Coping Repair and Input

[shlurpeesh]

Hi, all - we bought a house a couple of years ago in New England that came with an in-ground pool. There was some cracking around the coping when we first got it, but I wasn't too worried about it (oops) while I was figuring out other things (like how a pump worked). But now that I feel a little more comfortable with a pool, the cracks are getting worse. Any idea how to fix this while I figure out a real repair? Think I can I just pour some of that quick-crete/silicon caulk in it that can withstand New England winters?

Some background - I don't know what kind of pool this is. When we first moved in, I asked around for help to replace the tile, and was told it's every type of pool except the type of pool that particular vendor could work with. So I'm not sure if it's concrete/gunnite (though the walls/floor seem to be), fiberglass (I don't think so - except maybe some added steps?), and one person thought it was a pool that used to have a liner because it has metal walls, but someone painted over whatever was holding the liner. I honestly have no idea, and if anyone knows anyone around the New England area who knows these '60s hybrid-type pools, any vendor info would be appreciated!

TIA!

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

Here is some information about Hybrid Pools - Further Reading

There are few if any people around anymore who will work on them.

I don't think what you have is repairable. The pool needs to be rebuilt and the deck demoed and replaced.

 

[kimkats]

I put a sad under Allen's post as I think he is right and it makes my heart hurt for you wallet.

 

[shlurpeesh]

Hi, all, thanks for the replies, though it’s making me sad, too! Just want to clarify that there’s nothing wrong with the interior of the pool itself (albeit with some flaking paint). No leaks or anything, just cracking around the coping. The previous owners started putting adhesive tiling like you would use in a kitchen along where the tiles used to be. The third pic was just to show (what I now understand to be) the fiberglass seam, no crack there.

 

[shlurpeesh]

Hi, all, thanks for the replies, though it’s making me sad, too! Just want to clarify that there’s nothing wrong with the interior of the pool itself (albeit with some flaking paint). No leaks or anything, just cracking around the coping. The previous owners started putting adhesive tiling like you would use in a kitchen along where the tiles used to be. The third pic was just to show (what I now understand to be) the fiberglass seam, no crack there.

And by cracking, I mean on the deck, not in the pool.

 

[ajw22]

The only fix for crumbling concrete is to chip it all out until back to solid surface and then pour some new concrete in the area.

 

[kimkats]

But what about this pic:

That looks like a creak with a void behind it.

 

[shlurpeesh]

But what about this pic:

That looks like a creak with a void behind it.

Hmm, there could be something there hiding beneath the surface, but there’s no leak, whoever painted the pool painted over the seam and the paint is chipping there. I’ll take a closer look.

 

[kimkats]

Good! I say just swim and enjoy it for now. Save up your pennies to redo your coping and deck. If there is no leak I would not mess with the pool part of it!

 

[MAPR-Austin]

The decking can be demoed and replaced, but I would suggest:

-Leave the pool full of water during the work, to keep the walls from collapsing into the pool
-Do the demo work by hand, not with a skidsteer or excavator. The walls are tied into the deck by rebar that runs up the back of the walls and is then tied to the rebar in the deck.
-Put the plumbing under pressure before the demo work starts, and until the deck is fully poured.
-The right contractor can remove those white coping strips and pour the new deck with a cantilever form.
-The rebar coming up from the back of the walls MUST be retained and tied back into the new deck. It is the only thing keeping the top of the walls from

It looks like the tile is set in a track, should be straightforward to remove it and reset some new tile.

The rust looks to be from a seam in the panels. Depending on how far you want to go with this thing, you could have the paint blasted off (I would use hydroblasting or some alternative to sand blasting to minimize mess and likelihood of making holes in the walls). After that, the walls should probably be primed with some kind of rust inhibiting primer, then repainted and the seams re-caulked.

The floor can probably be prepped and replastered - nothing special needed.

On the deck, I have also seen people use L-shaped renovation pavers to cover up the deck and the white strip. Might be worth looking into.