Gap between concrete and pool border

[isla0104]

Hi Everybody. Recently i have noticed that bricks from the deck are slipping away to the pool! We have just moved to Texas and own the house for a year and we are "fresh" in the topic. Do we need to call a specialist to repair this gap or we can do it by ourselves (cutting out the old caulk and replacing with new mastic)?

 

[gwegan]

That is an expansion joint.

Its between the coping (the bricks) and the deck (the exposed aggregate concrete). The coping sits on top of the wall of the pool the top of which is called the bond beam. The coping is attached to the bod beam by mortar.

Therefore the pool and the coping generally move together while the deck moves separate and apart from them. The bond beam and coping dance together while the deck is dancing by itself. And dance by itself it does.

To repair your problem you need to remove the existing mortar and replace it with probably a fiberboard spacer covered by flexible sealing grout. Its hard nasty dusty work. And you back gets a workout too. At least tow margaritas a day after you are done. You need to be careful not to damage the brick coping. At lest the first time you might want to call in a pool guy or small concrete guy to do the work so you can see how its done. That will probably last five to seven years and then you get to do it over again.

 

[pooldv]

I am an avid DIYer and replacing mine was cheap enough to let a pro do it. I'd get a quote first. If you want to do it dig everything out, put foam backer rod within 1/2" to 1/4" of the surface and use a polyurethane self leveling sealant. My guy used Sikaflex. He sprinkled sand on it while it was curing to make it look extra pretty.

 

[BigEinAZ]

What pooldv said is right. You'll want to set your backer rod depth to match the width of the joint or less. Make sure the edges are REALLY clean. Caulking with self-leveling caulk can get real messy really fast if you don't know what you're doing. I vote for a pro as well.

 

[Starplex]

I just did this Saturday. Pulled out the old mastic and found sand with no backer rod. Used a screwdriver and shop vac to remove majority of the sand. Then washed joint clean with water hose. I found Vulkrem sealant at Coastal concrete for a much better price then other online retailers. It is a semi self leveling sealant recommended for pool joints. It worked great. Flowed and leveled nicely. I can't imagine what a full self level would be like as this flowed pretty easily. I sanded the top as well. It is hard on the back and knees but I saved over $600 for 120 feet. Used 1/2" backer but should have probably used 3/8" diameter.