned the deck had voids under it - that could have been caused by previous leaks which washed out the soil and then caused the deck to shift and put stress on the pool’s bond beam. Added stress can cause cracks and further leaks.

 

[ajw22]

Your returns are in holes in the gunite and the gaps around the pipes need to be packed with hydraulic cement to keep water from leaking out around the pipes.

There are no holes or gaps in the gunite between the plaster and the tile line to fill unless your shell is cracked.

If there was no thinset, not mortar, behind the tile, the tile will fall off the wall.

It is not clear that your contractor is doing anything other than a grout repair.

 

[sktn77a]

It is not clear that your contractor is doing anything other than a grout repair.

^^^^^ What he said. I don't really see anything other than the grout needing to be repaired. It's a tedious job but a Dremel tool should make short work of it.