Horrible cantilever concrete job - any experience with removal?

[whitnevan]

Hello. New build and the concrete guy did not know what he was doing with the Styrofoam forms and the result is a mess (will post pics later). I am going to get someone else to either re-do it or switch to pavers (to be honest, I wish I had NEVER gone with cantilever concrete coping. Even the best contractors can have issues but mine had no business even attempting it).

Has anyone had to have the cantilever coping border removed and if so, how difficult was it? Was there any damage to pool/pool structure or vinyl liner? I am so nervous not to mention IRATE that it has to be done. Any and all advice/experiences regarding the tear out/removal/replacement process of cantilever coping border is welcomed!

 

[Winger 03]

I have a fiberglass pool and had my cantilever coping removed and a new one poured in its place. It can be done and done well, but it makes an enormous mess in the pool.

 

[whitnevan]

I have a fiberglass pool and had my cantilever coping removed and a new one poured in its place. It can be done and done well, but it makes an enormous mess in the pool.

Oh, I'm sure it does. Not looking forward to it.

 

[MAPR-Austin]

Do you have any pictures of before the pour? If the coping is pinned to the top of the bond beam it can be a real bear to remove. If not you can just cut it up with a chop saw and break it out. If it is poured in the same pour as the deck, you can cut back about 12"-14" from the coping edge, chop that out, and re-pour the coping.

I do a ton of cantilever coping with the Stegmeier styrofoam forms, all of it renovation work. If you post pictures I think I can give you some good guidance.

 

[Winger 03]

Do you have any pictures of before the pour? If the coping is pinned to the top of the bond beam it can be a real bear to remove. If not you can just cut it up with a chop saw and break it out. If it is poured in the same pour as the deck, you can cut back about 12"-14" from the coping edge, chop that out, and re-pour the coping.

I do a ton of cantilever coping with the Stegmeier styrofoam forms, all of it renovation work. If you post pictures I think I can give you some good guidance.

Good point on if the coping was a separate pour or not. Ours was and like you suggested, a chopsaw got it done efficiantly.

 

[FlapjackMcCoy]

Just for reference this is what mine looked like before the pour. The white edging (which exists after the form is removed) was bolted on around the perimiter and the styrofoam form had a wire that went through it and was wrapped around screws that were screwed into the bond beam. Is this what you mean pinned to the top beam?

 

[whitnevan]

It is a separate pour from the rest of the deck. I do not have pictures from before the pour but I don't think they were pinned like your picture. Will be posting pics of errors soon. Thank you!

 

[MAPR-Austin]

Ah, I was thinking of a concrete pool - we would put in 6" rebar dowels running vertically into the pool shell, then run rebar around the perimiter of the pool.

On a fiberglass pool, the way they did it looks to make sense, and it would not be tied structurally to the pool shell - so it should be relatively easy to remove as long as care is taken not to damage the shell.

 

[whitnevan]

Pics

 

[vtpools]

but I don't think they were pinned like your picture.

Did they use Z-Forms? Z Poolform Archives - Cardinal Systems Inc.

Without knowing how they poured the concrete it's hard to say how difficult it will be to remove. It is very possible possible that there are rebar "candy canes" going down through the steel wall and out into the concrete. Also possible that the concrete encapsulates the top part of the wall panels. The concrete should come away from the steel panels pretty easily, the tough part is that you're working very close to the liner with some heavy-ish equipment and there's a risk of damaging the liner and the liner track.

 

[whitnevan]

Did they use Z-Forms? Z Poolform Archives - Cardinal Systems Inc.

Without knowing how they poured the concrete it's hard to say how difficult it will be to remove. It is very possible possible that there are rebar "candy canes" going down through the steel wall and out into the concrete. Also possible that the concrete encapsulates the top part of the wall panels. The concrete should come away from the steel panels pretty easily, the tough part is that you're working very close to the liner with some heavy-ish equipment and there's a risk of damaging the liner and the liner track.

Damage to the liner is one of my biggest concerns. No rebar in the border.

 

[whitnevan]

Damage to the liner is one of my biggest concerns. No rebar in the border.

N

Did they use Z-Forms? Z Poolform Archives - Cardinal Systems Inc.

Without knowing how they poured the concrete it's hard to say how difficult it will be to remove. It is very possible possible that there are rebar "candy canes" going down through the steel wall and out into the concrete. Also possible that the concrete encapsulates the top part of the wall panels. The concrete should come away from the steel panels pretty easily, the tough part is that you're working very close to the liner with some heavy-ish equipment and there's a risk of damaging the liner and the liner track.

And no, they used the styrofoam. The new concrete guy uses the z-forms.

 

[whitnevan]

I can't anyone to even show up to give me an estimate except for one contractor who I'm pretty sure does not want to mess with the demo. Looking like I'm going to have to live with it and I am NOT happy.

 

[MAPR-Austin]

Pics

I dont think it would get it to 100%, but a day or two with a cup grinder could make it passable.

 

[Jayphil]

I will be a very big work to remove and redo it without breaking anything. Maybe you should ask you concrete company to do what MAPR-Austin said (grinding it) at no cost an see if it look acceptable to you. My cantilever framing foam was fixed to the plastic liner attachment system. They put some sort of grease on the foam before the concrete poor and after removing the foam they used a diamond/sand block to remove the imperfections.

When done right concrete cantilever can look very good. Good luck fixing yours, update us on your progress.

Before the pouring, grey foam attached to the plastic liner attach system for reference on my last year project.
View attachment 393180

After block sanding, surface is smooth and lines are straight