I'm not actually a pool owner, but I'm a home inspector and do pool inspections following the ASHI standards of practice. I'm doing one right now where is a dispute between the homeowner and contractor about a lot of renovation work being done, and I noticed that the in-ground pool (still under construction) has stone coping and decking butted together with no elastomeric sealant at the transition. As far as I know this is not OK, but can somebody enlighten me if there are scenarios where it's acceptable? I don't have pictures at the moment, but can provide some if necessary.
Coping to deck transition without elastomeric sealant?
- Thread starter jml74
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,845
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Welcome to TFP.
See Expansion Joints and Coping - Further Reading for some diagrams.
And see this from an engineering company...
Minimizing Swimming Pool Structural Problems Due to Concrete Deck Construction - Pool Engineering
Expansion and Contraction in Concrete Construction Most of us in the swimming pool construction industry know that many materials expand and contract with
www.pooleng.com
The pool structure and the deck should always be able to move independently so as not to put pressure on each each other and cause cracking.
Where the debate comes is when pavers are placed on sand or the ground, and not on concrete. The argument is that the pavers have spacing between them and cannot put much pressure on the pool structure.
Then you get into "it depends" on how tight the pavers are laid and if they are interlocking and if the pavers can effectively put pressure like a solid structure on the pool. And you find that over time the spacing between pavers can get filled and they are more interlocked.
I recommend that an expansion joint always be installed even with pavers. It is cheap insurance to ensure that problems do not occur a few years down the road. This can be especially important if there are columns holding up something like a pergola near the pool that can cause ground movement. We have seen cracked pools with pavers without an expansion joint where you would say it should not happen but it does.
Thank you very much for the pointers, and I'm glad to hear I wasn't totally off base. I haven't read over that expansion joint section yet, but I definitely will. Here are a couple of pictures; they're larger than what I would consider pavers, and it's a very tight joint.
Attachments
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,845
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
ANSI/APSP/ICC-5 2011 (R2022) American National Standard for Residential Inground Swimming Pools
This standard applies to permanently installed residential inground swimming pools intended for noncommercial use as a swimming pool by not more than three owner families and their guests and exceeding 24 in. (61 cm) in water depth. EXCEPTION: Separate ponds, fountains, decorative water...
Deck Inspection Standard
ASHI's Auxiliary Standards of Professional Practice for Residential Deck Standards
www.homeinspector.org
InterNACHI's Standards of Practice for Inspecting Pools & Spas
InterNACHI's Standards of Practice for Inspecting Pools & Spas
Pools and Spas
Homeowners can safely maintain a pool or spa with proper maintenance and inspection.
www.homeinspector.org
Pool and Spa Standard
ASHI's Auxiliary Standards of Professional Practice for Residential Swimming Pool and Spa Inspections
www.homeinspector.org
I would want a proper expansion joint especially if the other side of the deck also was against a mortared edge or wall.
Even if the stones are not mortared in, they will still expand and contract and if they are tightly packed and constrained on both sides, there will be excessive pressure and force as the stones expand due to the heat.
Even if the stones are not mortared in, they will still expand and contract and if they are tightly packed and constrained on both sides, there will be excessive pressure and force as the stones expand due to the heat.