Deck drainage issue suggestions

[offtheclock]

Well this did not work either. Water was running under the tarp and still pooling and running over. I would have though the 4x4 sitting on top of the tarp would keep water out from behind so my guess it is running from the side as well. I guess a have a slope issue as well and not just water pooling in that area. I am going to close the pool this weekend and put the cover on. Plan on ordering a new liner over winter and when it is installed I am going to silicone the liner track and then press in the liner lock. Any suggestions on this method or type of silicone to use?

 

[Newdude]

I had a similar sloping issue. The area between the pool and house is tricky because it can only be raised in the center so much to slope it left and right to drain around the pool. So you end up with a good amount draining right into the pool.

Open it early and use a longer tarp covering back towards the house. Any drainage into the pool will clear the expected liner track. I still suspect it's finding a way under the patio further back and getting behind the liner from the back side of the liner track. But you can prove it to the general area if it's all under the tarp.

Here is a crude cross section drawing. Once the liner is in, it stops all but a few drips from easily getting behind the liner, and wedged tight with liner lock, it would be even less. IMO it's either traveling like the arrow in the last pic, or coming from the back side in the first place. I would where the liner track meets the coping when you replace the liner to rule out the bottom pic possibility.

 

[Newdude]

We raised mine at the center line hoping to slope it enough to either side with mixed success. It did break to the sides but not enough and it went right under the liner track from behind. I used construction adhesive to seal the track and then had them cement it in place.



If any water was to get under the patio stones, the hope is it can only go over the front of the liner.

 

[Newdude]

If it was getting in here, it could act like mine did.

 

[Newdude]

What about gently spraying the liner connection with a hose, being careful to keep it isolated to a small area ? Then work around after some time with no difference.

Then do the same with the patio seams.

 

[Bperry]

Well this did not work either. Water was running under the tarp and still pooling and running over. I would have though the 4x4 sitting on top of the tarp would keep water out from behind so my guess it is running from the side as well. I guess a have a slope issue as well and not just water pooling in that area. I am going to close the pool this weekend and put the cover on. Plan on ordering a new liner over winter and when it is installed I am going to silicone the liner track and then press in the liner lock. Any suggestions on this method or type of silicone to use?

That’s odd. The picture makes it look like the deck slopes away from the pool back toward the joint in the deck. Does that joint not run down hill parallel to the pool? If it doesn’t, then yeah I could see water pooling up there and getting under the tarp.

Can you replicate the issue with a garden hose on a dry day? (Might be hard right now to find a dry day…)

 

[Bill1974]

Here's another thought on how water may be getting behind the liner. Does the underside of the edge coping profile have a relief cut in it to allow water to drip into the pool and not wrap aroud? Like the gutter guard, the surface tension of the water directs into the gutter but in your case behind the liner track. Simple check is just run water on the deck and see if it wraps around the face of the coping and see if it runs into the liner track or drips off before it. If that is the issue a shallow score with an angle grinder should be enoough to break the surface tension of the water.

 

[Newdude]

OK. It hit me I had the supplies needed for a simulation. Woohoo.

Liner track. (Notice the lip)



Liner has the male hook



They mate up pretty well with the water pulling the liner down.




Shove a shim in there to simulate liner lock and viola




To me, even if the inside of the track was full of water, it would spill over the top and into the pool.

 

[Newdude]

*** Player 3 has entered the game***

Or. Two sections of the liner track don't line up. Alls it would have taken was a small pebble or other various debris to make one side higher. For me, my installers were firm believers that it was 5 o'clock somewhere and didn't grind the concrete wall smooth. They stopped at ' Meh, good enough'. *narrator voice* But it wasn't good enough.

Water could trickle down through there and it would take no time to add several gallons behind the wall with half the deck pitched that way.

 

[offtheclock]

Here's another thought on how water may be getting behind the liner. Does the underside of the edge coping profile have a relief cut in it to allow water to drip into the pool and not wrap aroud? Like the gutter guard, the surface tension of the water directs into the gutter but in your case behind the liner track. Simple check is just run water on the deck and see if it wraps around the face of the coping and see if it runs into the liner track or drips off before it. If that is the issue a shallow score with an angle grinder should be enoough to break the surface tension of the water.

There is no drip edge. Creating one is a good idea but could be hard to do cleanly. When running a hose over the edge of the coping the water runs right down over and along the liner lock and then into the pool.

 

[offtheclock]

Also is it possible for water to come in on one side of the pool and move around to the other side? Or would the water stay behind the liner from where it entered. The water runs over the coping and into the pool on the house side but the collects on the opposite side of the pool? I thought maybe it might have something to do with that side being on the retaining wall side. Just want to make sure I am not missing something.

 

[Newdude]

When running a hose over the edge of the coping the water runs right down over and along the liner lock and then into the pool

If I'm reading you correctly, you've proved it's not getting behind the liner from the front ?

If so, slowly continue flooding the deck away from the pool giving each area time to make its way and collect behind the liner. Once the liner starts bulging, you've narrowed down the search to the last area you were soaking.

If you can't replicate it by flooding thre whole deck (little bit at a time), it's ground water.

 

[offtheclock]

If I'm reading you correctly, you've proved it's not getting behind the liner from the front ?

If so, slowly continue flooding the deck away from the pool giving each area time to make its way and collect behind the liner. Once the liner starts bulging, you've narrowed down the search to the last area you were soaking.

If you can't replicate it by flooding thre whole deck (little bit at a time), it's ground water.

It was hard to run the hose long enough to exactly prove this but the liner got bouncy and lose in that area while running the hose over and and then tightened back up after stopping.

 

[offtheclock]

Also we got 3.5 in of rain the other night and with the cover on and a garage door seal placed under the cover to help divert water I would say it reduced water behind the liner 50% more than it should of had with that much rain.

 

[Newdude]

It was hard to run the hose long enough to exactly prove this but the liner got bouncy and lose in that area while running the hose over and and then tightened back up after stopping.

I'm sure it's tedious. In the spring, lower the flow to a trickle. It's not gushing off the deck and you'll have better control of the flood with just a little water.

You're trying to replicate the trickle of the rain. If you spray too hard it probably jumps the problem edge, making it appear it's not the front. Patience is key.

 

[Newdude]

If it helps any, we are heavily invested in your struggles and it's driving us batsnot crazy also.

 

[offtheclock]

If it helps any, we are heavily invested in your struggles and it's driving us batsnot crazy also.

Thank y’all so much. Really looking forward to getting it fixed for spring and never worrying about it again. Good news is is that it only bothers me and not my family.

 

[Bill1974]

I would guess most rain will result in some water wrapping around some of it getting where it should not. Might also be a combination of factors. Cutting a small groove in the underside of the coping isn't going to be pleasant, but it might be easier than you think. A battery powered cut off tool like this M12 FUEL 12V Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 3 in. Cut Off Saw should be able to do it with the right blade. Not sure if there is enough room to use the shroud and vacuum to catch the dust. The groove just needs to be enough to break the surface tension, so start small and make it bigger till it works. If the coping is similar to precast bullnose coping pavers, you can practice on those to see what size groove works. an 1/8" deep x 1/8" wide (or whatever the kerf is) probably would be enough. Ideally the cut would be on the end of the radius.

 

[offtheclock]

One more video before I put cover on.

 

[Newdude]

So in the spring, use a little water and make runs along the perimeter giving each area plenty of time to collect. If no change, move back a bit and run that new line all the way around. Of course, once it starts bulging you only know you're from the furthest area to the pool, but if you have a smaller area to zoom in on, it's progress

Make sure to get the dry areas in your video. With lots of water it may just collect and move away from the trouble area, but with rain those areas are just as wet.